Expert: Glen Demers - 8/30/2011

Question
QUESTION: Good day
Recently started using photoshop elements 9 and had the following questions:
1. How to do i add bullets to text?
2.Where can i find the photoshop character and paragraph pallettes in elements 9?
3.Lets say i wanted to apply filters to an image or specific area, instead of the entire page how what commands do i use to narrow down the area i want the filter to take effect? For example i was trying to emboss a picture on the page and i didn not know how to specify?
4. Also if i wanted to apply layer styles like bevels, glow etc. how to i narrow down the area i want it to take effect vs how do i get it applied to the entire page?

Regards,
Sunil Mahabir
Pembroke Pines, Florida

ANSWER: Hi Sunil,

I am expert in Photoshop, not Photoshop Elements which is a smaller version of Photoshop for home use. It does not have character or paragraph palettes, I am sorry if I mislead you. Bullets are option key & 8 on the Mac, I don't know what the keystrokes are for a PC.

Layer Styles apply to objects in a layer while filters and effects apply to selections you've made.
You may be better served by watching these videos from Adobe;
http://www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2327_pse9_en
http://www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2322_pse9_en
http://www.adobe.com/go/lrvid2323_pse9_en

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the answer.
Have the following questions
1. Can you recommend me the names of any graphic design books or photoshop reference books that are like an encyclopedia of the different styles, effects,and techniques that could be used and when to use in different situations. Something that is fast, quick and easy to use
2. Also could you recommend me a typeface book that not only mentions the different typefaces but also when to use which one and in what situations
Finally can a professional use photoshop elements to design stuff and what would be the basic limitations compared to CS5.

Regards,
Sunil

Answer
Hi Sunil,

Roger Pring has a book called Photoshop Type Effects Visual Encyclopedia and another one that is an encyclopedia of filter effects, I have not read either one. The Real World Photoshop book by Blatner & Fraser really gets you up to speed quickly in the application and Jack Davis' WOW books are full of interesting effects.

For Design go to bamagazine.com and subscribe. They also have some downloads on type, logos and color as well as article excerpts.

With Photoshop Elements you can create and edit images for home use or on the web but without the ability to work in CMYK you really can't design for print. If you are really going to design for print you'll need a page layout program like Quark or InDesign that is much better at handling text than Elements and maybe a drawing program like FreeHand or Illustrator as well. Elements (and Photoshop) are only good for bitmap formats and you need something that will handle vector graphics for commercial print design.