To explore the Photo Bin, you'll need to have some files open. Go to the Shortcut Bar and open two or more images. The Photo Bin shows thumbnails of all the files you have open in the workspace. Below each thumbnail is the file name. When you click on a thumbnail in the Bin, that file becomes the active document in your workspace.
Like the Palette Bin, there is a divider at the top of the Photo Bin which you can use to resize or hide the Bin. There is also a button in the status bar, just below the Photo Bin, which you can use to toggle the Bin off and on. The status bar also displays the number of files you have open, and it displays some arrows for cycling through the open files.
That's not all there is to the Photo Bin; you'll find some other interesting options when you right click.
A right click in a blank area of the Photo Bin shows a menu with the following options:
- Photo Bin Help - Opens Elements built-in Help to the section on the Photo Bin. Take a moment to read more about the Photo Bin here.
- Help Contents - Provides quick access to the online Help file.
- Show File Names - Allows you to choose whether you want file names displayed in the Photo Bin. Turning off file names will allow more room for thumbnails.
- Auto Hide - Enabling Auto Hide will cause the Photo Bin to collapse after a few seconds when your mouse is not over it. This is useful when you want as much space as possible for your workspace. To show the Photo Bin when it's in Auto Hide mode, either click the divider bar or the Photo Bin toggle on the status bar.
- Close - Closes the file corresponding to the thumbnail. If the file has been modified, you will be prompted to save.
- Minimize - Hides the file corresponding to the thumbnail. The file is still open but will not be visible in the work area.
- Restore - Shows a file that has been hidden by the Minimize option. You can also simply click the thumbnail to restore a minimized file.
- File Info - Opens a dialog box which will allow you to read and edit the metadata information that is stored in the file. See Metadata in the Graphics Glossary.
- Duplicate - Makes another copy of the file, allowing you to specify a file name for the copy.
- Rotate 90° Left - Turns the image to the left.
- Rotate 90° Right - Turns the image to the right.
- Show File Names - Same as above.
- Auto Hide - Same as above.