Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows: The Missing Manual

Filter Menu

Filters let you change the appearance of your image in all sorts of ways—Chapter 13 covers filters in detail. Elements comes with some filters that are mostly for correcting and improving your photos, while others create artistic effects. You can apply filters from this menu or from the Effects panel. The filters are grouped into categories to make it easier to find. Every image responds to filters differently, so the descriptions here are a very rough guide.

Last Filter

The top item in the Filter menu always features the last filter you applied. Choose it or press Ctrl+F to reapply that filter with the same settings you previously used. If you want to change the settings, then you need to choose the filter from its regular place in the list of filters or press Ctrl+Alt+F.

Filter Gallery

This option lets you try the effects of different filters, rearrange them, and preview what they'll look like in your photo (Filter Gallery).

Correct Camera Distortion

Use this filter to correct various kinds of lens distortion problems (Correcting Lens Distortion).

Adjustments

This group of filters is primarily (but not exclusively) for correcting and enhancing photos. The filters are discussed on Special Effects, unless otherwise noted:

• Equalize

• Gradient Map (Gradient Maps)

• Invert (or press Ctrl+I)

• Posterize

• Threshold

• Photo Filter (Photo Filter)

Artistic

Use these filters to apply various artistic effects to your image, ranging from a pencil-sketch look to a watercolor effect:

• Colored Pencil makes ...