Getting started: Creating a slide show

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

Show off your photos in a custom-built slide show complete with music, text, graphics, and narration you create in Adobe® Photoshop® Elements. Share you slide show with family and friends online, or as a DVD or Adobe PDF.

• More full-sized videos like this one
• Photoshop Elements 7 videos
• Photoshop Elements 8 videos

Requirements

To complete this tutorial, install the following software:

Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 or later

• Try
• Buy

Adding photos to a slide show

To create a slide show, open the Photoshop Elements Organizer workspace, select the photos to include in the show, and click the Slide Show button.

1. Start Photoshop Elements and open the Organizer workspace.
2. Select the photos to include in the slide show.
3. Click the Create tab in the Task pane.
4. Click Slide Show.

   The Slide Show Preferences dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 1. These preferences apply to every slide in the show. After applying global preferences, you can adjust them for each slide individually in the Slide Show Editor.

   

   Figure 1: Slide Show Preferences dialog box

5. Set the Static Duration to 2 seconds.
6. Click to open the Transition menu, and select Fade.
7. Set the Transition Duration to one second.

   Note: If you have a longer static duration set, set a longer transition duration.

8. Leave the other options set to their defaults.

   Notice the option Repeat Soundtrack Until Last Slide. If you add music, this option keeps the music playing until the slide show is done.

9. Click OK. The Slide Show Editor appears, as shown in Figure 2.

   

   (View full size +)

   Figure 2: Slide Show Editor

10. Maximize the Slide Show Editor window.

Rearranging slides

The Storyboard panel, at the bottom of the Slide Show Editor, shows each slide as it appears in the show, along with any transitions between slides. You can change the order in which slides appear by dragging them in the Storyboard panel.

1. Drag the second slide and drop it to the left of the first slide.

   The slide you moved is now the first slide in the show. Another way to arrange slides is to click the Quick Reorder button above the Storyboard panel.

2. Click Quick Reorder. The Quick Reorder window appears, as shown in Figure 3.

   

   (View full size +)

   Figure 3: Quick Reorder window

3. Drag the slider at the top of the Quick Reorder window, to change the size of the slide thumbnails.
4. Drag the slides to arrange them how you want them.

   Notice, that it is easier to arrange slides here because you can make the slide thumbnails bigger or smaller.

5. Click Back to return to the Slide Show Editor.

Adding a blank slide

In addition to the slides you add from the organizer, you can create blank slides for adding artwork or titles.

1. Click Add Blank Slide at the top of the Slide Show Editor. A blank slide is added and the slide properties appear on the right.
2. Make sure that the background of the slide is black.

Adding text to a slide

The Extras palette, shown in Figure 4, includes options for adding graphics, text, and audio narration.

Figure 4: Extras palette

1. Click the Text (letter T) button in the Extras palette. Several text options appear.
2. Scroll down to locate a simple white text format, and drag it onto the blank slide you added.

   Placeholder text appears on the slide, as shown in Figure 5.

   

   Figure 5: Placeholder text on a slide

3. Double-click to select the text, and type a title for the slide.
4. Click OK.
5. Drag the new text to the center of slide.

   With the text selected, the Properties palette can be used to modify the font, size, alignment, color, and other text properties, as shown in Figure 6.

   

   Figure 6: Properties palette

6. Use the Properties palette to format the text.
7. In the Storyboard panel, drag the new title slide to the left of slide 1.

   This slide is now the first slide in the show, as shown in the Storyboard panel in Figure 7.

   

   Figure 7: Storyboard panel

8. Repeat the steps you just learned to add another title slide at the end of the show, after the last slide. Use this slide to add credits for the show.

Adjusting slide transitions

When you first opened the new slide show, you set a preference to include one-second fade transitions between slides. After creating the slide show, you can edit these transitions in the Slide Show Editor.

1. In the Storyboard panel, scroll back to the beginning so you can see the transition icon between slides 1 and 2. Small blue rectangles indicate transitions, as shown in Figure 8.

   

   Figure 8: Slide transition icon between two slides

2. Click the small arrow to the right of the transition icon. A menu of transitions appears.
3. Select a different transition, such as Barn Doors.

   Note: In general, avoid having too many different transitions in a slide show. Vary transitions when called for by the content. For example, you may want a different transition for the opening and closing slides, but then maintain a consistent look throughout.

4. In the Properties palette, change the transition duration from 1 second to 2 seconds.

Adding music to a slide show

You can add music, sound effects, and narration to bring your slide show to life.

1. In the Storyboard panel, click where it says, “Click Here to Add Audio To Your Slide Show.”

   The Choose Your Audio dialog box appears. By default the dialog box opens to the My Music folder on your computer. Windows can accept music files in the .MP3, .WAV, .WMA, and .A3C file formats.

2. Locate a music file, select it, and click Open.

   The Properties palette shows properties for the audio file you imported, as shown in Figure 9. The properties include the duration of the audio file.

   

   Figure 9: Audio properties

   If you look next to the slide show control bar, Photoshop Elements displays the estimated duration of the slide show, including transitions.

   If the audio file is too long for the slide show, you can trim it in the Properties palette. To do so, drag the trim handles, as shown in Figure 10. You can also adjust the volume.

   

   Figure 10: Trimmed audio

3. Click the Play button in the Properties palette to preview the audio.
4. To force the slide show timing to fit the current audio file, click Fit Slides to Audio. The slide timing adjusts to match the music.

Adding narration to a slide show

1. Click the Record Narration button (microphone) in the Extras palette.

   Recording options appear, as shown in Figure 11. You can record narration if you have a microphone attached to your computer.

   

   Figure 11: Record Narration options

2. Click the Record button to begin recording.
3. Click Next Slide to advance the slide show and continue recording on the next slide.
4. Click the Stop Recording button to end recording.

Previewing a slide show

As you develop your slide show, preview it occasionally to see how it is coming together.

1. Select the first slide in the Storyboard panel.
2. Click Full Screen Preview at the top of the Slide Show Editor. The show plays full screen. To end the preview, press the Esc Key.

Adding motion effects to a slide show

Motion effects can help bring a static slide show to life by creating the appearance of moving pictures. Two common effects are panning and zooming.

1. Select the first picture slide after the title in the show.
2. In the Properties palette, select Enable Pan & Zoom. The Pan & Zoom feature is enabled, as shown in Figure 12.

   

   Figure 12: Pan & Zoom option

3. Click the Start icon in the Properties panel.
4. Drag the bounding box in the document window so just a portion of the slide is showing, as shown in Figure 13.

   

   Figure 13: Zoom bounding box

5. Select slide 1 and preview the slide show.

Saving a slide show

As you develop your slide show, be sure to save often.

1. Click Save Project at the top of the Slide Show Editor.
2. Saving your slide show enables you change it later.
3. Enter a name for the slide show and click Save. The saved slide show is added to the Organizer.

Selecting an output option

There are several ways to share your slide show with others. You can make a file, burn the show to CD or DVD, or make a TV Compatible file.

1. The Slide Show Output dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 14.

   

   (View full size +)

   Figure 14: Slide Show Output dialog box

2. Select Movie File (.wmv).
3. Click OK. The Save Slide Show As WMV dialog box appears.
4. Select a location for the file, and click Save.

   Photoshop Elements asks if you want to import the slide show into your Photoshop Elements catalog.

5. Click Yes.

Slide shows are fun to watch and Photoshop Elements makes it possible to share them with family, friends, and colleagues.

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
• Making a panorama

About the authors