What's the difference between PS CC and PS Elements?

[janl91868370]

Is there a big difference between CC and Elements?

Never used this sw before and need a sw to create posters and for advertising material.

[Chuck Uebele]

Photoshop CC is much more robust, and if you're doing what you say you're going to be doing, that would be the way to go. Elements is more for hobbyist. You can do a Google search to find the actual differences.

[Barb Binder]

I see it as the professional user vs the home user (Chuck used the word hobbiest), but really more for editing personal photos than professional level editing.

Here are a few resources for you to look over. The second one lists the Photoshop features missing from Elements.

Which Do You Need? Photoshop Elements vs. Photoshop CC

https://www.capefearnetworks.com/adobe-photoshop-elements-vs-adobe-photoshop-creative-cloud-which-is...

https://www.capefearnetworks.com/adobe-photoshop-elements-vs-adobe-photoshop-creative-cloud-which-is...

Posters normally have type and I really don't know how Elements handles type, and I'd want to know before making a decision. You might ask on the Elements forum: Photoshop Elements

~Barb

[Abambo]

BarbBinder  wrote

https://www.capefearnetworks.com/adobe-photoshop-elements-vs-adobe-photoshop-creative-clou d-which-i...

I suppose the link shows the essentials. I've just detected a small error. I suppose they didn't revise this since version CS6 of Ps:

Licensing: Photoshop Elements is multi-platform as of version 9 which means you can install on either Windows or Macintosh or both without having to purchase a separate version. This is not true with Photoshop.

Photoshop is also available with one licence for use on Mac and Win OS. You can have 2 active installs at the same time on any PC, even in a mixed environment.

[Nancy OShea]

Elements is sold on a perpetual license.  When Photoshop was available on a perpetual license (some people still  have it) the software and serial number was very platform specific.  Either Win or Mac but not both. 

Nowadays, PS is only available via Creative Cloud which works on either platform.

[Abambo]

Yes, CC solved the mixed environment problem.

[Jeff Arola]

If you buy photoshop elements from adobe then the license is specific to either mac or windows.

If however, one buys the boxed dvd(s) from somewhere other than adobe, then the license is good for both mac and windows, since the boxed set includes both the mac and windows versions, where as buying directly from adobe, one has to chose between windows or mac.

And actually the first two elements versions which was one and two of course were a multi platform license cd, both of which i have.

That is both mac and windows were on the same cd and used the same license, then adobe stopped that with version 3 and brought it back starting with pse 9.

Of course depending what part of the world in which one lives, there could be differences to the above, but that's how i remember it for U.S. customers.

[Barb Binder]

Most of what I found was really outdated. I thought I had succeeded in finding more current information—so thanks for catching the licensing error.

~Barb

[Abambo]

Yes. I am always sceptical when seeing articles like that, without a date attached. But still: They updated for CC but missed that little error, which is, if you are on a mixed environment, quite essential.

[Nancy OShea]

PS Elements is the LITE version of PS Extended.  For the modest price, it's a good little photo editor but it's not nearly as robust as PS Extended.  

Having said that, I usually make posters in Adobe Illustrator not Photoshop.  AI is a vector graphics application.  The print quality is much sharper and clearer with vectors than rasterized or bitmap images.

See this inspirational tutorial.

Create a typographic poster in Adobe Illustrator - 99designs Blog

[Abambo]

Elements as I remember (my vague experience is from earlier versions) is much more guided for all image manipulations and has a lot of automatic adjustments.

Photoshop is for the "professionals". (I do not know of any pro using Elements, but I know a lot amateurs using Photoshop CC).

I guess that especially prepress requirements are better be met in Ps CC.

I wouldn't, however, do any flyers in Ps. Personally I do flyers in Indesign, but Illustrator is also well suited, if you do not a heavy brochure. The difference between Indesign/Illustrator and Photoshop lies in the handling of vector art including type setting.

In my early days I've done some adverts in Photoshop, because the editor asked for JPEG or TIFF files, but that is no more asked for, except sometimes in exotic countries by some obscure printers...

So my advice is to go for vector graphics software (Illustrator/Indesign) for flyers and brochures. Photoshop is a great photo editor. Elements will be easier to use at first but reach sooner its limits.

[Nancy OShea]

Yes, InDesign is also good for posters, brochures and other printed documents.

I like Illustrator mainly  because (as that tutorial link I posted shows) you can manipulate text much better than you can in Photoshop.