Key Terms Don't let unfamiliar terms discourage you from learning all you can about Photoshop Elements 3. If you don't completely understand what one of these words means, flip to the indicated page, read the full definition there, and find techniques related to that term. - Adjustment layer
A special layer that allows you to make a specific color or contrast adjustment to the layers that show through it. Page 346
- Alpha channel
Data saved with an image for reuse when needed, such as selections, masks, and creator information. 211
- Alpha transparency
Variable transparency, or the ability to vary the amount of transparency in an image. 191
- Anti-aliasing
The addition of semi-transparent pixels along the curved edge of a shape or selection to help curves look smooth. 7
- Artifacts
Unwanted elements of a digital photo introduced by technology. 190
- Audio caption
Recorded description of an image, created in the Organizer and associated with the image. 133
- Background color
The color applied when you erase with the Eraser on the background layer. 425
- Background layer
The lowest layer in an image; it cannot be moved in the layer stack until it is converted to a regular layer. 335
- Bounding box
A rectangle that describes the boundaries of a drawn object, cropping border, or selection. 448
- Canvas
The working area of an image defined by the image's outer dimensions. 233
- Caption
A text or audio description of a media file. 34
- Catalog
A collection of organized media files. 34
- CCD noise
Random distortions introduced into a photo by the CCD chip in a digital camera, cell phone camera, or scanner. 459
- Clipping mask
Controls what portions of any upper layers grouped with the mask appear in the final image. 600
- Collection
A marker associated with an ordered group of media files that share the same context or purpose. 109
- Color cast
The unwanted predominance of a particular color throughout an image. 534
- Color management
The process of coordinating the color gamut of your monitor with that of your scanner and printer. 377
- Color mode
Determines the number of colors an image can contain. 179
- Contact sheet
A printout of a group of images, along with identifying labels, as a collection of miniatures. 256
- Creations
Greeting cards, calendars, web galleries, slide shows, and other things you can make using the images in the catalog. 15
- Depth of field
The distance between the closestand farthest in-focus object. Page 14
- Distort
To stretch a corner of a layer in any direction. 361
- Dithering
A technique for simulating a color whose value does not appear in an image's palette by mixing pixels of the two closest available shades. 201
- DPI (Dots per Inch)
Used to describe printer output. The higher the DPI, the larger the number of pixels used to print an image, and the more detail you get in your printed image. 6 - See also [PPI]
- Edge mask
A selection that encompasses only the edge pixels in an image, preventing unwanted modification to everything else. 551
- Editor
The portion of Photoshop Elements you use to make changes to images. 3
- Effect
Unique combination of filters and other image manipulations to achieve a particular look. 25
- Email client
A program that sends and receives email on behalf of another application. 574
- Error diffusion
Any of several mathematical techniques that attempt to compensate for large error values. 241
- EXIF (Exchangeable Image File)
Data attached to a photo file that contains the key settings the camera used when the photo was shot. 139
- Feathering
The addition of semi-selected pixels around the edge of a selection to help blend selected data with its new location. 272
- File date
The date on which an image was taken or scanned into the system. 102
- Filter
A series of computer instructions that modify the pixels in an image. 24
- Foreground color
The color applied when you use the Brush, Pencil, or Paint Bucket tool, create text with the Text tool, or create a shape with one of the Shape tools. 425
- Gamma
The measurement of the contrast of an image or imaging device. 503
- Gamut
A palette comprised of all the individual colors that can be reproduced by a device. Your monitor and your printer each have separate gamuts, and sometimes, colors between them may match closely but not precisely. 377
- Gradient
A gradual transition between two colors, sometimes by way of a third (or more) color. 443
- Graphics editor
An application that allows you to edit your digital images. 3
- Handles
Small squares that appear along the perimeter of the bounding box surrounding a drawn object, cropping border, or selection marquee. Page 448
- Histogram
A chart that depicts the relative distribution of pixels in an image that share the same characteristics, such as lightness, saturation, hue, or presence in a particular color channel (red, green, or blue). 500
- ICC Color Profile
Also known as an ICM profile, this file helps Windows translate colors between two imaging devices. 386
- Import date
The date on which an item was imported into the catalog. 102
- Interlacing
Also known as interleaving. A method of displaying a Web graphic on a user's screen in which the image is displayed progressively 192
- Layer
A component of an image that contains its own data that can be manipulated separately from other data in an image. 20
- Layer style
A design applied to all objects on a layer. 25
- Magic Eraser
Tool that senses the difference between an object and its background, enabling you to easily erase the background behind your subject. 355
- Mask
A grayscale layer that acts as a filter, covering up parts of other layers that lie beneath. 365
- Midtones
Pixels with a luminance value near the middle of those alloweda value of about 124. 503
- Modified date
The date on which an image was modified by either the Organizer or the Editor, or by launching another graphics editor from within the Organizer. 102
- Moir° pattern
The optical illusion that occurs when one regular geometric pattern overlays another or similar pattern, slightly askew. 474
- Neighboring pixels
Pixels that physically touch each other. 428
- Noise
A random pattern of pixels that gives an image a grainy texture. 455
- Organizer
The portion of Photoshop Elements you use to categorize your vast collection of graphic images; included only with the Windows version of Photoshop Elements. 3
- Palette
A floating dialog box with tools or information to help you modify images. 173
- Palette Bin
A gathering place for the palettes you want to keep open. 173
- Pattern
A design that repeats at regular intervals. 441
- PDF documents
A document format by Adobe that allows text and graphics to be displayed using the same layout, regardless of the user's particular computer model and operating system. 64
- Pen tablet
Input device that enables you to draw and paint on a computer using a natural hand motion and a special pen. 27
- Photo review
A controllable slide show in which each image is displayed onscreen, one at a time, in whatever order and at whatever speed you want. Page 82
- Picture package
Multiple copies of one or more photographs, printed on a single sheet of paper, using standard print sizes. 260
- PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Used to describe the quality of onscreen images. The higher the PPI, the larger the image file and the higher its resolution. 6 - See also [DPI]
- Properties
Information associated with each media file, such as its creation date, modification date, tags, collections, audio or text captions, or notes. 73
- Raster data
Data comprised of individual pixels, each with their own hue, saturation, and brightness value. 7
- Resampling
The mathematical process applied during image resizing to calculate the value of new pixels (when enlarging) or neighboring pixels (when reducing) to reinterpret the result to minimize loss of detail. 227
- Resolution
The number of pixels per inch/centimeter. The more pixels (dots) of color, the more detail an image holds. To compute resolution, multiply the number of pixels in width by the number of pixels in height. 6
- Sample size
The area from which a color is derived by computing the average color of the pixels in that area. 428
- Saturation
The amount of a particular hue present in a pixel. 542
- Selection marquee
Flashing dashes that mark the boundary of a selection. 23
- Skew
To tilt a layer right, left, up, or down. 361
- Stack
A group of related images, typically displayed in the catalog with a single thumbnail. 92
- Tag
A marker associated with a group of media files that contain similar content or subject matter. 109
- Thumbnail
A small version of an image generally appearing in a group of other small images, but just large enough that you can easily distinguish it from the others. 38
- Vector data
Data stored as a series of mathematical formulas that plot the coordinates of points along the edges of a shape. 7
- Version set
Different edited versions of the same image, displayed as a single thumbnail in the catalog. 184
- White point
A representation on a chromaticity chart of the hue produced by a monitor when it is instructed to show pure white. 382
- WIA and TWAIN
Technologies that allow graphical software programs to communicate directly with digital cameras and scanners. TWAIN was replaced by WIA in Windows Me and Windows XP. 58
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