Computer Graphics with Photoshop - Elements 4.0 vs. CS2

Author

Elements 4.0 vs. CS2

TheDave©

2006-03-14, 10:14 pm

I currently have Elements 2.0, and have used it for a few years and
have generally been very happy with it. I do feel, however, that it's
time to move up. I have found that I love the curves ability that my
Nikon scanning software has, so I'm leaning toward CS2. The only thing
holding me back from CS2 is the price... yeah, yeah, I know, the most
common complaint, I'm sure.

Can some give me an idea of the differences, in their own words
preferably, between Elements 4.0 and CS2? Is the jump from Elements
really that drastic?

Bill Hilton

2006-03-14, 10:14 pm

> TheDave=A9 writes ...
>
>Can some give me an idea of the differences, in their own words
>preferably, between Elements 4.0 and CS2?

http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/ph...entscompare.htm

I'm a Photoshop user but occasionally open Elements to teach newbie
friends how to start with editing and I think Elements is good enough
for most people working on their own images and printing at home on an
inkjet or sending files to Wal-Mart or wherever.

What I miss when I use Elements are Actions, layer masks, LAB mode,
ability to convert to various profiles, probably another dozen or so
things you won't miss if you never use them but that Photoshop users
take for granted and miss when they are absent.

Typically if you have to ask "Elements or Photoshop?" you're probably
better off with Elements. When you really *need* Photoshop you'll
probably know it, especially given the price difference ...

>I have found that I love the curves ability that my
>Nikon scanning software has, so I'm leaning toward CS2

There are free plug-ins that let you run curves in Elements, if that's
all you're pining for ...

Bill

Johan W. Elzenga

2006-03-15, 6:14 am

Bill Hilton <bhilton665@aol.com> wrote:

> I'm a Photoshop user but occasionally open Elements to teach newbie
> friends how to start with editing and I think Elements is good enough
> for most people working on their own images and printing at home on an
> inkjet or sending files to Wal-Mart or wherever.
>
> What I miss when I use Elements are Actions, layer masks, LAB mode,
> ability to convert to various profiles, probably another dozen or so
> things you won't miss if you never use them but that Photoshop users
> take for granted and miss when they are absent.

Photoshop Elements does have layer masks, using a trick. Normal layers
cannot have a mask in PE, but adjustment layers do have one. So all you
have to do is link a normal layer to an adjustment layer.

--
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl

TheDave©

2006-03-16, 3:14 am

> Bill Hilton wrote:
>
> http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/ph...entscompare.htm
>
> I'm a Photoshop user but occasionally open Elements to teach newbie
> friends how to start with editing and I think Elements is good enough
> for most people working on their own images and printing at home on an
> inkjet or sending files to Wal-Mart or wherever.
>
> What I miss when I use Elements are Actions, layer masks, LAB mode,
> ability to convert to various profiles, probably another dozen or so
> things you won't miss if you never use them but that Photoshop users
> take for granted and miss when they are absent.
>
> Typically if you have to ask "Elements or Photoshop?" you're probably
> better off with Elements. When you really need Photoshop you'll
> probably know it, especially given the price difference ...
>
>
> There are free plug-ins that let you run curves in Elements, if that's
> all you're pining for ...

I did not know there was a plug-in for that. I have read that CS2 does
have that new stamp cloning tool (forget the name off hand) where you
can automatically have it match the surrounding areas. Those are the
two main things that I feel I would benefit from the most, that I know
of.

Mike Hyndman

2006-03-16, 6:14 am

"TheDave" <no@no.com> wrote in message news:Tv5Sf.16$6p3.10@newsfe12.phx...
>
> I did not know there was a plug-in for that. I have read that CS2 does
> have that new stamp cloning tool (forget the name off hand) where you
> can automatically have it match the surrounding areas. Those are the
> two main things that I feel I would benefit from the most, that I know
> of.

I read once that a lot of the missing features in Elements are present but
hidden. see http://simplephotoshop.com/photosho...ndocumented.htm
and http://www.hiddenelements.com/pe3tools.html

MH

Johan W. Elzenga

2006-03-16, 6:14 pm

TheDave? <no@no.com> wrote:

> I did not know there was a plug-in for that. I have read that CS2 does
> have that new stamp cloning tool (forget the name off hand) where you
> can automatically have it match the surrounding areas. Those are the
> two main things that I feel I would benefit from the most, that I know
> of.

Do you mean the 'spot healing brush'? Photoshop Elements has that too.

--
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl

Bob Williams

2006-03-19, 6:14 am

TheDave© wrote:

> I currently have Elements 2.0, and have used it for a few years and
> have generally been very happy with it. I do feel, however, that it's
> time to move up. I have found that I love the curves ability that my
> Nikon scanning software has, so I'm leaning toward CS2. The only thing
> holding me back from CS2 is the price... yeah, yeah, I know, the most
> common complaint, I'm sure.
>
> Can some give me an idea of the differences, in their own words
> preferably, between Elements 4.0 and CS2? Is the jump from Elements
> really that drastic?

You might try picking up a copy of PS 7.0, from someone who "upgraded"
to CS or CS2. Get all the power of full Photoshop for the price of
Elements 4.0
Bob Williams

Johan W. Elzenga

2006-03-19, 6:14 am

Bob Williams <mytbob@cox.nospam.net> wrote:

>
> You might try picking up a copy of PS 7.0, from someone who "upgraded"
> to CS or CS2. Get all the power of full Photoshop for the price of
> Elements 4.0

That would be illegal. If someone upgraded his PS 7.0, then PS 7.0
remains a part of his licence for CS2, so he cannot sell it or give it
away.

--
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl

Andrew Bealing

2006-03-19, 6:15 pm

Just be aware that while you can download additional functions into Elements
3 such as curves, as has been mentioned, this loophole has been closed for
V4

Andrew Bealing

"Johan W. Elzenga" <nomail@please.invalid> wrote in message
news:1hcfzyt.pr9obb168ymr2N%nomail@please.invalid...
> Bob Williams <mytbob@cox.nospam.net> wrote:
>
>
> That would be illegal. If someone upgraded his PS 7.0, then PS 7.0
> remains a part of his licence for CS2, so he cannot sell it or give it
> away.
>
>
> --
> Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl
> Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl

TheDave©

2006-03-19, 6:15 pm

> Andrew Bealing wrote:
> Just be aware that while you can download additional functions into
> Elements 3 such as curves, as has been mentioned, this loophole has
> been closed for V4

I had read that while many of the loopholes had been closed by Adobe,
many writers of these loopholes had re-written them to now include V4,
also. This is timely because I decided on v4 over CS2 and purchased v4
just last night. I haven't yet opened the box, so I can return it, if
necessary. V4 already has one of the two features that I really want,
but I guess I'll have to check the compatability for curves plug-ins
before I open the box.

It's also interesting that I also purchased a tablet and it comes with
v3. Don't know if v3 is a full-use version, or a trial version, or
what, though.

TheDave©

2006-03-19, 6:15 pm

> TheDave) wrote:
>
> I had read that while many of the loopholes had been closed by Adobe,
> many writers of these loopholes had re-written them to now include V4,
> also. This is timely because I decided on v4 over CS2 and purchased
> v4 just last night. I haven't yet opened the box, so I can return
> it, if necessary. V4 already has one of the two features that I
> really want, but I guess I'll have to check the compatability for
> curves plug-ins before I open the box.
>
> It's also interesting that I also purchased a tablet and it comes with
> v3. Don't know if v3 is a full-use version, or a trial version, or
> what, though.

Updating my own post:

Curvemeister claims it supports v4.0...

"System Requirements: Windows 98 or later, Photoshop version 5.5 to
CS2, Elements version 1.0 to 4.0

http://www.curvemeister.com/

....yet, this other site (in the update notes near the bottom), as of
earlier this month, says they haven't been able to get Earthbound Light
Solution's curves product to work with v4, but apparently Curvemeister
does work...

http://www.earthboundlight.com/phot...nts-curves.html

Bill Hilton

2006-03-19, 6:15 pm

> TheDave=A9 writes ...
>
> I also purchased a tablet and it comes with v3. Don't know
> if v3 is a full-use version, or a trial version, or what, though.

I have several copies of Elements 2 and 3 that were bundled with Nikon
scanners, Canon dSLRs and a Wacom tablet and all were full-use versions
..=2E.

Bill

TheDave©

2006-03-19, 6:15 pm

> Bill Hilton wrote:
>
> I have several copies of Elements 2 and 3 that were bundled with Nikon
> scanners, Canon dSLRs and a Wacom tablet and all were full-use
> versions ...

My current v2 was bundled with my Canon 10D and is a full version, but
I had also received something less with some other product around the
same time. I think it was a book, or something. I forget now.

Mike Russell

2006-03-19, 6:15 pm

"TheDave©" <no@no.com> wrote in message news:x1fTf.11$Dy4.3@newsfe12.phx...

[re curves in PSE 4.0]
....
> ...yet, this other site (in the update notes near the bottom), as of
> earlier this month, says they haven't been able to get Earthbound Light
> Solution's curves product to work with v4, but apparently Curvemeister
> does work...
>
> http://www.earthboundlight.com/phot...nts-curves.html

Curvemeister works on all versions of Elements. It is based on a
re-implementation of curves, and does not rely on Photoshop's built-in curve
function.

Elements is able to interpret curve adjustment layers in an already existing
Photoshop file, and this loophole was used to expose the curve interface
itself - Adobe "fixed" this in Elements 4.0.
--
Mike Russell
www.curvemeister.com