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Recomposing

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Photoshop Elements

Photoshop Elements

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  1. Photoshop Elements User Guide
  2. Introduction to Photoshop Elements
    1. What's new in Photoshop Elements
    2. System requirements | Photoshop Elements
    3. Workspace basics
    4. Guided mode
    5. Making photo projects
  3. Workspace and environment
    1. Get to know the Home screen
    2. Workspace basics
    3. Preferences
    4. Tools
    5. Panels and bins
    6. Open files
    7. Rulers, grids, and guides
    8. Enhanced Quick Mode
    9. File information
    10. Presets and libraries
    11. Multitouch support
    12. Scratch disks, plug-ins, and application updates
    13. Undo, redo, and cancel actions
    14. Viewing images
  4. Fixing and enhancing photos
    1. Resize images
    2. Cropping
    3. Process camera raw image files
    4. Add blur, replace colors, and clone image areas
    5. Adjust shadows and light
    6. Retouch and correct photos
    7. Combine Photos
    8. Sharpen photos
    9. Transforming
    10. Auto Smart Tone
    11. Recomposing
    12. Using actions to process photos
    13. Photomerge Compose
    14. Create a panorama
    15. Moving Overlays
    16. Moving Elements
  5. Adding shapes and text
    1. Add text
    2. Edit text
    3. Create shapes
    4. Editing shapes
    5. Painting overview
    6. Painting tools
    7. Set up brushes
    8. Patterns
    9. Fills and strokes
    10. Gradients
    11. Work with Asian type
  6. Quick Actions
  7. Guided edits, effects, and filters
    1. Guided mode
    2. Filters
    3. Guided mode Photomerge edits
    4. Guided mode Basic edits
    5. Adjustment filters
    6. Effects
    7. Guided mode Fun edits
    8. Guided mode Special edits
    9. Artistic filters
    10. Guided mode Color edits
    11. Guided mode Black & White edits
    12. Blur filters
    13. Brush Stroke filters
    14. Distort filters
    15. Other filters
    16. Noise filters
    17. Render filters
    18. Sketch filters
    19. Stylize filters
    20. Texture filters
    21. Pixelate filters
  8. Working with colors
    1. Understanding color
    2. Set up color management
    3. Color and tonal correction basics
    4. Choose colors
    5. Adjust color, saturation, and hue
    6. Fix color casts
    7. Using image modes and color tables
    8. Color and camera raw
  9. Working with selections
    1. Make selections in Photoshop Elements
    2. Saving selections
    3. Modifying selections
    4. Move and copy selections
    5. Edit and refine selections
    6. Smooth selection edges with anti-aliasing and feathering
  10. Working with layers
    1. Create layers
    2. Edit layers
    3. Copy and arrange layers
    4. Adjustment and fill layers
    5. Clipping masks
    6. Layer masks
    7. Layer styles
    8. Opacity and blending modes
  11. Creating photo projects
    1. Project basics
    2. Making photo projects
    3. Editing photo projects
    4. Creating Photo Reels
  12. Saving, printing, and sharing photos
    1. Save images
    2. Printing photos
    3. Share photos online
    4. Optimizing images
    5. Optimizing images for the JPEG format
    6. Dithering in web images
    7. Guided Edits - Share panel
    8. Previewing web images
    9. Use transparency and mattes
    10. Optimizing images for the GIF or PNG-8 format
    11. Optimizing images for the PNG-24 format
  13. Keyboard shortcuts
    1. Keys for selecting tools
    2. Keys for selecting and moving objects
    3. Keys for the Layers panel
    4. Keys for showing or hiding panels (expert mode)
    5. Keys for painting and brushes
    6. Keys for using text
    7. Keys for the Liquify filter
    8. Keys for transforming selections
    9. Keys for the Color Swatches panel
    10. Keys for the Camera Raw dialog box
    11. Keys for the Filter Gallery
    12. Keys for using blending modes
    13. Keys for viewing images (expertmode)

The Recompose tool facilitates intelligent resizing of photos without changing important visual content such as people, building, animals, and more. Normal scaling affects all pixels uniformly when resizing an image. Recompose affects pixels in areas that don’t have important visual content. Recompose enables you to upscale or downscale images to improve a composition, fit a layout, or change the orientation.

If you want to preserve or remove specific areas when scaling an image, Recompose enables you to protect content intelligently during resizing.

Note:

Recompose can also be performed without using the protect areas option. For example, to recompose a photo without marking any areas for protection or removal, drag the image handles.

Before Recompose (left) and after Recompose

A. Photo selected for Recompose B. Areas marked for protection (green) and for removal (red)  C. Photo after Recompose 

Recompose a photo in Guided mode

  1. Open a photo in the photo bin that you want to resize, and select the Guided mode.

  2. Select Guided > Special Edits > Recompose.

  3. Mark the areas you want to protect using the Protect brush. Right-click the photo, and select one of the following modes:

    Use Normal Highlight

    This mode is similar to painting. Mark all the regions that require protection. For example, protecting a circle using Normal Highlight requires marking or painting the entire circle.

    Use Quick Highlight

    You can quickly highlight the required regions for protection. Encircle the subject to highlight the required regions. For example, to highlight the area within a circle, trace the boundary of the circle. Quick Highlight ensures that the area within the circle is marked for protection.

    Note:

    You can specify the size of the brush and the photo.

    Green indicates the areas marked for protection.

  4. To erase portions of unwanted marked areas (green), right-click the photo, and select Clear Protect Highlights.

  5. Mark the areas you want to remove (areas that are unimportant) using the Remove brush tool.

    Red indicates the areas marked for removal.

    Note:

    Right-click the photo, and select Clear All Highlights to erase protected and unprotected marked areas.

  6. To erase portions of unwanted marked areas (red), right-click the photo, and select Clear Remove Highlights.

  7. Drag the image handles or select a size from the Preset drop-down, to Recompose your photo.

Recompose a photo in Expert mode

  1. Open a photo in the photo bin that you want to resize, and select Image > Recompose, or click the Recompose tool.

  2. Mark the areas you want to protect using the Protect brush. Right-click the photo, and select one of the following modes:

    • Use Normal Highlight

    • Use Quick Highlight

    Note:

    You can specify the size of the brush and the photo.

    Green indicates the areas marked for protection.

    Note:

    Recompose can also be performed without using the protect areas option. For example, to recompose a photo without marking any areas for protection or removal, drag the image handles .

  3. Do one of the following to erase portions of unwanted marked areas (green):
    • Erase using the Eraser tool.
    • Right-click the photo, and select Clear Protect Highlights.

  4. Mark the areas you want to remove (areas that are unimportant) using the Remove brush tool.

    Red indicates the areas marked for removal.

    Note:

    Right-click the photo, and select Clear All Highlights to erase protected and unprotected marked areas.

  5. Do one of the following to erase portions of unwanted marked areas (red):
    • Erase using the Eraser tool.
    • Right-click the photo, and select Clear Remove Highlights.
    Note:

    You can specify the size of the brush and the photo.

  6. Drag the handles of the image to Recompose your photo. On completion, click the Commit Current Operation icon.

Recompose options

You can use the following options while using the Recompose tool.

Size

Enables you to define the brush size.

Preset

Used to specify the ratio that you want to use for resizing. Preset works on the photo ratio and not the dimensions of the photo. For example, if you use a preset ratio 3x5, the image is resized using this ratio. If you want to scale the photo using the same ratio, hold the Shift key and drag the corner handles. A preset that crops the image in the 16:9 ratio has been added to the Preset menu.

note: If you don’t hold down the Shift key, the image is resized in any ratio.

Threshold

Used to set the Recompose threshold. Setting the threshold to 100% indicates a 100% Recompose. If it is set to 0%, then the behavior of Recompose tool is similar to the Transform tool.

Highlight Skin Tones

Identifies and highlights skin tones for protection. You can preserve regions that contain skin tones. Click the Highlight Skin Tones icon to view the suggested skin tones region. To erase the identified regions that contain skin tones, use the Protect Eraser tool, or right-click the image and select Clear Protect Highlights.

Swap height and width

Used to swap the values specified for height and width. For example, you have specified the following values: H: 10 and W: 15. Click the Swap Height and Width icon to interchange these values. The new values are: H: 15 and W: 10.

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