Photoshop Elements and Photoshop CS

Report · Sep 27, 2017

I have Photoshop Elements 15 installed as well as Lightroom and Photoshop CC (most recent versions). There are times when I want to edit a photo with the "real" photoshop rather than the Elements editor. Can this be done from the Elements Organizer?

In the Organizer's "Edit" menu, I see "Edit with Photoshop Elements Editor", "Premier Elements Editor" and then an "Edit with Photoshop...". Selecting the "Photoshop..." choice (what the heck use is ... anyway?) created a new copy but nothing else happens, regardless of whether Photoshop CS is open or not.

I do not use Lightroom for my main catalog (60k items) because I use tags extensively and that capability is much less convenient in Lightroom. Also, Lightroom still seems to have date sorting issues that do not exist in the Elements Organizer.

This is on an iMac under Sierra 10.12.6. The situation has existed for years but I have been hoping that the issue would be resolved. A brand new MacBook Pro has the same issue so it would not seem to be an installation issue.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you may provide.

Report · Sep 27, 2017

BassBone42 wrote
I have Photoshop Elements 15 installed as well as Lightroom and Photoshop CC (most recent versions). There are times when I want to edit a photo with the "real" photoshop rather than the Elements editor. Can this be done from the Elements Organizer?
In the Organizer's "Edit" menu, I see "Edit with Photoshop Elements Editor", "Premier Elements Editor" and then an "Edit with Photoshop...". Selecting the "Photoshop..." choice (what the heck use is ... anyway?) created a new copy but nothing else happens, regardless of whether Photoshop CS is open or not.

With Windows, I can use the 'Open in Photoshop' option. Just like the option to 'open in external editor', a copy is created (a version set) from the organizer and that copy is opened in Photoshop CC (latest version). I don't know why that copy is not opened in Photoshop in your case. I suppose other Mac users will confirm if they have the same problem. Would you have the same problem with choosing to 'open in external editor' with any other editor like Faststone?

Report · Sep 27, 2017

At the File Explorer level (on a Mac called the Finder), I can open with any editor. In the Elements Organizer, I can only use the Elements Editor (and that works well), but the mystery “Edit with Photoshop…” was my best hope for an easy edit directly from the Organizer.

It seems as if the Elements universe is walled off from the Photoshop CC universe, but I am hoping that I am just missing something. If a bug, then it has been around for several Elements versions (I started with Photoshop Album so I am usually able to handle Elements quirks.)

Report · Sep 27, 2017

BassBone42 wrote
It seems as if the Elements universe is walled off from the Photoshop CC universe, but I am hoping that I am just missing something. If a bug, then it has been around for several Elements versions (I started with Photoshop Album so I am usually able to handle Elements quirks.)

Well, since the 'open in Photoshop' works in Windows versions, I think there must be something with the Mac universe.

In Windows, the organizer would provide a workaround to edit in photoshop or any external editor (instead of a single one in the preferences).

- you have selected a thumbnail.

- Use 'Go to folder' if you are not already there

- highlight the folder in the left panel

- right click and choose 'Reveal in Explorer'

- browse to find the file in the Explorer, highlight it and use 'Open With' and select any editor. (yes, it's not ideal to find the file in a folder with many files...)

Note that no 'version set' is created automatically, you are editing (overwriting) the original. You may have to 'update' the thumbnail afterward. You can also do the above step after creating a version set if you want to protect your original.

Report · Sep 27, 2017

Your workaround does reduce the problem, but I was looking for a direct method (I have used that technique and found it clunky as you expressed but thanks for the suggestion). Heck, I started increasing the number of folders to make that more feasible some time ago.

Does the Windows version have the “Edit with Photoshop …” as its choice? I would have expected “Edit with Photoshop CC” or whatever. The right click on the thumbnail only offers the first two edit options making me more mystified.

Thanks again.

Report · Sep 27, 2017

BassBone42 wrote
Does the Windows version have the “Edit with Photoshop …” as its choice? I would have expected “Edit with Photoshop CC” or whatever. The right click on the thumbnail only offers the first two edit options making me more mystified.

Sorry, I am not at home now, and Photoshop CC is not installed on the computer I am using now...

But I am quite sure that "Edit in Photoshop" is mentioned both in the right click contextual menu and in the 'Editor' icon on the bottom bar.

That works in other Elements versions.

I do not use Lightroom for my main catalog (60k items) because I use tags extensively and that capability is much less convenient in Lightroom. Also, Lightroom still seems to have date sorting issues that do not exist in the Elements Organizer.

I don't use Lightroom in my personal library for the same reasons... Only for the fun of testing and comparing. I sometimes (rarely) use Photoshop, always opened from the Organizer.

Edit:

Fixing photos and videos using other applications