Which version?

[Scrapnmom]

:?: I found this wonderful website from CK's website and I'm hoping for input! I've tried many different photo editing softwares and none have done what Photoshop seems to offer. However, I don't know what version to buy! I've heard good things about Elements and it's cheaper. I scrapbook on paper only at this point but want to be able print up montages and tint photos and create special effects at home to print up. I don't have hours and hours to learn a complicated program so is Photoshop too much? I want something I can use within a week of playing and then learn more as I go. Please provide any input. I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Sharon

[Wendy]

Hi Sharon ...

.. and welcome to the forum

Elements is the cut down version of Photoshop and you can indeed use it to do all the things you mention. Certainly you will be able to use it within a week (using the simpler levels) and then there is lots more you can learn if you want to do more complex things with it.

It really is versatile ... but very addictive

Any help you need there is always someone on the forum who will talk you through things ... plus its a great place to learn. We have a subscribers area with lots of Videos, tutorials, downloads etc on it and there are also online classes you can take.

... we also have a lot of fun

Wendy

[Pauline]

Sharon, I think elements has everything you need including a great learning area to get you going. I haven't seen any other program that does that. Also it seems that the elements forum and learning area is much more learner friendly. We have people who come here with questions because the photoshop forums are not near as friendly and helpful. It seems it is geared more to the professionals who think you should already know it all.

In the subscriber area there are lots of tutorials and as a group we even do projects together for fun.

[Pauline]

Another thought is if you are interested in a Wacom tablet. It's makes life much easier when working with images and if you buy one it comes with Elements 3!! The new Graphire 4's are out and work wonderfully. There are many of us that have purchased elements only to turn around and purchase a tablet afterwards which ends up costing you more money!

[carmelnap]

Hi Sharon,


Welcome to the forum. I just though I would mention they also a have scrapbook tutorial in the subscribers area that is really good.

I have just started doing scrapbook pages in Photoshop Elements and find it really easy.

Tawana

[Scrapnmom]

Thank you for the replies! I think I will proceed with Elements. Can someone please explain a Wacom tablet Pauline wrote of! I feel so out of touch in the digital world!?!?!?! Thanks again and I look forward to seeing you all more often here!

Sharon

[Pauline]

Sharon Wacom site is www.wacom.com

What it is is a pressure sensitive tablet. You use either the mouse (that comes with it) or a pen to do all your work. So it's like using a pen rather than the mouse. Much easier to control what you are doing. There are a couple of tutorials on the site about the tablet. It is also pressure sensitive so that you can vary the width of a line, or how dark a line is, etc. They are wonderful. I would research them first if you are interested in getting elements because if you buy one you get elements with it, and it would save you money to do it that way.

[Bob Clark]

Hi Pauline

I am very new to Photshop Elements and have taken the on line video tutorials however being new many of them I have problems with. Do you know of any on line courses I could take, any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Pauline]

Bob are you a member of this site?? There are so many tutorials here in the suscriber area to get you going. That is where I have learned so much (and of course my collection of books). The membership is worth every penny.

[Carbone]

I second what others have said here... Elements is very addictive !! I started several years ago only to have a few hours of fun, here and there... Now I can never get enough

Ray