1. Will the knowledge that I’ve gained over the last 2 years while using
Elements transfer well to using CS2 or will it be like starting all over again?
Yes, a fair amount will, e.g., which tools do what, brush concepts, layers, menus, most of the commands, e.g., Levels, Hue/Saturation, Unsharp Mask, Gaussian Blur, etc.
As you go you’ll encounter some terminology differences, menu differences, that is in Elements so-and-so-command is here, in CS2 the command is under a different menu or named something else, additional functionality.
2. While I’m learning CS2, is it possible to keep Elements on my PC at the same time and revert back to that when I need to do a job quickly and don’t have the time to figure it out on CS2?
Yes.
3. Tell me about a few things in CS2 that are not in Elements that you were immediately just thrilled about using.
From a PS7 perspective, but applicable to CS2, too:
* Easy access to color channels
* Layer Masks
* Adjustment layers Elements did not have, e.g., Curves
* The ability to write, modify, download PS Actions
* More robust batch processing
* Scripting
* Bridge looks to have some nifty features
Can’t help you much on #4. Too many new books have become available since I made the leap to PS.
I’m sure others will chime in.
Hope this helps…
~Danny~
Thank you very much Danny.
Yes, almost everything you have learned in PSE will be much the same in PS CS2. The menues will be different so you will learn to look in different places. Almost all of what in in PSE will be in PSCS2 and generally expanded.
Yes you can leave Elements on your system. They will not bother each other.
I would suggest Ben Willmores book "Adobe Photoshop CS2 Studio Techniques". Ben writes in very plain english and is very good at getting the information across.
In Elements, you have been living in a closet. With PSCS2, you will be living in the wide open spaces. Yes there will be a steep learning curve but it will be worth the effort.
Some of what I consider important:
16 bit all the way. Channels. Convert to Profile, any profile. The full histogram palette. Even some of the things in PSE are crippled. Adobe camera Raw and Shadows/Highlights are crippled in PSE.
Ervin Little wrote:
Yes there will be a steep learning curve but it will be worth the effort.
Steep learning curve? Definitely not! Actually, Photoshop basically is just the same as Photoshop Elements … and then some. Sure, a few menu items are located differently—but that’s peanuts to get used to. Whatever you learned in Elements applies in Photoshop, too.
Of course, when you are talking about making full use of everything Photoshop has to offer in addition to what Elements has, then we do talk about a learning curve … 😉
What I like most about Photoshop vs. Elements, and use often, is Curves, Masking Mode, Lab Colour Mode, better 16-bit support, and Scripting. And the augmented Camera Raw functionality, too. And Bridge. And, and, and …
— Olaf
Thanks guys. I think I might just make the jump. : -)
