Adobe Photoshop Elements has come a long way since its first release. Back in the early versions of Photoshop Elements the program felt more like Adobe Photoshop with features turned off and less like its own program. However, over the versions each update has not only added some new features not found in Photoshop it has brought about new features for Photoshop. Also, with each new update the interface has been redesigned and improved until finally Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 is more its own true self then the poor cousin of Adobe Photoshop.

Adobe Photoshop Elements interface is dark (a nice neutral gray color), with colorful tabbed palettes and tool bar icons Screen Shot. And while Elements 6 is lacking some of the high end features of the full version of Photoshop, features like CMYK, LAB Color, Actions recording and playback (though there is a way around the playback issue), channels, spot color, basically all prepress tools and some others. However, it does have all of the tools that it needs for the audience it was designed for and that is for digital photographers. To a lesser degree it is also a good program for web designers that need to create buttons and other web graphics and it is a good tool for those doing video projects as you can create backgrounds, mattes, DVD Menus, more.

Besides the basic tools like cropping, straightening, masking, layers, layer effects, adjustment layers, levels, sharpening tools and filters and the like it also has special effects filters, the ability to create print projects using your photos, projects like photo books, photo calendars, web photo galleries, slide shows, greeting cards and even to take your photos and turn them in to a DVD or VCD and more.

Of course what would be a photo editor without output options? You can as I said create web photo galleries, e-mail photos, photo mail which lets you embed you photos in to an e-mail with colorful stationary backgrounds and graphics and more. You can even order prints from online photo labs from right inside of Elements 6.0. You can of course print your own photos on your own printer if you wish. It wouldn't be much of a program if you couldn't do that. You can also create and print contact sheets and picture packages too.

Of course like the previous version of Adobe Photoshop Elements, version 6.0 includes the organizer. This is the place where you organize and manage your photos, and now with even tighter integration with Adobe Premiere Elements you also organize and manage your video and audio files for use with Premiere Elements Screen Shot. You can tag your photos with keywords for easy finding later, you can apply star ratings, you can view and edit the images metadata information (the important information about the image that your camera embeds in to the file like the ISO and shutter speed the photo was shot at, etc.).

You can create multiple albums so that you can for example keep your video project files for Adobe Premiere Elements separate from your photography files, you can do basic image adjusting like auto color, auto sharpen, auto levels, auto red eye or you can take the image in to the Elements 6 editor and do so much more. You have the same create and share options in the organizer that you have in the editor things like slide shows Sample, contact sheets, DVDs and more.

Besides all of the cool stuff that Elements has had all along there are of course some nifty new and enhanced features. These include:

Make your photos look their best

• Create amazing composites. Experiment with easy-to-use compositing tools that let you create perfect group shots, seamless panoramas, and more.
• Count on expert assistance. Need to touch up a scratch or create a scrapbook page, but not sure how to begin? The Guided Edit mode in Photoshop Elements walks you through each editing step to make improving your photos easier than ever.
• Brush away flaws. Easily brush away wrinkles and unwanted objects using the Spot Healing Brush for instant results and the Healing Brush for finer control. To get the best results possible, preview your changes with the Healing Brush before committing them.
• Make selections in a snap. Make image selections in seconds so you can easily adjust specific areas of a photo. Simply brush your selection, and then use sliders to make the adjustment blend perfectly into the background.
• Fine-tune exposure. Easily adjust color, brightness, and contrast in a photo with the enhanced Brightness/Contrast control, which creates vibrance while preserving much of the original photo information, or use Color Curves adjustments to get the perfect exposure.

Do more with your photos

• Start creating quickly. Get step-by-step assistance for making photo projects, like scrapbook pages, cards, and CD/DVD labels. Simply choose the type of project you’d like to create, and the appropriate tools and instructions appear at your fingertips.
• Provide an interactive sharing experience. Go beyond traditional slide shows by sharing photos in your choice of animated web galleries. Adobe Flash CS3 Professional technology lets family and friends interact with your photos for an entertaining experience.
• Share in many ways from one convenient place. Quickly and easily share your photos in a variety of ways—including e-mail, online galleries, and burning to CD or DVD—from the convenient new Sharing Center. Save favorite e-mail sharing options as presets so you can send photos to the family or slide shows to the soccer team in just a few clicks.
• Liven up your photo projects. Use great-looking new themes and artwork to give your photo projects a professional look.
• Send personalized photo e-mails. Send photos in a themed e-mail with captions and backgrounds. Photoshop Elements offers fun new e-mail templates and automatically optimizes your photos so that they download quickly, look great, and won’t overload your friends’ mailboxes.

Easily find and view photos and video clips

• Enjoy improved performance. Start Photoshop Elements and view and organize your photos faster than ever before. Scroll through your photos, apply tags, and view and retrieve your photos faster, even when your library grows to thousands of photos.
• See just the photos you want to see. Focus on just the photos you want to see in the Organizer, no manual tagging required. With new smart albums, you can view all the photos taken with a certain camera, all the photos taken since the beginning of the year, all the photos with a five-star rating, and other groupings.
• Create projects more quickly. Save time by gathering the photos you need for a specific project in one place. A dedicated Project Bin provides easy access to all of your open photos, photo book pages, and saved albums.
• Adobe Photoshop Elements has come a long way. It is no longer the poor cousin of Adobe Photoshop it is a powerful user friendly photo editor in its own right. If you have a digital camera and you don't need the higher end features found in the full version of Adobe Photoshop, but still want the power and features you need to manage your photos, edit your photos and output your photos and you don't want to break the bank Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 is just the ticket.

Needs

• Intel Pentium 4, Pentium M, or Intel Centrino 1.3GHz (or compatible) processor
• Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista
• 256MB of RAM (512MB recommended)
• 1.5GB of available hard-disk space
• Color monitor with 16-bit color video card
• 1,024x768 monitor resolution at 96dpi or less
• Microsoft DirectX 9 compatible display driver
• CD-ROM drive
• Web features require Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, Netscape Navigator 7.0, or Mozilla Firefox 1.5