Photoshop Elements 6: The Missing Manual

When You Really Need Photoshop

You can do an enormous amount with Elements, but some people do need the full version of Photoshop. For example, if you want the ability to write your own actions (little scripts, like macros, that automate certain things in Photoshop) or if you have to work extensively in CMYK mode, then you need Photoshop.

CMYK is the color mode used for commercial printing—it stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and blacK, which are the colors professional printers use. When you send a file to a print shop, the printer usually tells you it needs to be a CMYK file. You can't convert files to CMYK in Elements. If you need CMYK files on a regular basis, it's worth the extra price of Photoshop to avoid the aggravation. If you only occasionally need CMYK, you might just ask your printer about converting the file for you for an additional charge.

Note

Richard Lynch (www.hiddenelements.com) created a workaround for CMYK conversion for earlier versions of Elements. You may want to check his Web site to see what workarounds and other goodies he's come up with for Elements 6.

In Photoshop you get more of everything: more choices, more tools, more settings, more types of adjustment layers, and so on.

POWER USERS' CLINIC: Making Elements Behave More Like Photoshop

While each version of Elements is more talented than its predecessor, there's one thing about Elements 6 that you may not like if you're a longtime member of the Elements community: Some of the tools and actions you find online ...