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See
review of latest version - Photoshop Elements 6
Adobe
has taken an already outstanding photo editing program (read
our review of Photoshop
Elements 3) and made it even better. The newest version,
Adobe Photoshop Elements 4, has excellent organizing
features as well as superior editing capabilities.
Photoshop Element 4's Editing tools let you correct common
photo flaws, such as lighting, skin tone, color and contrast.
Quick Fix mode with before and after views lets you instantly
see the changes you make. You can easily fix flaws such as
unwanted objects (telephone poles, for instance), or wrinkles
(yes!) using the Spot Healing Brush or Healing Brush. Further,
you can adjust color, tint, exposure, shadows, and highlights.
Elements also features special effects tools to add glow
or shadows or to convert photos to black-and-white or sepia
tones, plus special filters to add surreal effects like warping,
watercolor, mosaic and more. You can make composites, panoramas
and add text, graphics and shapes, to your photos.
"Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 software is a wonderful
tool for pictures. I keep all of mine on the computer and
I learned how to:
- Do the basics stuff like lightening and darkening images,
removing red eye, (this is the best red eye removal program)
- Creating a panorama image using multiple pictures
- Removing one person's head and placing it on another body
(will help with all the pictures of me, as I now can place
my head on my niece's body and look tall and thin)
- How to create a vignette and then layer the image
- How to do an animation
- How to apply sepia tones to an image, remove shine on
a face, whiten teeth, brighten eyes, remove wrinkles
- Remove all unwanted items from any photo
- How to download images and organize them into files using
shortcuts
- How to create a CD of all images taken
Using Photoshop 4 allows you to do all of this and more
in just a few simple steps."
--D.K.
Winnipeg, MB
New or improved features of Adobe Photoshop Elements
4:
- The improved slideshow creation with panning and zooming
effect is one of the best new features. You can also
quickly reorder your slides using a horizontal timeline.
In addition to captions, music and narration (and improved
controls), there are some fun clip-art graphics that you
can add to your slides, such as speech bubbles.
- Photoshop Elements 4 can automatically remove red eye
from photos as they are downloaded from your camera.
However, the automatic red eye removal is one of the few
minor weaknesses of the program. Sometimes it doesn't remove
all the red eye. Fortunately, you can still remove red eye
manually using the Red Eye tool.
- The new Adjust Color for Skin Tone command is a
nice feature. You can make simple adjustments for a more
natural skin tone. The cropping tool has been improved and
you can straighten crooked photos in one click.
- The Magic Selection Brush lets you retouch selected
areas by brushing over an area. You don't have to select
the area precisely, the program can tell what you want to
select from your rough outline. This works great for images
with elements that have a lot of contrast, such as a pink
flower against blue sky, but it is not as precise when you
have a more complicated color composition.
- We like the new face-tagging command. Elements
can now find all the photos that contain human faces. They
are displayed in a separate window so you can tag them with
keywords.tagging. It really speeds up the process if you
have imported a lot of new photos.
- Photoshop Elements features new ways to share your
photos. You can share photos online in a personal photo
album. You or your friends can view photos and order Kodak
prints with new one-click printing, or create a hardbound
photo book. You can also embed your photos within your e-mail,
instead of in separate attachments, and add a decorative
background or frame and captions. Elements will automatically
optimize your images for emailing so they don't bog down
the recipient's email.
- Other fun features are the ability to show your photos
and slide shows on your TV, either over a home network or
from a video CD, and control it with your TV remote. Elements
also allows you to send photos to' mobile phones, or to
your Palm OS® handheld.
Photoshop Elements is available in Microsoft Windows and
Macintosh versions.
Should you buy it?
Photoshop Elements 4 remains the premier photo editing
and organizing program. It has advanced features that practiced
users will appreciate, yet it is still fairly easy to learn
for newbies. We highly recommend this program, you just can't
go wrong.
Rating: 
Resources for Buying Photoshop Elements 4
Buy
Photoshop Elements 4 from Adobe.com
- look under Digital Imaging. You can download it instantly
(512mb) or order boxed version
Recommended Books About Adobe Photoshop Elements:
Adobe
Photoshop Elements 4 One-on-One  
Adobe
Photoshop Elements 4 Classroom in a Book
Adobe
Photoshop Elements 4 in a Snap
Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Digital Photography: 107 Lessons
on Taking, Making, Editing, Storing, Printing, and Sharing
Better Digital Images
Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 Classroom in a Book
Photoshop Elements 3 For Dummies
PhotoShop Elements 3: The Missing Manual
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