From Sue Chastain,
Your Guide to Graphics Software.
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A. For most people, probably not. But for creative professionals such as designers and photographers, yes!

If you are a home user or hobbyist, save your money and go with Photoshop Elements. It has all the features of Photoshop that you are likely to ever need. However, if you are planning to enter the graphic design or photography business, you will need to know industry-standard Photoshop, which offers many more advanced tools and productivity enhancements over Photoshop Elements. Although the price difference (and learning curve) for the full Photoshop program are steep, students can purchase Photoshop at significantly discounted educational prices.

Some of the features in Photoshop CS2 that are not included in Photoshop Elements 5 are:

• CMYK and LAB color modes
• More tools and features that work with high-bit (16-bit and 32-bit) images
• Combine multiple exposures to create high dynamic range (HDR) images
• Channels Palette
• Recording custom Actions (for batch processing)
• Adjustments: Color Balance, Match Color
• Layer Masks, Layer Comps, and Quick Mask mode
• Smart Objects, Smart Guides
• Lens Blur Filter
• Vanishing Point Tool
• Pen tool and paths palette
• Some adjustment layers (curves, color balance, selective color, channel mixer)
• Editing History Log
• Text on a path, advanced text formatting
• Advanced Layer Style manipulation
• Advanced Color Management
• Advanced Web features and ImageReady (rollovers, slicing)
• Customizable tool presets, keyboard shortcuts, and menus
• In the features and tools that are shared, the Photoshop version usually offers more advanced options for fine tuning and control.

Although these features are not natively supported in Photoshop Elements, some of them can be simulated through other tools in Elements (layer masks and quick mask, for example), and some are actually there, but hidden and only accessible through actions created in the full version of Photoshop. Some generous folks who have access to both Photoshop and Elements have created add-ons and tools that will allow Elements to use some of these features. See the Add-ons and Tools for Enhancing Photoshop Elements section to learn more about how to get these tools.

Photoshop Elements also offers some features that are not available in Photoshop such as the cookie cutter tool, drop in frames, backgrounds, and artwork, an automatic red eye removal, Quick Fix mode, and the Photo Organizer. The Photo Organizer (only in the Windows version of Photoshop Elements 3 and up) lets you organize your photos with tags, then search and share them. The Organizer also offers several types of creations for sharing your photos in slide shows, video CDs, cards, email, calendars, Web galleries, and photo books.

In addition, most Photoshop-compatible Plug-ins and Filters will also work with Photoshop Elements. Photoshop Elements users who are aware of the limitations noted above can also take advantage of the many Photoshop Tutorials found on the Web.

If you are still undecided about which version to purchase, you can download time-limited but fully functional trial versions of both programs from the Adobe Web site.

Need help with a Photoshop or other graphics-related problem? Post in the discussion forum!

_{Last Updated Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Versions Compared: Photoshop CS2, Photoshop Elements 5}