Making a basic pdf slideshow in Elements 2019

[Santiago102]

I used to be able to make a pdf slideshow in Elements 10 but cannot see any way to do this in the latest version.  I do not want themes, music or any of the other additions.  Just a simple pdf file which I can use to show at a meeting or to email to friends.  All I need is a file which can be controlled with a hand-operated keyboard arrow.

Any ideas, please?

[99jon]

You can do this from the Organizer by creating an email attachment

1. Select thumbnails
2. Click Share >> PDF Slideshow
3. Set image size, quality & choose a file name
4. Click Next
5. Add email address or create new contact or mail to yourself. Or simply save a draft email and open the pdf attachment.

[Santiago102]

Many thanks.  I have tried this and also using an external pdf generator and they both give the same result although the latter is a bit more flexible.  I can't see how i can save a draft with th settings I have, so files over 10MB are not processed, which is a bit of a problem.

I used to be able to get a sequence including the captions (the ones attached to each file's metadata) but now cannot do this.  Any ideas, please?

[99jon]

Sorry I don’t know of any other method but you can keep PSE10 installed alongside the later version. They are both independent apps. You can select thumbnails and press F11 for an impromptu slide show which will overlay metadata captions – see image below. Obviously that can only be viewed on your own computer.

[Santiago102]

Thanks again.  I have gone back to PSE10 and made a PDF file which is fine with the captions included.  But what a hassle!  And why has this been removed in subsequent versions?  Should they not all seek for improvements not deletions and complications?  The themes are very culture-biased (why no blank screen?) and the transitions give no choice unlike the earlier PSE10 version.

Thanks for the great picture - but how do you change the font size of your caption?  Mine are always too big.

[MichelBParis]

Santiago102  wrote

Thanks again.  I have gone back to PSE10 and made a PDF file which is fine with the captions included.  But what a hassle!  And why has this been removed in subsequent versions?  Should they not all seek for improvements not deletions and complications?  The themes are very culture-biased (why no blank screen?) and the transitions give no choice unlike the earlier PSE10 version.

Thanks for the great picture - but how do you change the font size of your caption?  Mine are always too big.

Don't think they changed an old software. They replaced it by a new one.

Let's be clear: while you are happy ( relatively... see captions) with the old software, what users consider an absolute requisite is to be able to share real quality slideshows. That means a widespread sharing format (.mp4 video) which is able to take advantage of the quality of your present camera and of present displays.

Today, you can:

- continue with pdf slideshows as explained by 99jon, but is that satisfactory with most of the people you want to share your creations?

- use the new slideshow editor, not customizable at all, but extremely easy with pleasant quality output.

- use Premiere Elements or similar competitors to create artistic slideshows. Steep learning curve but max flexibility and quality.

As you have discovered, the old way was a hassle. There comes a time when you can't build something new on an old platform. You have to start afresh, and while starting, why not consider the present and future requirements of potential users rather than the ones of old users who don't want to upgrade anyway?

I agree it's a pity that Adobe does not take advantage of its own Pdf format for Elements slideshows. Old users like me could create quality slideshows to showcase their best photos and reportages. However, practically none of my friends and relatives would prefer this over a good mp4 with fancy transitions and music...

[Santiago102]

Hi Michel,

Sorry to reply from my email program but the Forum at this address does

not allow for any replies or comments other than Translations(?).

I realise that this is new software at some point between PSE10 and the

current version.  But it would have been relatively easy to have left in

the competencies of the older versions.  As I said, this may be

cultural.  I am 76 and British and none, but none, of my contacts,

including family, want an output like that provided. Giving lectures to

local societies also requires a simple transition system with a pdf file

without any 'themes'. I accept fully that many in other countries might

like the new options, but I am not asking for this to be removed, merely

broadened to allow a more basic outcome as well. I am glad that your

recipients like the new outputs. The quality of my slide-shows depends

on my ability as a photographer not on software manipulations.

Of the three choices you say that I have:

1.  I am grateful to 99jon for his advice but the outcome (less than

10MB limit) is too restrictive and there are no captions.

2.  I am not sure what the non-customizable editor is.  Editing usually

involves a degree of customization, surely.  If it is what I get by

going to Create or Share, it is not appropriate for me for the reasons

given above.

3.  I would only try a free program such as Gimp, Picasa, etc. When I

have PSE10 still on my PC, however, that is the easiest.

The old way was not a hassle at all.  It is very easy to do, as I have

re-found by going to it this afternoon.  What is a hassle is having to

run two versions of PSE with two catalogs at the same time - hardly a

sensible arrangement, I would have thought.

Consideration of potential users is something for Adobe, not me, to

consider.

Best wishes

Chris

[MichelBParis · Accepted solution]

Chris,

Consideration of potential users is something for Adobe, not me, to consider.

Yes, but that's the answer to your question:

And why has this been removed in subsequent versions?

To be more positive, the ability to create a multipage pdf by using a free PDF printer (like the one in Windows 10: Print to PDF) does not limit the number nor the size of your slides.

Captions: for me, captions are never what I want as a text in a slideshow. I need to create new texts or new text slides and to add them within the slide, choosing font, size, location.

I do keep several PSE versions, that's not a problem for me, but I do agree that the catalogs question is crucial. I would not try to keep the catalogs in sync. I would use the latest PSE version for everything, and I would only use the old version with its catalog for my slideshows as creations (.pse). First, exporting my files selection to a new folder after creating an album, probably exporting resized and renamed files according to the custom order of the album. Then, using the creation tool of the old version to create my project (.pse) and the output pdf in the old format catalog.

Since recent versions of PSE organizer no longer recognize pdf format (only Photoshop pdf format), I would not be able to import the resulting pdf in the new catalog. The old catalog would be used only for slideshow creations. I would have to take care to give the same name to the original album and the final .pse and .pdf output in the old catalog version.

[Santiago102]

Hi Michel,

My PSE versions went from 2 to 5 to 10 to the latest, so big gaps in

between each.  I have kept PSE 10 on my PC so it is easy enough to use

and allows me to do what I like regarding captions.  Our recent trip to

the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula provided 54 good pictures

worthy of sending to friends as well as showing at talks; I have just

used the up-to-six word captions on each.  I can change font, size,

colour and position so that worked out very well.

I'm almost inclined to remove all the photos that are still on this and

only to use it for, for example, slide-shows.  I agree with you that it

is probably not a good idea to share catalogues.

I always thought that the point of the introduction of pdf format was

that it would be common for users whatever their other software.  I live

and learn.  You comment about photoshop pdf is useful as I would not

have guessed this, so know to avoid any problems with this.

I would like to mark your answer as Correct and the question as Answered

but am at a loss as to how to do this.  At the end of your reply is

'Action' on one side and 'Translate' on the other.  No 'actions' are

apparently possible. Sorry.

Best wishes

Chris

[MichelBParis]

Chris,

I also agree with you that the pdf format will be read by nearly anybody, so keeping the old PSE version is really a valid option, especially if you care about image quality. For some mysterious reasons, the pdf format is badly supported by Adobe in Elements. Fortunately there are many free virtual pdf printers on the market. I am always prudent with free softwares to avoid spam or malwares, so I am very happy with the Windows 10 solution.

Don't worry to mark the answer as 'correct', a moderator will probably take care of that.  I am totally happy with your answers, but marking as correct is mainly intended to help users with identical issues to browse the forum more efficiently.