Photoshop Elements Basics

Shown here is the Photoshop Elements toolbar, where all the basic tools reside. Hopefully this should be easily visible on the left of your main Photoshop window, but in case you're in any doubt a standard setup is shown here.

Below are the names of each tool, from top to bottom, with a short description. Some of the icons have more than one tool hidden away in them. This is shown by a small black triangle on the lower right of the icon. Here, I have grouped the names to show they share a button. To access the hidden tools, hold your mouse button down on the icon in your program toolbar until a secondary menu appears.

The Tools

Move Tool - Much more than just move.

Zoom Tool - Adjusts the current image magnification.

Hand Tool - View different parts of your image without using the scroll bars.

Eyedropper Tool - Places a colour from your image into the palette.

Rectangular Marquee Tool - Makes a rectangular selection.
Elliptical Marquee Tool - Makes an elliptical selection.

Lasso Tool - Lets you draw on a selection shape.
Magnetic Lasso Tool - Helps you draw a selection shape by helping trace certain parts of the image.
Polygonal Lasso Tool - Lets you draw a selection shape line by line.

Magic Wand Tool - Moves selections or images.

Selection Brush Tool - Lets you draw a selection using brushes.

Horizontal Type Tool - Inserts text horizontally.
Vertical Type Tool - Inserts text vertically.
Horizontal Type Mask Tool - Creates a mask from horizontal text.
Vertical Type Mask Tool - Creates a mask from vertical text.

Crop Tool - Removes the edges of an image.

Cookie Cutter Tool - Cuts a custom shape out of the image.

Red Eye Removal Tool - Removes red eye from photographs.

Spot Healing Brush Tool - Helps repair damaged images.
Healing Brush Tool - Helps repair larger areas of damage in images.

Clone Stamp Tool - Duplicates parts of an image.
Pattern Stamp Tool - Duplicates patterns or patterned images onto another image.

Pencil Tool - Draws freehand like a pencil.

Eraser Tool - Erases part of your image.
Background Eraser Tool - Removes the background behind part of an image.
Magic Eraser Tool - Erases all similar pixels in part of an image.

Brush Tool - Draws with the selected brush shape.
Impressionist Brush Tool - Changes parts of the image to look stylised.
Color Replacement Tool - Replaces certain colors in parts of your image.

Paint Bucket Tool - Fills an area with color.

Gradient Tool - Fills an area with a blend between several colours.

Rectangle Tool - Draws a rectangle of color.
Rounded Rectangle Tool - Draws a rounded rectangle of color.
Ellipse Tool - Draws an ellipse of color.
Polygon Tool - Draws a polygon of color.
Line Tool - Draws a line.
Custom Shape Tool - Draws a shape template of color.
Shape Selection Tool - Allows the selection and movement of individual shapes.

Blur Tool - Blurs parts of an image.
Sharpen Tool - Sharpens part of an image.
Smudge Tool - Smudges part of an image.

Sponge Tool - Changes the vividness of part of an image.
Dodge Tool - Lightens part of an image.
Burn Tool - Darkens part of an image.

Color Palette - Selects colors to use with other tools.