dusty3d Loc: South Florida

I have noticed that a lot of you like Elements. I started out long ago with elements but then into CS3 and now CS5. Just wondering why elements over CS. I know cost has a lot to do with it but I am no pro, just like to PP and have fun. Has anyone gone back to Elements, and if so why? Just curious.

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

Hi Dusty. Of course, depending on your needs. Full-blown PS offers considerably more but it depends on specifically what PP you are wanting to do. I switched from PS to PS Elements 10 and have not found anything I can't do that I choose to. Elements is quite powerful. Right now would be a good time if you care to 'field-test' Elements... Sam's and other outlets are selling PS Elements for nearly half price for a limited time... around $49.00. Might be the best way for you to actually know what Elements can/cannot do for a reasonable price.

infocus Loc: Australia

My understanding is that Elements is a "cut down" version of Photoshop. It does 70-80% (or there about) of what PS does, hence the price variation and why some prefer it. I could be quite wrong but that's what I was told.

Marilyng Loc: Lorain,Oh.

Oh this is good to know, thanks.I use CS3 & love it. I wanted to buy it for my daughter-in-law for Christmas & have looked everywhere but it was to expensive.I will have to check out PS Elements!

EstherP

Going back about 10 years, I got into scrapbooking, using my photos. It proved quite expensive buying the albums, adhesive stickies, decorations and having the photos printed. About six years ago I discovered digital scrapbooking and the people of the website I liked best, were using both PS and PSE (still do). I spent about a month finding and checking out various graphics programs, and finally decided that PSE would fit the bill for me. Especially when I discovered that there are numerous add-ons/plug-ins available, some for pay, many of them for free. Just when version 7 was released, I put it on my christmas wish-list, our son and daughter-in-law bought it for me, and now, five years later, I still enjoy working with the program, although I'm now up to version 12. Sure, some features I use all the time, other features I never use.
For my photos, correcting colour, lighting, moving a tree growing out of someone's head, have become easy tasks.
Using a photo for Christmas or Birthday cards and applying special effects, is a cinch.
Making a scrapbook page with say, 8 photos cropped to identical size and arranged on a page, is easy with layers and clipping masks.

In all fairness, I have not checked recently what I could do with PS that I can't with PSE, but then I have never wanted to do anything in PSE that I could not do with it.

Just my two-bits worth (although the program costs a heck of a lot more than that ;) )
EstherP

Bill MN Loc: Western MN

I've had Elements since it first started and upgrade about ever 3 years. Elements does everything I want. I tried CS3 and found it had too many things I would never use which makes it more complicated than Elements.

dusty3d Loc: South Florida

It is true that there is more in CS than elements but the cold fact is I use only a few of the tools that are available to me. I think if I had to do it all over again I would have stuck to Elements and use my $ on something else. I also have found that some of the plug-ins such as OnOne Software does just about everything that CS can do with only a click. They are making PP a lot easier.

Dr.db Loc: Central Point, OR

You may want to peruse this page on Adobe's site that contains a partial listing of CS features that are absent in Elements.

Among them, the ones I personally would be reluctant to part with:
- Bridge (file organization, instead of Elements Organizer)
- 16-bit image support (I don't shoot 16-bit myself, but what if somebody sends me a 16-bit file?)
- CMYK (!!! what image editor worth a darn does not support the print colorspace?)
- The Pen tools (yikes. that settles it!)

MtnMan Loc: ID

IMHO the Elements Organizer is one of its best features...far superior to Bridge. (I have both).

Most don't learn it's capabilities. I recommend Kelby and Kloskowski's book on Elements to get you started and they help you understand what you can do with the Organizer.

Although I have and now use Lightroom 5 for the Organizer tasks and Photoshop CS6 for my Editor I plan to go back to Elements when I need an upgrade.

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

Bridge quite possibly is the best organizer on the planet, far outstripping Elements.

When I was biased and prejudiced, I was an Elements and Lightroom organizer. Then I decided to put aside my biases and prejudices and learn everything that Photoshop had to offer, including Bridge. Wow! I was amazed that all the professionals out there had not told me how robust Bridge is. Seems their biases and prejudices were still in place, and I admit that it is hard to give up the comfort of something to explore something else.

brokeweb Loc: Philadelphia

I think that price is the main factor. Elements is a little easier to use, and it sometimes comes bundled with hardware, Like Intuous Tablets.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Cost has everything to do with it. PSE usually costs between $50 and $79 and all the CS' cost between $800 and $1000 unless you are an educator or student and then you could get CS for between $200-$300.

MtnMan Loc: ID

Interesting assertion that says nothing other than you like it. What functions and features does it have to support your assertion?

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

How is Bridge better than LR?

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

People say that PSE is a cut-down version of PS. It is not. It takes most of the photo-editing tools from PS and then adds a host of new ones specific for photos. I recommend both because PSE is easier to use but PS has a few unique tools that you turn to every so often. Regardless, LR is my point of entry.

Regarding price, PSE is a great buy. You cannot beat what you get for the money. This is probably because the consumer market is so much larger than the professional one and leads people to buy other Adobe products. A loss-leader.