Photoshop Elements or Photoshop CS

[Florence Belushi]

The newcomer to photo editing and computer art may find the array of
options before them boggling. There are many photo editing programs
out there, each claiming to be the best for your needs. Choosing
between them without being able to try them all seems impossible. One
of the biggest questions facing beginners is whether to choose the
full version of Adobe Photoshop - the industry standard for photo
editing, or to go with the sleeker, less expensive Photoshop Elements.
The full version can be tempting. After all, that's what the
professionals use. This high-end, high-functionality program comes,
however, with an equally hefty price tag. Many users end up buying the
full version of Photoshop because it is widely reputed to be the best
program available. Unfortunately, they do so without knowing what it
means to be the best. Many of Photoshop's high-power, professional
tools are not useful to the beginner They can be equally useless to
someone who is only interested in adjusting a few snapshots, or
perhaps creating some web page graphics. These features, which can be
incredibly worthwhile to a trained user who needs to meet publication
industry standards, can even get in the way of the average user. A
confusing array of menus and options with arcane names presents
itself, without extensive explanation of what these features do. Even
the manual can be difficult to understand and navigate.
If you do not expect to be using Photoshop professionally, or are new
to the world of photo editing, the reduced version, Photoshop
Elements, may be more what you need. Photoshop retails for over $500,
while Elements can be found for a much more reasonable $99. Photoshop
Elements contains the features needed to remove speckling and damage
from images, create professional looking graphics, and create
attractive special effects in your photos. Elements also allows for
the creation of artistic effects, color and lighting adjustment, and
layer effects. Unless you regularly use custom printing separations
and high-end color management, the wide array of professional features
you pay for when buying the full version of Photoshop will go unused.
Photoshop Elements is much easier for the beginner to learn, as well.
If you have purchased Photoshop Elements and feel constrained by its
limitations, it is easy to upgrade to the full version through the
Adobe website.
While the full version of Adobe Photoshop is a powerful professional
tool, the beginning user will be better served by the purchase of
Photoshop Elements. This scaled down version of the industry standard
photo editing program is easier to use and learn, and is available for
a much more reasonable price. This makes it possible to get into the
world of photo editing and computer art without spending a bundle, and
still allows the user to own a powerful and effective program. When
used in home or small-scale professional use, Photoshop Elements is
the better choice for the beginning user.