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Adobe Photoshop vs Elements

by sanssecret
9 replies
Apologies if this is in the wrong forum. I thought about posting it in the design forum but not sure it really fits in there either. Please feel free to move it if it's in the wrong place.

For all the folks out there who use Adobe Photoshop, can I ask why you use that instead of the lighter (and soooooo much cheaper) Photoshop Elements?

I've tried both and opted for Elements because quite frankly I couldn't see much difference and I find Elements easier to use. Now judging from the blurb on Adobe, I can understand that if you're a professional, then you're better off with the big brother version, but for us mere mortals who just need to be able to edit the PSD files someone else has already created... why shell out all that extra money?

I'm sure I must be missing something because I have never yet seen Elements suggested in any threads when folks ask about alternatives to Photoshop. Note I'm not saying it hasn't been, just that I've never seen it.
#adobe #elements #photoshop
  • Profile picture of the author andybeveridge
    I was hoping somebody would answer this one, because Photoshop seems like a massive learning curve.
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    • Profile picture of the author neil_patmore
      Nope, you're not missing anything. The main difference between the two is that elements doesn't support CMYK, therefore you can't use it for commercial printing purposes. Other than a few other limitations you're good to go for web work.
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    • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
      I think elements doesn't slice images for rendering in HTML tables.
      You know how website graphics are sometimes chopped up into
      all these little pictures that combine and some parts have
      interactive elements? That's done by slicing the image. You can't
      do it with elements but you can with Photoshop, easily.

      I'm sure there are other differences.

      As a point of disclosure I have Elements but I use the simple,
      fast and free paint.net 95% of the time.
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      • Profile picture of the author sanssecret
        Originally Posted by neil_patmore View Post

        Nope, you're not missing anything. The main difference between the two is that elements doesn't support CMYK, therefore you can't use it for commercial printing purposes. Other than a few other limitations you're good to go for web work.
        Now, if I knew what CMYK was I might think I was missing something :confused: As I'm not planning on doing any commercial printing I figure I'm safe.

        Originally Posted by Loren Woirhaye View Post

        I think elements doesn't slice images for rendering in HTML tables.
        You know how website graphics are sometimes chopped up into
        all these little pictures that combine and some parts have
        interactive elements? That's done by slicing the image. You can't
        do it with elements but you can with Photoshop, easily.

        I'm sure there are other differences.

        As a point of disclosure I have Elements but I use the simple,
        fast and free paint.net 95% of the time.
        I don't find paint.net as easy as elements so maybe it's just a personal thing.

        Thanks for the answers guys. I reckon for the price difference there's no need to shell out the extra unless you're really into graphics in a big way, which I'm not so I'll just stick with elements.
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        San

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        • Profile picture of the author Ralf Skirr
          For the typical work we internet marketers do, Photoshop Elements is a very good choice.

          Ralf
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        • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
          Originally Posted by sanssecret View Post

          I don't find paint.net as easy as elements so maybe it's just a personal thing.
          I learned on it a while back, so I've become familiar and fast with it.
          I'm also enamored of it's fast-loading nature compared to the
          bloat of Elements. It's just a matter of preference and what you've
          invested time in learning. I am usually a grouch about having to
          learn a new software myself because I resent the time investment.
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          • Profile picture of the author sanssecret
            Originally Posted by Loren Woirhaye View Post

            I learned on it a while back, so I've become familiar and fast with it.
            I'm also enamored of it's fast-loading nature compared to the
            bloat of Elements. It's just a matter of preference and what you've
            invested time in learning. I am usually a grouch about having to
            learn a new software myself because I resent the time investment.
            Yeah, it does take a while to load up, but I figured that was just because my computer is so slow. (think it's even got less memory than I do ). I also got the premiere elements with it and that's just a waste of time at the minute lol.
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            San

            The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. ~Muhammad Ali
            Pay me to play. :) Order a Custom Cover today.
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  • Profile picture of the author SteveJohnson
    NO NEED to shell out the extra $$. Elements does all you'll ever need for what most of us do.

    Disclosure I use the full version of PS every day, in fact it's open all the time. But I use it because I need it. If I had Elements, I'd probably use that instead for 80% of my daily workflow, simply because it takes less memory to run, and IMHO runs a little bit faster than PS.
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  • Profile picture of the author neil_patmore
    Now, if I knew what CMYK was I might think I was missing something :confused: As I'm not planning on doing any commercial printing I figure I'm safe.
    Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black are the colour seperations used for commercial printing. By removing this from elements Adobe created a product that is virtually useless to 90% of their professional users. Makes perfect sense commercially.
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