Photoshop Elements 14 Review and New Features

with 87 Comments

Photoshop Elements 14 Review and New Features
by Linda Sattgast

Adobe took an already robust program and added some great new features in Photoshop Elements 14. My two favorite new features are Haze Removal and Shake Reduction, both of which come from Photoshop CC, but there are some other great features as well.

Haze Removal

Use haze removal on photos that are hazy or not as clear as they could be, like this photo of our Alaska cruise ship taken from high on the surrounding mountains.

hazy image of cruise ship

Access this new tool in the Menu Bar by choosing Enhance > Haze Removal. Adjust the slider on the left to achieve the effect you desire.

cruise ship after haze removal

Sometimes the result is dramatic. Here I had a photo with a sun flair that was fun but a bit overwhelming.

sun flair photo

After Haze Removal the fun effect of the flair is still there but modified so you can also enjoy the rest of the photo as well.

sun flair photo after haze removal

Haze removal also works on washed out photos like this one of a cute little girl.

haze removal helps faded photos

Shake Reduction Filter

Shake Reduction isn’t a cure all for bad blurry photos, but it does a pretty good job improving the look of many blurry photos. Here is a photo before applying the Shake Reduction filter.

blurry photo

In the Menu Bar choose  Enhance > Shake Reduction. If you want to see this in action, watch my YouTube video on the new features of Photoshop Elements 14, which includes a demo of Shake Reduction. The “After” photo below is quite improved over the original.

blurry photo after shake reduction

2 New Guided Edits

Guided Edits has a new user-friendly, eye-pleasing interface making it easier to know what each tutorial is about.

Guided Edit new look

Adobe has added two new Guided Edit tutorials. The one with the most pizzazz is Speed Effect. Below is a skateboarding image that would look good with some motion blur.

skate board photo

Here’s how the image looks with a subtle amount of motion blur using Speed Effect. Of course, you can make the motion blur much more obvious, if you wish. Watch my YouTube video on Speed Effect for a more detailed demonstration.

skate board photo after speed effect

The second Guided Edit, called Resize Your Photo, isn’t as flashy but is likely to get used more, as it walks you through the steps of resizing your images for printing or for uploading to the web.

Better Selections with the Refine Selection Brush Tool

If you need to select an object or person out of a photo, the improvements to the Refine Selection Brush tool will make it much easier to select soft edges like fur or hair.

For example, I wanted to select a giraffe out of its background to use on another photo, and it was very easy to do with the enhanced brush. Watch my YouTube video about the Refine Selection Brush tool for a demonstration of how to use it.

example of the Refine Edge Selection Brush on a giraffe

Quick Edit Effects Improved

If you want to apply some fast effects to your photos, check out the new “Smart Looks” option. Access the new effects by clicking on the word Quick at the top of the Editor and then choosing Effects from the panel names in the lower right corner of the Editor.

There used to be 50 effects available to apply to your photos, but in Photoshop Elements 14 Adobe added a new category called “Smart Looks” at the top of the Effects. It analyzes your photo to determine its contents—is it a portrait, family shot, snow, beach, or sunset photo, etc? It then chooses the top five effects for that particular photo from a data base of 2,500 effects.

Here’s the before and after image with the effect I chose from the Smart Looks suggestions.

Smart Looks Effects Filter

The Smart Looks filter works better on certain kinds of photos than others, but it’s definitely worth a try, and if doesn’t give you something you like, the original effects are still available.

Other Improvements

Photoshop Elements 14 has more improvements—like the ability to save a preset size in the New document dialog box, and improvements in the Organizer for People, Places, and Events, making it much easier to tag and locate your photos.

Add a preset new document size

Should You Upgrade?

Photoshop Elements 14

In my opinion, yes! I can almost guarantee you’ll use Haze Removal just about every time you work on editing your photos. Shake Reduction and the improved Refine Edge Selection Brush will be invaluable when you need them, not to mention the other fun improvements.

In a word? Photoshop Elements 14 is a rockin’ program!

 

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Linda SattgastAuthor: Linda Sattgast, Adobe’s Scrapbooking Expert | Contact Us
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87 Responses

  1. Kellie Guzman
    | Reply

    I am looking into PSE 14 and see there is now PSE 15. Is there a great difference?

    • Jen White
      | Reply

      Hi Kellie.
      Check out Linda’s review of the new features for PSE15.
      You would certainly benefit from the newest version available and you can find it on sale till 11/27/2016 at Costco.com and Amazon.com.
      Hope this helps. Jen

  2. Patricia Talbot
    | Reply

    Hi Linda, I have gone from windows vista with PSE 6 to windows 10 with PSE14, BUT Iam having so so much trouble with trying to share photos thru email from catalogue, With pse6 it was so easy to share thru my bigpond email. But pse 14 won’t use bigpond, but I have tried with a gmail acc, & yahoo acc, & outlook accs, but so difficult. I cannot find anything in a “SENT’ folder. Most times I get Delivery status Notification (failure) yet it goes thru, but nothing in the sent folder. I need to know which photos I have already shared. Any suggestions please, thanks in advance. Or should I try a different software program. Pat

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Hi Pat,

      One thing you might want to start with is looking at the Organizer Preferences (Ctrl K for Windows). When the dialog box opens:
      • Click on Email in the list on the left.
      • Next to “Email Profile” click the “New” button and enter the email you prefer to send from, choose the Provider (I chose other since none of those fit my circumstance) and click OK.
      • You’ll then be asked to Configure your Email Client. But they do say:
      “This service works best with service providers like Gmail, Yahoo, Microsoft & AOL etc. For other accounts, we recommend you should export the media by going to Menu Bar and choosing Files > Export as New File(s), and then share these files by signing into your email account in a browser.”

      Exporting the files and then opening your email and attaching them seems like the long way around, though. On my Mac I have no problem sending photos directly from the Organizer without setting up an email client in Preferences. You have to enter new recipients names one by one, but it retains those names for the next time.

      • In the Organizer select your photo(s).
      • In the upper right corner click Share and choose Email.
      • After entering the recipient’s email and the desired size for your photo, click Next and it should open an email with the photos in it and your message. The “From” email address should be the most recent one you’ve used, but you should be able to choose a different email address if you want to.
      • Click the “Send” button.

      When I do this my email hurries off into cyber space, leaving me a copy in my sent folder for that email address. I can’t get it to break after several tries to more than one email address. All the emails arrived safely, and copies were in the appropriate Sent folders.

      Give this a try again and let me know if you’re still having trouble.

      • Patricia Talbot
        | Reply

        Hello again Linda, I have tried all the above, to no avail. I select a photo, then select share, email, next, I then have the option of changing size, click next, and I can select recipients, then click next, and it goes straight into sending, no sign of an email format, anyway, it says “your files were shared successfully” I have sent them to my bigpond email, where I get all my emails, BUT nothing arrives, and I cannot find them in any “sent” folder. I also have an outlook acc. In PSE 14 I select edit,preferences,then email, and when I “validate” it is successfull. What is going on, what could I be doing wrong. So frustrating. Had no problems with PSE 6 on Vista and telstra bigpond email.It all worked beautifully. Help please.

        • Linda Sattgast
          | Reply

          Hi Patricia—this is getting beyond the scope of comments, so I’ll email you directly!

  3. Teddy
    | Reply

    Hello,
    can anyone tell me why PSE14 is currently cheaper than PSE13 ?

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Costco has a sale every year at this time of the newest version of Photoshop Elements, but don’t worry, the sale is either ending today or is already over, and the price will go back up!

  4. Kay
    | Reply

    I bought Adobe Photoshop Elements 14 at Costco. I currently do not have Photoshop on either of my home computers. Can I load this program on both of my computers??

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      You’re allowed to use one copy of PSE on two personal computers, so the answer is yes, as long as PSE isn’t being used on both computers at the same time. In other words, the license is for one person.

  5. Shirley Feather
    | Reply

    Linda,
    For all those wondering, Costco has Elements 14 on sale for 39.99 – effectively 1/2 price thru the end of November. Just picked up my copy the other day.

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Congrats, Shirley! You made a wise choice. I’m about to post a blog article on why you should upgrade now. Especially if you have version 10 or older.

      Enjoy the new version!

  6. Jill
    | Reply

    Thanks for your insights! I decided to get the program and I have just imported my first photos to the Organizer but I had a question. Once you set an event for a batch of photos, is there any way to copy that event to another batch, or add more photos to that event? I have a folder where the first 18 photos I added include the event, but the later 14 photos I added don’t have any event associated with them. When I try to “Add event” I get the message that an event with that name already exists. I am also having trouble finding the description that I added when I created the event.

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      There are two choices at the top of the Events area: Named and Suggested. Click on Named to see the events that you’ve named. Double click on the Event to which you want to add photos. This will show you the current photos in that event. To add more photos, in the center of the Task Bar at the bottom of the Organizer, click Add Media. A dialog box will open that allows you to choose more photos for that event. Hope that helps!

      Adobe has a web page called Adding and Managing Event Data in case you’re interested.

  7. Deb
    | Reply

    Hello,

    Forgive me if this question has already been asked. But in past versions of PSE a Costco version was bundled to give the user a few other benefits. Do you know if this will be the case for the new version of PSE 14?

    Thank you for your time and I have been following you for years.
    Best!

    ~Deb~

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Hi Deb—thanks for following us here at Digital Scrapper!. Regarding your question, Costco always has something extra it offers with Photoshop Elements, but I don’t know what it is this year. We don’t have a CD bundled with Photoshop Elements, if that’s what you mean. Thanks for asking. 😀

      • Margaret
        | Reply

        I just purchased the Costco version – It gives you the option of clicking on Costco as an option for obtaining prints and comes with a coupon for 50 free 4″ x 6″prints to be picked up at the warehouse — The sale is 10/29/15 to 11/15/15 for 39.99 plus tax – shipping included – in store or online – Windows DVD, MAC DVD and online code for those without a DVD drive all included
        1. Is this the full program you would get from any other source, or is it an abbreviated program?
        2. You mention you will update the PSE10 class to PSE14 – will there be a charge for those who purchased the PSE10 class? Do you have an anticipated release date? Will those who purchased PSE10 get a notification about the upgrade to PSE14 (email?)?

        • Linda Sattgast
          | Reply

          Hi Margaret–congrats on your new purchase of PSE14! The Costco version is the same as the full version, so no worries there. I’ll be starting on the updated class this month and, yes, it will automatically be given to those who have purchased earlier classes. I’ll announce it in our newsletter, but you should get a welcome email as well when it’s applied to your account. I hope to have it done by the end of the year.

  8. Mike G
    | Reply

    I’m a new user to Photoshop Elements 14 – I am trying the free trial for 30 days. I’ve been hunting for a powerful photo organizer and quick editor for years since I stopped using Google’s Picasa.

    A couple questions – I hope they were not asked already.

    1) If you share something, is there a way to know what was shared and where? ie, if I have a SmugMug account or Facebook, if I share an album – does the fact that I shared it show up in Elements anywhere, or do I need to keep track elsewhere?

    2) I am having so much trouble with ‘Missing Files’ – all my images are on my harddrive. I Import to Elements, say a folder of a 400 images, and after it is done, Elements says half of them are ‘Missing’ and appear with a question mark. If I open them it then scans for hours, some are found, others still missing. I have to repeat the process several times before it realizes all the files are exactly still where I imported them from. I cannot figure out why it thinks they are missing when they were just imported.

    Appreciate any answers you can provide! Thanks – Mike

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Hi Mike—I’m not aware of Photoshop Elements keeping track of anything you share, so the answer to that is you’ll need to keep track of that somehow yourself.

      Regarding the missing files, this is the number one problem encountered by new users, so you are not alone! Here’s the key: once you import photos into the Organizer, you must always move them from within the Organizer from that point on and forever more! …or they will be deemed missing by the Organizer, and, as you’ve discovered, it isn’t very clever at finding them.

      This is true of any closed organizing system—even Lightroom. Once imported into a closed system, photos must be managed within that system. It’s very easy to move photos in Windows Explorer (Mac: Finder windows), but if you do that, Organizer chokes. Even rearranging photos within the same folder into further category folders, for example, will trip it up. So you’ll need to select the thumbnails you want to move in the Organizer and in the Menu Bar choose File > Move. This allows you to create new folders as well.

      Regarding your current situation, if too many files are missing you might want to delete all the thumbnails and start over. If you added keywords to files already, first select all the thumbnails and choose File > Save Metadata to Files. That will save the info so you don’t have to redo it when you import them again. (Do this any time you work on adding keywords to photos.) Then import the photos again and start from there to work within the system. The Organizer is a great tool as long as you’re willing to strictly follow its rules.

      • Mike G
        | Reply

        Thanks Linda, I was thinking of using the coloured flags as a reminder to myself as to what was uploaded where.

        I’m still not sure about the missing files though. I’m used to editing within a closed system, they keep their own catalogs to keep track of where files are etc which makes perfect sense. The issue I’m having though is that it seems to ‘lose’ the files right after they are imported and they have not been moved. If I import all the pictures in my folder …My Pictures\Weddings\ABC after a few moments a percentage of the photos will be shown as missing, even though none of the files have been moved (in any way). I’ve temporarily switched back to Lightroom as I could not figure out why they kept going missing, maybe there is a bug in the latest release. I’ll keep an eye – I would like to switch back to it.

        Another followup question if I may: Are the edits you do in Photoshop Elements destructive or overlaid similiar to Googles Picasa? I did some quick changes to an image just to play and it asked if I wanted to save the changes – which in order to be non-destructive would need to be a new file, but then I have 2 files… just curious how that system works.

        Appreciate your reply! Thank you – Mike

        • Linda Sattgast
          | Reply

          That is really odd, Mike. I haven’t run into that problem before. It sometimes doesn’t import all the files from a folder for one reason or another (duplicate, unsupported file, etc.) but once it imports them, they should stick. You might try experimenting a bit. Import a specific number of photos from one folder only, and keep track of how many were imported. Check on them over the next several days to see what happens and jot down your findings. This may be something to contact Adobe Customer Support about.

          Have you looked at a folder in the Folder view and compared that with the original folder on your computer?

          • Mike G
            |

            I started fresh with a new Catalog and just imported 158 photos from a Wedding Reception last night. Import location was C:\Users\Administrator\Pictures\Elements Imports”. All 158 imported fine. I created an Album and dragged the photos over, no problem. Tagged some faces, everything fine. Closed Elements and came back in and now the first 3 photos have a yellow ? in the top left corner. Missing! If I switch over to Folders view the same 3 show as missing. I opened a File Browser and the files are still where they were after Elements imported them, but Elements cannot find them.

            If I click on the ? it starts to scan my hard drive. I click on Browse to help it. I locate the directory where I know the file exists (ie, same dir where it was imported to) and it allows to Reconnect. I click Reconnect and now it says “The file already exists in the catalog”. And strangely, the message says “R:\Users\Administrator\Pictures\Elements Imports\2015 10 24\DSC_0632.JPG was not connected to C:\Users\… yada yada”. R:\ is a mapped drive which has nothing to do with any pictures on my computer, nor does it even have pictures in it. I have no clue why it has that drive letter.

            Something very strange is going on… ha, this should not be so difficult. I just noticed that a 4th photo is now also missing after I tried that reconnecting.

            Correction… now every photo I click on to look at claims to be missing. The entire album in fact is now missing. I see them all in preview but cannot open them.

            Elements seems to have lost ‘connections’ to all the photos that were fine a moment ago. I smell a bug! Just not sure what is causing it. Maybe the existence of mapped drives (even though they are not referenced for photos)…..

          • Linda Sattgast
            |

            That is really bizarre, Mike. I’m SO sorry you’re having such problems!
            Here are three things to try:
            • Reset Preferences by closing the Organizer. Then press Ctrl Alt Shift (Mac: Cmd Opt Shift) and hold those keys down as you restart the Organizer. It should ask if you want to do something. Say yes. That will sometimes fix a wonky program.
            • Another option is to uninstall, download a new version, and use your original serial number with the new downloaded version and see if it “behaves” better.
            • You can also call Adobe support. You may want to start there, actually, but that can be frustrating, too.
            Do let me know how it goes!

  9. na
    | Reply

    Did they fix the crop tool. It drives me crazy that I set the size and resolution, and the program changes the resolution by itself. I am constantly having to do a Ctrl Z and then going back, resetting the resolution. Once in a while it works, other times, the resolution bounces to a totally random number.

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Nothing has changed with the Crop tool since PSE 13, but you can change the annoying behavior of presetting your crop by pressing Ctrl K (Mac: Cmd K) to get Preferences. Under General uncheck Enable Crop Pre-Selection (bottom right option) and click OK.

  10. Rhondda
    | Reply

    Thanks for the critique of PSE 14. I use CC PS 2015 and wondered if the refined edge is in CC PS?
    How about the other features? I saw that you said tey were but not always easy to find. Thanks!

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Yes, PS CC 2015 has most of what I mentioned except for the Guided Edits. Here’s where you can find things:

      Haze Reduction is in the Effects panel of Camera Raw in Photoshop where you can also add haze to create interesting effects as well as remove it. You can access Camera Raw from within the program and apply one or more effect to a single layer unlike PSE where you must open the photo in Camera Raw from the beginning. I love that capability!

      The equivalent of the Refine Selection Brush Tool in Photoshop is in the Refine Edge dialog box (Select > Refine Edge). In the dialog box under Edge Detection check Smart Radius and use the brush to brush along the edges of the fur or hair.

      Shake Reduction is located in the Filter menu: Filter > Sharpen > Shake Reduction.

      Julianne Kost has a great article on the her favorite new features of the latest CC version (2015):
      http://blogs.adobe.com/jkost/2015/06/julieannes-top-5-new-features-in-photoshop-cc-2015-and-lightroom-cc-2015.html

  11. Janie Glenn
    | Reply

    Used to LOVE the “share” option to place photos DIRECTLY in an e-mail (not as an attachment). Is that in the new 14?

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      I sure don’t see any link to email your photo in PSE14. Seems like that would be a great feature to keep. I’ll mention it to them.

  12. Donna
    | Reply

    What is your opinion about getting the cloud subscription for Lightroom and Photoshop. I am looking to organize my photos and digital supplies and everyone says Lightroom is great. I have been using Elements since 2004. I usually upgrade every 2 years, I have elements 12 now. So wondering if cloud would be the better way to go.

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Now that Photoshop Elements has so many of the really useful features of Photoshop, it doesn’t make as much difference to upgrade as it used to, but I still tell people to do it if they can afford it. I prefer to use Photoshop myself. I suggest that you take out a trial subscription for a month to see how you like it.

      Regarding Lightroom, I have to admit I don’t use it because I don’t want to deal with a closed system for my photos where I always have to deal with my photos inside Lightroom. I’m quite happy with Bridge (comes with Photoshop) that allows you to view what’s on your computer and work with photos, but if you move a photo outside of Bridge—in a computer window, for example, the photo doesn’t get “disconnected.” That said, many people swear by Lightroom, so again, try it out with a 30 day free trial and see what you think!

  13. KarenG
    | Reply

    I’m still trying to learn PSE 10 with the help of your class. I wish you could come to my house:-)

  14. Brian
    | Reply

    Like many people, I have 2 computers (desktop & laptop) one with 10 and one with 12.
    Can I upgrade to 14 on both machines with just one purchase?
    I object to having to pay twice!

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      You are allowed to use one license on two personal computers, so the answer is yes for upgrading just once and using it on both.

  15. garreth
    | Reply

    hello
    i take grafitti pictures and most times there is an ugly background , i like to eliminate the ugly background, and replace it with a solid colour background, is this posible?

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Yes. You can select the graffiti out of the one photo and place it on a different background, like I did with the giraffe in the video example of how to use the Refine Selection Brush Tool in Photoshop Elements 14, but the ease of doing it will depend on the photo itself and the difference between the graffiti and the background. If the colors are similar, it will be harder to select. But do give it a try!

  16. Laurie Callison
    | Reply

    Hi Linda,
    Do you know if mobile albums and the Revel app are still available in PSE 14? If not, is there another way to share photos from PSE 14 to mobile devices? Thank you so much for all you do!
    Laurie Callison

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Hi Laurie—I’m afraid I’m not an expert on Revel, but here’s a URL where you can ask questions about it:
      https://www.adoberevel.com/support

      • Laurie Callison
        | Reply

        Hi Linda,
        Thank you for pointing me in the right direction! This the information regarding Adobe Revel App:

        Because you’re a valued Elements customer, we want to let you know that Adobe Revel will not be part of the Elements Organizer in the next version of Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Premiere Elements.
        You can continue to use Revel in Elements versions 12 and 13.
        If you upgrade to the next version of Elements when it’s released, please note that the Organizer won’t offer Mobile Albums or enable you to sync and store your media to your Revel account. Refer to the FAQ for instructions on how to download your Revel photos and videos so you can manage them in the next version of Elements, and for answers to your other important questions. Rest assured that your original photos and videos are safe and can be easily downloaded to your computer or external hard drive.
        The Elements Team”

        I really wanted to upgrade to PSE 14. Do you have any suggestions for sharing photos to mobile devices. I don’t need to edit them on the device, just view them.
        Thank you so much!

        • Linda Sattgast
          | Reply

          Thanks for the info, Laurie. I do remember hearing something about that in the past, but this looks like the official word on that. Let me ask about it and see what I come up with!

          • Laurie Callison
            |

            Thank you Linda!

          • Linda Sattgast
            |

            Laure, here’s what Adobe told me about mobile: Lightroom Mobile is their go to app for working with your photos on mobile. Here’s a link to find out more info:
            https://helpx.adobe.com/mobile-apps/help/lightroom-mobile-faq.html
            Lightroom does work with both PS and Elements, so you’ll have to research to see if it’s a cost effective way for you to go. Another option is to simply use a site like Flikr or SmugMug if your main goal is to view and share photos.

  17. Shirl
    | Reply

    I usually do every-other-year purchase of PSE, so will wait for Costco sale price. I bought 13 from Amazon, but prefer Costco’s PSE packaging. (I am still in the middle of relocating. So, I am off to do a few address changes.) My photos from family members always need help, so the shake reduction is a perfect addition to your photo actions. By the way, what do you do with older issues of PSE? Hugs. 🙂

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      I hang on to older versions because I teach and sometimes need to refer to them, but you can uninstall older versions if you want to. If you’re using the Organizer, be sure to open the Organizer before uninstalling a prior version. The first time you open the Organizer it will ask if you want to copy the current catalog. Say yes, and then use the new catalog from then on.

  18. Loretta
    | Reply

    I just watched the refined selection feature. Wow, how cool! That could be really helpful. Might have to rethink whether or not to upgrade. 🙂 Thanks for sharing these reviews.

  19. Kathy Black
    | Reply

    I have been reading the comments and noticed that the issue of “from photo bin to layers lands randomly” is still an issue in 14. It doesn’t necessarily land on the top either. Quite frustrating. I downloaded the trial version and where I currently have 11, will probably upgrade to 14 this time as there are many new features that I want. Thank you Linda for all of your insight and teaching!

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      You’re welcome, Kathy. See my note a few posts below about dragging and dropping from the Photo Bin. Adobe changed the behavior, and I explain how to work with it so it’s less frustrating, though I must say I prefer the old way of doing things!

  20. Holly Koiro
    | Reply

    If there is no
    CD in the Costco version, how do you download/install it?

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      There’s a CD of Photoshop Elements to install. There just isn’t a CD from Digital Scrapper with video training and extra goodies, which we’ve had a few times in the past.

  21. Joyce
    | Reply

    My question is whether this update is only available on the cloud or will it be available in Costco with your training as the prior versions have been? Thanks.

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Photoshop Elements is still a version that you purchase and keep—not a subscription. You can get it from Adobe’s website and simply download it or you can eventually get it at Costco, but we won’t be having a CD in this version.

  22. Bernice
    | Reply

    Did 14 fix the problem 13 has with where something lands in the layers panel

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Are you referring to moving a file from the Photo Bin and having it land at the top of the Layers panel instead of above the currently selected layer in some situations? I do believe that got fixed, but I’m not positive. I would have to double check on that.

      • Loretta
        | Reply

        That would be helpful to know if that has been fixed. That’s been my only problem with PSE 13.

        • Linda Sattgast
          | Reply

          I’ve done a little more digging. This problem does persist in PSE14, but it turns out that the Adobe team made the change in PSE13 so it would work better with another new feature they created. In other words, it’s not a “bug” or mistake.

          Here’s what’s happening and how you can work with it:

          When you drag and drop from the Photo Bin, your file will land directly above the layer where you drop it on the destination document. If you drop it over the Background layer, it will appear in the Layers panel above the Background layer. If you drop it over an object on the destination document, it will land directly above that object in the Layers panel.

          One behavior hasn’t changed, though. No matter where you let go of your mouse, the file will still land in the middle of the document, as it always has in the past. The only change is where the new layer lands in the Layers panel.

          I don’t find this as intuitive as it used to be, but as long as you know what’s happening, hopefully you can work with it better.

          • Loretta
            |

            Thanks for the info Linda. That’s definitely a more helpful explanation than I got from the Adobe forum.

  23. Kathy B.
    | Reply

    Hi Linda~ I took your photoshop elements 10 class, but now with 14 out, am I back in the dark with all the improvements since 10? If I purchase it, will I even be able to navigate and operate it successfully?

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      I’m going to be filming a new version of the Photoshop Elements class, so you’ll get an upgrade if you are a member of a former class. Once you get used to the slightly different interface, you should be fine. The tools work the same. There are just a lot more options with the newer versions.

  24. Judyinsd
    | Reply

    I took the plunge and just finished the upgrade. I found that all of the actions I had loaded to PSE 12 are no longer accessible.OHHH all those wonderful Fix Photos Fast, Shadowing Actions, Enhanced Photos Fast etc. are gone. Is there a way to move them from an old folder on PSE 12 to PSE 14 without having to reload each one individually via the program?

    I found a way to move the Styles but can’t find where the actions are stored on my Mac for PSE 12.

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      Actions that you load are just that—loaded, not stored in the program, so when you change programs you must load them again. With the Actions panel, this is really quite fast and easy. I like to keep all my actions in one folder so I always know where to access them, but if you can’t find them, go back to the classroom and download them again and then load them into PSE14.

      You could also search for them. If you still have your old program on your computer, go to the Actions panel and copy the name of an action and then search on your computer for that name.

      You might want to watch my video in Enhance Photos FAST about organizing actions. I show where to actually install them in Photoshop Elements. That way the actions are instantly accessible from the fly out menu and the next time you upgrade you can go to one place and copy them all to the new program.

  25. miniloudon
    | Reply

    Darn! I usually upgrade every other year. The Haze Removal and Refine Edge Selection Brush may force me to open my purse this year.

  26. Beverlee Katsoulis
    | Reply

    I have Elements 11. In Elements 14, do you offer Content Aware? I used it yesterday at my friend’s house who has Photoshop. I liked how Content Aware accomplished what I wanted very quickly.

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      A more robust Content Aware was introduced in Photoshop Elements 13, so yes, it’s available in version 14 as well.

  27. ellie
    | Reply

    I was really looking forward to finding the “warp” tool which looks like it wasn’t added so I’ll pass. I would never consider “renting” a cloud subscription for a year, and full blown Photoshop is way too pricey for me to have that option. I have looked for older versions with a disc, but am leery of purchasing such an expensive item online. I am very disappointed that I cannot create a custom page curl in Elements. Thanks so much for your review and your awesome classes! Your time is greatly appreciated…

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      The Warp tool would be sweet indeed! We can always hope for the future!

    • zita B
      | Reply

      Ellie,
      try Amazon for older versions of Photoshop. I got CS6 there a year ago – I noticed the price has really gone up, however, it appears there are some older versions that are not so expensive. Be sure and check what kind of guarantees Amazon provides for the “market vendors” selling those products. Going through Amazon might provide some protection if there is a problem with the product – I’m not sure…

  28. Glori
    | Reply

    Love love the hair selection!!! But not sure if I need the blur/shake options due to having Linda’s awesome actions from her Enhance Photos class! What do you say about that one Linda?

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      I actually use and love the Camera Shake tool in Photoshop, so I was really pleased to see it added to Photoshop Elements! In my opinion, it’s another great tool for your editing toolkit.

  29. Pat Barnes
    | Reply

    Thanks Linda. I have been using Elements 10 and drifted away from digital scrap booking for a while but am ready to get back at it and I think it’s time to upgrade!

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      This would definitely be a great one to upgrade on. So much has been added since PSE10!

  30. Lynn Wiggins
    | Reply

    I have PSE 13. Is the upgrade worth the money? You said it was worth upgrading but many times it depends on the version you have.

    Secondly, will you be doing any kind of deal with Costco like you have in the past?

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      To me it’s worth the upgrade just for Haze Removal and Shake Reduction, but you have to consider what you do with Photoshop Elements. If you don’t do a lot of photo editing, it may not be worth the upgrade for you. If you do decide to upgrade, you can wait for the Costco sale that, so far, has happened every fall around Thanksgiving, where you can get Photoshop Elements for $49—at least in the past it’s been that way. But to answer your other question, we don’t have a CD in the Costco version.

      • charlyn
        | Reply

        thanks for the information about Costco. I have just been using Elements 13 so to invest again is kind of hard. The shaking part might be a selling point so will wait on Casco. Thanks for all your help Linda, I have been a customer of yours for years.

  31. Terri
    | Reply

    Thanks Linda for your insight. I almost upgraded with 13, but decided to wait for 14. Sounds like it will be worth it. Sounds like the copied some of your ideas from Fix Photos Fast and Enhance Photos Fast 🙂

  32. CMY
    | Reply

    Thank you for update. Sure appreciate your expertise.

  33. Barbara
    | Reply

    Question if I may what is the difference with the normal program and a student teacher version?

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      I’m not aware of a difference in the program itself. I think it’s just a difference in price with a discount offered to students and teachers.

      • Barbara
        | Reply

        Thanks Linda.

  34. Barbara
    | Reply

    Thanks for all the info, looks like some fun things to work with.

  35. PatriciaD
    | Reply

    Oh my goodness…I saw that first photo and nearly split a gasket. I have one almost EXACTLY like it from up on Mt Roberts in Juneau from a couple of days ago. Too funny!

    • Linda Sattgast
      | Reply

      That’s exactly where we were! I loved the views from up there!

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