Photoshop Elements Techniques back issues
Welcome to the Photoshop Elements Techniques (PET) magazine archives. Here, you’ll find PDFs of 85 issues published from 2004 through 2016, along with any sample files associated with each issue. Each issue is listed below, with the list of articles in that issue, and links to download the PDF and the extras files. The extras are compressed as ZIP archives, which should expand properly on both Windows and Mac computers.
These issues (and extras) are free for personal use, but may not be sold, reposted, or redistributed. The copyrights for all of the content remains with the individual authors and CDP Press. (See our FAQ for more information.)
To help you look for articles by subject, author, title or tag, we have also created an online index page for PET, including an alphabetical list of article titles, a list by author, and by tag. Each article listed in the index has a link back to the issue page where that article can be found. (We also have a separate index for the PDF cheatsheets from the PET website, if you're looking for those.)
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If you have other questions about PET or working with these files, please see our FAQ.
January/February 2015
- The Perfect Blend
- Say Goodbye to Blah Photos
- Valentine’s Day Love
- The Ultimate Guide to Sharpening
- May We Have Your Attention?
- Finding Great Waterfalls
- Subscriber Showcase
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November/December 2014
- Moving & Removing Objects
- Not Just any Old Photo
- Poster Mania
- Recompose: The Art of Resizing
- Pop-Art Splatter Portrait
- Editing Headshots Using Lightroom
- Subscriber Showcase
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September/October 2014
- Creating and Managing Your Custom Brushes
- Getting the Shot: Solitary Tree
- Masking with the Shape Tools
- Recycled Rusty Rubbish
- The Eyes Have It
- Where’s the Logo
- Subscriber Showcase
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July/August 2014
- Color Your World
- Create a Fun & Creative Facebook Cover Photo
- Lightroom 5: Smart Previews
- Name Your Frame
- The Best Vacation Photo Fixes
- The Brush Tool
- Truckloads of People
- Subscriber Showcase
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May/June 2014
- A Model Holds Her Own
- Comic Relief
- Create a Bookmark Your Kids Will Love
- Lightroom’s Adjustment Brush
- Make Your Grad a Star
- Quick Compositing & Quick Selections
- The Content Aware Move Tool
- Subscriber Showcase
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March/April 2014
- 8 Quick and Easy Ways to Make Your Type POP
- Atmospheric Lighting Adds Mist-ery
- Mix It Up
- Photos in Motion
- Processing Multiple Files
- Restore Old Photos
- Subscriber Showcase
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January/February 2014
- Designing Custom Wine Labels
- Instant Aging
- Splash of Color
- Stained Glass Class
- Tablet Talk – Create Custom Brushes
- The Splatter Zone
- Top 10 Tricks for Getting the Most from Layer Masks
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November/December 2013
- Advanced Portrait Editing
- Behind the Lightroom Preset
- Can I Get an Extension Please
- Get Your Neon On
- Print Your Own Holiday Cards
- The Dynamic Duo
- Create Your Own Holiday Greetings
- More Wacom Tips for Element Users
- Subscriber Showcase
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September/October 2013
- Blueprints For Better Architectural Images
- Create Your Own Photo Booth Photos
- High Tech Hollywood Effects
- Lightroom Vignettes
- Making a Good Impression
- Slices of Life on Display
- Soft Glamour Glow
- The Secret to Getting Good Prints
- Subscriber Showcase
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July/August 2013
- Digital Scrapbooking: Create a Layout Using a Template
- Full Steam Ahead
- Getting That Hollywood Look
- Guided Guidance
- How to Install Custom Shapes and Layer Styles
- Lightroom 5 – What it Means For Elements Users
- Portrait Editing Made Easy
- Tips for Editing Large Batches of Photos with Lightroom and Elements
- Wacom Tips – Part 2
- Subscriber Showcase
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May/June 2013
- Create Photo Montages
- Creating an Edgy Poster Effect
- Digital Scrapbooking – Create a Scrapbook Layout
- Illustrating in Elements
- Integrating Lightroom and Elements
- Making Your Own Diffuser
- Posing Playbook – Part 2
- Stop Glaring At Me
- Wacom Tips for Photographers
- Subscriber Showcase
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March/April 2013
- Chalk One Up
- Creating Cool Canvas Borders For Your Prints
- Don’t Let Cloudy Skies Get You Down
- Lightroom Camera Profiles
- Make a Scene With 3D Text
- Posing Tips from the Posing Playbook
- Sharpening Your Photos in Camera Raw
- The All-In-One Zoom Lens
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January/February 2013
- 3D Text Effect
- Camera Raw Essentials in Elements 11: Setting the Exposure
- Create Photos with an Edge
- Keep Your Camera Dust-Free
- Photographing in Snow
- Put Your Own Stamp on It
- With a Nip and a Tuck
- 7 Steps to Getting Organized in Lightroom
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July/August 2012
- Look Sharp
- Customize Your Desktop
- Elements Tips and Tricks
- Getting Creative with Custom Wallpapers
- It’s a Small World
- Photograph the Invisible
- Stack ‘Em High
- Tips for the Texturizer Filter
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March/April 2012
- Find the Perfect Shot
- Get Cooking with the Cookie Cutter
- Cookie Cutter Tool: Extending Your Background
- Elements Tips and Tricks
- Unlocking Layer Styles
- Let There Be Light!
- Speed up the Action
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July/August 2011
- Protect Your Photos
- 3 Stress-Free Portrait Touch-Ups
- Break out of the Box
- Creative Scanning
- Rise to the Surface
- Shooting with the Histogram
- Subscriber Showcase
- Tips, Ideas and Links for Out of Bound Images
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May/June 2011
- Inside the Enhance Menu
- Composite Master Class
- Edge Sharpening Secrets
- Grasping the Gradient Tool
- Make it Special with Wax Seals
- Photo Tips: Take Control Of Motion
- Tips & Tricks
- Subscriber Showcase
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March/April 2011
- The Smart Brush Tool
- Save the Day
- Exposure Compensation
- Correcting Color with Neutral Gray
- Cropping by the Rules
- Cutting Through Haze
- Hand-Tinting a Black and White Photo
- Tips & Tricks
- Subscriber Showcase
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January/February 2011
- Find Photos Fast with the Organizer
- 3 Fast Fixes for Pet Photos
- Applying Multiple Effects to a Dingbat Graphic
- Font Resources on the Web
- Have Fun With Dingbats
- Hone Your Photo Skills
- The Secret to Smoother Skin
- Tips & Tricks
- Subscriber Showcase
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November/December 2010
- Calm Red Skin
- Designing Storyboards
- Introducing Photoshop Elements 9
- P.E.T.’s Best Tips and Tricks for Photoshop Elements
- Picture-Perfect Gift Tags
- Take Better Family Photos
- Subscriber Showcase
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September/October 2010
- Personalize Vintage Clip Art
- Vintage Clip Art Resources
- Get Better Prints
- Create Three Classic Film Looks
- Don’t Fear Your Flash
- All Sewn Up
- Subscriber Showcase
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July/August 2010
- A Smarter Way to Sharpen
- Faking a Blue Sky
- The Brush Tool
- Find Great Brushes Online
- Inside Elements+
- Protect Your Images Online
- Steady Your Shots
- Tips and Tricks
- Subscriber Showcase
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May/June 2010
- Wipe Glare from Glasses
- Argyle Pattern Play
- Taking Control of Autofocus
- Filmstrip Photo Collage
- Filmstrip collage resources and examples
- Tool Tips: Image Size
- Fun With Panoramas
- Subscriber Showcase
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March/April 2010
- The Magic Wand and Quick Selection Tools
- Inside Photomerge Exposure
- Turn Photos Into Illustrations
- Boost Your Elements Experience with Plug-Ins
- Tips & Tricks
- Create Your Own Digital Stamps
- Digital Stamp Resources
- Subscriber Showcase
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January/February 2010
- Four Essential Photo Fixes
- Portrait Retouching Secrets: The Nose Reduction
- The Content Palette
- Create a Quick Collage Using Blend Modes
- Removing Unwanted Objects From Your Photos
- Subscriber Showcase
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November/December 2009
- Photomerge Scene Cleaner
- Quick & Easy Calendars From Templates
- Tool Tips: The Shape Tools
- Shape Tool Examples
- Selective Blur and Sharpen
- Enchanted Fairy-Tale Book Effect
- Subscriber Showcase
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September/October 2009
- Heighten Drama with Dodge and Burn
- Getting In On The Action
- Actions Resources and Q&A
- Creative Cut-Outs
- Creative Clipping Masks
- Tips & Tricks
- Subscriber Showcase
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July/August 2009
- Setting Camera Raw Defaults
- Making the Most Out of the Organizer
- Sketching Magic
- Easy Creative Edges
- Tool Tips: Crop, Cookie Cutter & Straighten Tools
- Subscriber Showcase
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May/June 2009
- Easy Selections With the Polygonal Lasso
- Tips for Improving Your Selections
- Layers 101: Understanding Elements’ Foundation
- Four Times Johnny = Fun
- Saturation Infatuation
- Fixing Crooked City Skylines
- Subscriber Showcase
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March/April 2009
- Strategies for Better Black & White Photos
- Advanced Black and White Editing
- Learning to Love Levels
- Enhancing Hair Highlights
- Bringing an Old Image to Life
- Tips & Tricks
- Add Excitement to Your Photos with Textures
- Using Textures with Photos: Examples, Tips & Links
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January/February 2009
- Printing Your Photos Online
- Let the Reduce Noise Filter Clean Your Digital Photos
- The Orton Effect
- Frame Your Words
- Frame Your Words: Samples, Tips & Font Links
- Desperados: Making a Wanted Poster
- Tool Tips: Healing Powers
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Vol. 5 No. 6
- Making A Special Holiday Card
- Wrap Up A Sweet Surprise
- Coping With Raw’s Essentials
- Round Up Those Pixels With The Lasso Tools
- Enhancing The Sun’s Rays
- Liberate Your Photography By Changing Your Point Of View
- Tips & Tricks
- Wonderful World Of Word Art
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Vol. 5 No. 5
- Inside Photoshop Elements 7
- Adding Dimension To Your Scrapbook Elements
- Focusing On Light
- Bokeh: Getting The Perfect Soft Background
- Elements Q & A
- Tips & Tricks
- Yipes, Stripes! Weaving Wave Filter Magic
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Vol. 5 No. 4
- Triptychs: Creating With The Power Of Three
- Digging In With Camera Raw
- Macro Photography: Taking A Closer Look
- Making Quick Selections For Quick Changes
- Showcase Family Photos With Personalized Bookmarks
- Tips & Tricks
- Tool Tips: Image Size
- Understanding Resolution When Resizing Images
- Zapping Shines And Shadows
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Vol. 5 No. 3
- Shooting In Raw
- Capturing The Magic Of Light
- Creating Textured Text In A Mask
- Elements Q & A
- Get A Little Glow On
- HDR Made Easy
- Making a Tag Frame
- Tag, You’re It!
- The Eyes Have It
- Tips & Tricks
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Vol. 5 No. 2
- Blend Modes, Part 2
- Create Grungy Backgrounds With Custom Brushes
- Elements Q & A
- Four Steps To A Great-Looking Photo
- From Photo To Coloring Book
- From Simple Photo To Keepsake
- Grunge Brushes: Free Online Resources
- Photoshop Express
- The Exposure Triangle
- Tips & Tricks
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Vol. 5 No. 1 (2008)
- Blend Modes Explained, Part 1
- Elements Q & A
- Let It Snow!
- Let There Be Light
- Ready, Set, Go!
- Sharpening the Eyes in a Portrait
- Simply Digital Photography
- Think Outside the Box
- Tips & Tricks
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[No available extras.]
Vol. 4 No. 8
- Add Drama To Black-and-White Photos
- Elements Q & A
- Lights Out: Transform A Daytime Image Into Nighttime
- Make Some Waves With An Aquatic Background
- Preserve Your Memories With Style
- Reverse The Aging Process
- Split Toning In Elements
- Tips & Tricks
- Turning The Page On Curls
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Vol. 4 No. 7
- 7 Reasons You’ve Gotta Try The New Camera Raw
- Achieve Selection Perfection: Techniques The Pros Use
- Darker Skies, Brighter Foregrounds
- Elements Q & A
- First Snow, Lasting Memory
- Focusing On Filters
- Never The Twain Shall Meet
- Reflecting On Product Shots
- Tips & Tricks
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Vol. 4 No. 6
- Elements 6 Top Ten
- A Touch Of Urban
- Color Management 101
- Create A Euro-Style Background
- Elements Q & A
- Pen, Ink & Watercolors
- Scrapbook Like A Roving Reporter
- Tips & Tricks
- Whimsical Woodcut
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Vol. 4 No. 5
- Breaking Through Borders
- Create A Magazine Cover Like The Pros
- Creating A Panorama
- Creating Believable Watercolors
- Elements Q & A
- Painting With Pixels
- Put Me In, Coach
- The Wide World Of Filters Series: In The Line Of Fire
- Tips & Tricks
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Vol. 4 No. 4
- Beginners’ Workshop
- Elements Q & A
- Fixing Towers That Lean
- Magic Picture Within A Picture
- Nothing But Blue Skies Ahead
- Now Showing…
- Slice And Dice Your Photos
- Tips & Tricks
- Touched By An Angel
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Vol. 4 No. 3
- A Moment In Time
- Buckets Of Fun
- Elements And Lightroom— A Dynamic Duo
- Elements Q & A
- Lights, Camera…Couch!
- Selective Focus
- Sensational Serigraphs For Warhol Wannabes
- Take Your Photo For A Spin
- Tips & Tricks
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Vol. 4 No. 2
- All Grunged Up
- Beginners’ Workshop: Working with Gradients
- Color Your World Beautiful
- Digital Crafts Made From Scratch
- Displaced Art
- Elements Q & A
- Lookin’ Sharp
- Open Up The Windows To The Soul
- Stamp Of Approval
- Tips & Tricks
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Vol. 4 No. 1 (2007)
- Animal Elements
- Beginners’ Workshop: Impressionist Brush
- Give Your Images A Color Boost
- How To Create Whimsical Frames
- Layer Styles: Revamped, Retooled And Better Than Ever
- Make A Statement!
- Reality Check: Creating Fantasy Art From Photographs
- Tips & Tricks
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