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About Elements+

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As you, probably, know, Adobe Photoshop Elements has not inherited all of the essential features of the full Photoshop. Some functions have been removed, while the others just stay hidden. The "surface" Photoshop Elements functions are quite sufficient for a beginner. As you advance, though, you may miss one or another undocumented function. Here "Elements+" will be of service to you.

The thing is that by no means all the absent functions are removed from Photoshop Elements (hereinafter, "PSE") in full, many of them are just hidden from the user. And "Elements+" (hereinafter, "E+") is a handy add-on that lets the hidden functions out. There are E+ kits for all the PSE versions. However, the implementations for PSE 6.0 and above provide far richer functionality, because they are powered by JavaScript, while the versions 1.0 through 5.0 are wholly based on Photoshop "actions" (macros).

The opened functions appear in PSE immediately after the successful E+ installation. Except perhaps by the first run you will need to wait a second while the program reconstruct its cache file. Basically, you access the revealed features from the PSE Effects palette. Fore more details about destination and application of every feature, please see the Elements+ documentation.

E+ comes to you with an automatic installer, so, you needn't follow tricky instructions and copy dozens of files to different locations manually. To make sure that it works on your computer well, please download the demo version, which includes several hidden functions for color and tonal adjustments, selecting and masking.

As mentioned above, the feature sets in different Elements+ editions may vary. If you are looking for a specific function, please check its availability for your PSE version in the table below. To see usage instructions, just click a feature name.

Last updated 3-Oct-2013 (what's new)
Feature \ Photoshop Elements Version 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Color & Tone
Curves + + + + + + +
Channel Mixer + + + + + + +
Black and White + + + Win-/Mac+ + +
Exposure + + + + +
Vibrance - - + + +
Color Balance - - - - - + +
Selective Color - - - - - + +
Soft Proof + + + + + + +
Edit color channels individually + + + + + + +
Splitting Channels into Images + + + + + + +
Merging Channels + + + + + + +
Selections
Transform Selection + + Not required
Loading color channels as selection + + + + + + +
Loading path + + + + + + +
Managing Alpha-channels (quick-save, rename, delete) + + + + + + +
Duplicating color or alpha channels + + + + + + +
Quick Mask mode + + + + + + +
Layers
Knockout effect + + + + + + +
Unblending color channels individually + + + + + + +
Adjusting Fill Opacity + + + + + + +
Hide/Show layer styles individually + + + + + + +
Creating layer from style + + + + + + +
Browsing layer groups + + + + + + +
Grouping layers + + + + + + +
Ungrouping layers + + + + + + +
Labeling layers with colors + + + Win-/Mac+ - -
Auto-align layers + + + + + + +
Auto-blend layers + + + + + + +
Smart Objects
Convert Layer(s) to Smart Object + + + + + + +
Place as Smart Object + + + + + + +
Open as Smart Object + + + + + + +
New Object Via Copy + + + + + + +
Edit Object's Contents + + + + + + +
Export Smart Object's Contents + + + + + + +
Replace Smart Object's Contents + + + + + + +
Split Smart Object to Layers + + + + + + +
Layer Styles
Saving Custom Styles - + + + + + +
Importing Styles from ASL Files + + + + + +
Applying Custom Styles to Layers + + + + + +
Managing Individual Styles + + + + + +
Masks
Add (pixel) layer mask + + + Not required
Disable / Enable Layer Mask + + +
Refine Mask Edge + + + + + + +
Duplicate Layer Mask + + + + + + +
Show / Hide Overlay Color + + + + + + +
Create/Edit Smart Filter Mask + + + + + + +
Disable / Enable Smart Filter Mask + + + + + + +
Alternative Mask for Smart Filters + + + + + + +
Vector Mask from Shape / Path + + + + + + +
Duplicate Vector Mask + + + + + + +
Disable / Enable Vector Mask + + + + + + +
Rasterize Vector Mask + + + + + + +
Density controls - - - + + + +
Feather controls - - - + + + +
Smart Filters
Apply Smart Filters + + + + + + +
Edit Filter Settings + + + + + + +
Hide / Show Filters Individually + + + + + + +
Set Filter Blending Options Individually + + + + + + +
Re-arranging filters + + + + + + +
Deleting individual filters + + + + + + +
Paths
Create Path from Selection / Shape / Text + + + + + + +
Selecting existing paths + + + + + + +
Create Shape from Path + + + + + + +
Fill Path + + + + + + +
Stroke Path + + + + + + +
Load Path as Selection + + + + + + +
Define Clipping Path + + + + + + +
Saving (unlimited paths) + + + + + + +
Rename Path + + + + + + +
Deselecting (deactivating) path + + + + + + +
Deleting path + + + + + + +
Text
Character scaling + + + + + + +
Tracking + + + + + + +
All Caps / Small Caps + + + + + + +
Anti-aliasing (sharp, crisp, strong, smooth, none) + + + + + + +
Paragraph Justification + + + + + + +
Toggle Point / Paragraph Mode + + + + + + +
Find and Replace + + + + + + +
Create Path from Text + + + + + + +
Convert Text to Shape + + + + + + +
Putting text on path (templates) + + + + + + +
Text in Shape (templates) + + + + + + +
Scripts
E+ Scripts Catalog (exploring, playing, and managing scripts) + + + + + + +
Generating new scripts from existing scripts and commands + + + + + + +
Batch processing (editing multiple files with scripts) + + + + + + +
fx Commander (managing Photoshop actions) + + + + + + +
All Resolutions + + + + + + +
Apply Image - - - - - + +
Close Other Docs + + + + + + +
Copy All to Folder + + + + + + +
Data-driven Graphics (4 scripts) + + + + + + +
Edge Effects (14 scripts) + + + + + + +
Edit in ACR - + + + + + +
Export Layers to Files + + + + + + +
Extend Canvas + + + + + + +
File Piler + + + + + + +
Fit Area + + + + + + +
Fit Size + + + + + + +
Fit Print + + + + + + +
Hidden Prefs + + + + + + +
Hide Cropped + + + + + + +
Hide Luminosity + + + + + + +
Landscapes (6 scripts) + + + + + + +
Layer Comps - - - - - + +
Local Contrast + + + + + + +
Measure + + + + + + +
Meta Stamp + + + + + + +
Multi-Export + + + + + + +
Notes - - + + + - -
Open If + + + + + + +
Open Next File + + + + + + +
Photo Effects (9 scripts) + + + + + + +
Portraits (6 scripts) + + + + + + +
Pref Presets + + + + + + +
Randomizers (7 scripts) + + + + + + +
Save All + + + + + + +
Save for Web All + + + + + + +
Sessions + + + + + + +
Sharpen Luminosity + + + + + + +
Shortcuts+ + + + + + + +
Slices (6 scripts) + + + + + + +
Smart Resizer + + + + + + +
Split Reduction + + + + + + +
Split Sharpness + + + + + + +
Text Effects (10 scripts) + + + + + + +
Trim + + + + + + +
Vectorizer + + + + + + +
Watermarker + + + + + + +
Feature \ Photoshop Elements Version 1 2 3 4 5
Color & Tone
Curves + + + - +
Channel Mixer + + + - +
Color Balance + + + - -
Selective Color + + + - -
Soft Proof + + + + +
Edit Red, Green, Blue Channels Individually + + + + +
Show Inactive Color Channels + + + + +
Selections
Transform Selection + + + + +
Select Color Range - - + - -
Load Image Luminosity (RGB Channel) + + + + +
Load Color Channel Luminosity + + + + +
Load Current Path + + + + +
Quick Mask Mode + + + + +
Layers
Rasterize Layer + + + + +
Knockout Effect + + + + +
Blend Color Channels Individually + + + + +
Fill Opacity (4 fixed values) + + + + +
New Layer Style (from scratch) - - - - +
Create Layer from Effect + + + + +
Align to Layer / Selection + + + + Naturally supported
Distribute Layers + + + +
Ungroup Layers + + + + -
Convert Layer to Smart Object - - - - +
Masks
Adding Layer Mask + + + + +
Disable / Enable Layer Mask + + + + +
Show / Hide Overlay Color + + + + +
Vector Mask from Shape / Path + + + + +
Disable / Enable Vector Mask + + + + +
Rasterize Vector Mask - - - + +
Paths
Create Path from Selection / Shape / Text + + + + +
Select Existing Path (up to 3 paths) + + + + +
Fill Path + + + + +
Stroke Path + + + + +
Load Path as Selection + + + + +
Define Clipping Path + + + + +
Saving (up to 2 paths) + + + + +
Deselect (Deactivate) Path + + + + +
Delete Path + + + + +
Text
Toggle Point / Paragraph Mode No "paragraph" mode + +
Justify Paragraph + +
All Caps / Small Caps + + + + +
Anti-aliasing Sharp/Crisp/Strong/Smooth + + + + +
Find and Replace + + + + +
Create Path from Text + + + + +
Convert Text to Shape + + + + +
Interface
Create / Clear Guides + + + - +
Action Playback Options + + + + +
Misc. Utilities
Easy Clipping Mask - - - + +
Image/Layer Luminosity Mask + + + + +
Vectorizer + + + + +
Watermarker - - - + +