Getting started: Printing your photos

You can use this tutorial with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements versions 7 and 8.

Print individual images, contact sheets, or picture packages using the Print command in Adobe® Photoshop® Elements. Choose preset picture package layouts and add optional frames.

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• Photoshop Elements 7 videos
• Photoshop Elements 8 videos

Requirements

To complete this tutorial, install the following software:

Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 or later

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Selecting print options

Before printing, open the Print Photos dialog box. In this dialog box, specify print options, including where to print, what to print, and how to lay out your photos on the page.

1. Start Photoshop Elements and open the Organizer workspace.
2. Select the photos you want to print.
3. Click the Share tab in the Task pane.
4. Click Print. If a message about resolution appears, click OK to dismiss the message. The Print Photos dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 1.

   Note: You could also choose File > Print menu in either the Editor or the Organizer.

   

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   Figure 1: Print Photos dialog box

   There are three steps labeled 1, 2, and 3. The first step is to select a printer. The second step is to choose the type of print. You can print individual prints, a contact sheet, or picture package. The third step is to select a print size, which can be a preset or custom size. If you deselect One Photo Per Page, Photoshop Elements fills the page with multiple images, saving paper. You can also print each photo more than one time.

5. Open the step 2 pop-up menu, and select Contact Sheet.

   Contact sheets are used to have a physical record of the photos in your computer, as shown in Figure 2. You can change the layout of the contact sheet from step number three by changing the number of columns. You can choose to have a date caption and filename as the text label for each entry on your contact sheet.

   

   Figure 2: Preview of a contact sheet

6. Open the step 2 pop-up menu, and select Picture Package.

   Note: If the resolution message appears, click OK to dismiss the message.

   There are various layouts for picture packages and you can choose a layout in step 3.

7. Open the step 3 pop-up menu, and select a layout.
8. Open the Select A Frame pop-up menu, and select a frame.

   The preview in the dialog box updates to show your selections, as shown in Figure 3.

   

   Figure 3: Preview of photo package options

Managing print color

No matter which type of print you are making, it is important to manage the print color. You want the printed colors to match what you see on your computer as closely as possible.

1. Click More Options at the bottom of the dialog box.
2. Open the Print Space pop-up menu. Select a combination that most resembles your printer, the ink that you are using, and the paper you have.
3. Click OK.
4. Click Print. Your photos are sent to the printer using the options you selected.

Use this user-friendly dialog box to quickly get your photos from digital to print.

Where to go from here

If you enjoyed this tutorial, check out these other resources to help get you started using Photoshop Elements.

• Photoshop Elements Essentials for Windows tutorials on lynda.com
• Photoshop Elements shows on Adobe TV
• Photoshop Elements Help and Support
• Automatic selection tools
• Viewing and sharing your photos online

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