I’ve been an avid Photoshop user for many years. I do a great deal of web publishing, plus the occasional digital-to-print if I take a really lovely digital shot or want to edit a 35mm shot. It’s getting to be about time to upgrade to a new version, and it occurred to me that Photoshop Elements might have enough "horsepower" for my modest needs. However, after downloading the trial version, I quickly discovered that I can’t _remember_ all the things I do and don’t use with Photoshop. I would hate to buy the slimmed down version only to discover in six months that it doesn’t have a certain bell/whistle that I occasionally want.
So… to make a long story somewhat shorter… Is there a list somewhere of comparison features? I would be ever so grateful for pointers to such a list or even just personal experience in comparing the two.
-Spider (definitely buying one of them – but which one??)
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If you are accustomed to using the full version of Photoshop, then I would probably recommend that you upgrade rather than switch over to Photoshop Elements. Since you indicate that you do a lot of Web publishing, I would assume that you probably use ImageReady at least a little bit, and that isn’t included in Photoshop Elements. And you don’t have the freedom of creating actions with Elements. Other than that, if you purchase the "Hidden Powers of Photoshop Elements" book that is available, you would probably find that you have access to most of the image editing tools that you would need. Elements doesn’t come with the Curves feature, as well as a few others that I cannot recall readily. Personally, I have used the both Photoshop 6 & 7 and Elements, and I quite enjoy using Elements. But then I’m not what you would consider to be a power user.
I also have Elements and full Photoshop. Though I love Elements and use it extensively…I would be lost without PS for it’s little ‘extras’ that I enjoy so much.
I tend to use Fireworks instead of ImageReady, so that wouldn’t be a loss. However, not having the curves tool is probably a deal breaker. I hadn’t thought to check for that one and would have been sad to lose it.
Here’s a short summary (incomplete, but gives a general idea) :
Elements 2 doesn’t have the following tools (compared to Photoshop 7): Paths, Pen tool, Extract, Layer Masks, Layer Sets, Layer Styles Creation**, History Brush, Healing Brush, Patch Tool, Batch tool, Tool presets (but it will let you save your own sets of brushes, patterns, gradients and swatches), Custom Workspaces*, Measure tool. Some functions like Align are also not found in Elements.
And, (unless you get the extra tools from Richard Lynch’s book or Paul Shippley’s website): Channels, Guides, Trim, Actions (specifically written for Photshop Elements), Quick Mask. Certain tools added with those extras have limits in the sense that they cannot be adjusted after applied (as opposed to Photoshop). Example, the Curves, but they are created in a seperate layer (for Richard’s at least, I don’t know for Paul’s), so you can throw them in the garbage can and restart, if needed, without damaging the picture.
Brush engine is similar, but offers more control under Photoshop 7. Elements is also unable to save custom shapes. Though you can download and use sets created in Photoshop.
Elements 2 can’t work in LAB / CMYK color modes neither (CMYK is available with the extra tools, though), and it can’t load 16 bits color mode TIFF (without converting them in 8 bits first).
Elements has Photomerge to stitch panoramas, a tool not found in PS7 (very handy!). Elements also a Brush Selection tool that is not found in PS7. In selection mode, you paint with a brush, it creates a selection. In Mask mode, again you paint to remove portion of the selection, with a red selection indicating what’s selected. Like Quick Mask.
* Elements will let you place your palettes and reveal those you like to work with, but you can’t have several workspaces saved as in Photoshop.
**Layer Styles can be applied "already-made", but you can’t create your own in Elements. Edit commands for the layer styles are also severly limited in Elements.
Otherwise, you can pretty much do anything in Elements. Sometimes, you need some imagination or a few extra steps, or you need to get some extra tools (many are free). You can get custom shapes, for example, on the Adobe Studio Exchange site.
Again, this is not an extensive list. Only the things I’ve noticed that are not present in Elements or Photoshop. I’m no expert in Photoshop, keep that in mind 🙂
Actually, Ray, Spiderchain would be getting Photoshop CS now as the upgrade and that has most of the elements features that were not yet available in PS 7, like photomerge, as well as several cool new features like the warming and cooling filters, the shadow/highlight adjustment, and several other good things.
