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Adobe Photoshop uses AI to automatically replace a background, a normally complex photo-editing task.
Adobe
Adobe’s Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements 2023 add creative features that require no editing experience.
The photo and video editing applications are also faster, especially when used on an Apple M1-based Mac.
Available separately for $100 each or bundled for $150, Elements 2023 is on sale now.
Adobe on Thursday released a new version of its consumer photo and video editing software, Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements. For 2023, which is available starting today, there are new and upgraded features that include AI-guided editing, animation, video art effects, and audio tracks, as well as performance improvements — particularly for Apple’s M1 computers.
Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements are also adding companion apps for mobile and web, which allows for on-the-go viewing and sharing when users are away from their computers.
As the Photoshop and Premiere names suggest, Elements is designed to bring pro-like editing to consumers who have no experience. Users can let the software handle all sorts of quick, basic editing, follow guided tutorials (browse through the options or type in some keywords for what you want to do), or use an advanced option that offers more user control over the editing process.
It isn’t just for the non-computer savvy: Elements is useful for any creator who wants to focus more on sharing and less on editing, but wants some professional quality in the final product or to add some fun elements.
Unlike Adobe’s subscription-based pro software, Elements remains buy-to-own — online download or on a CD. Photoshop Elements 2023 and Premiere Elements 2023 cost $100 each or bundled for $150. You can also upgrade from any previous version for $80 for either Photoshop Elements or Premiere Elements, or both for $120.
Here are the new features added to Elements 2023.
Animating still photos
To animate a still photo, simply select the area and Photoshop Elements will use AI to create the effect.
Adobe
Turn any static photo into a video or GIF with Moving Elements in Photoshop Elements 2023. You can add motion to objects like clouds or waterfalls, for example, and save it as a movie file or GIF. Users can simply draw around the areas of a photo they wish to add to the effect. Adobe continues to leverage its AI, Adobe Sensei, to enable this type of feature. While this special effect can already be found in other software and mobile apps, it looks more realistic.
Upgraded creative photo effects
New backgrounds and skies in Photoshop Elements 2023 can make an image look more dynamic.
Adobe
Photoshop Elements 2023 also adds several new backgrounds, patterns, and skies that you can use if you want to add some creative touches to a photo — fun for creating things like virtual greeting cards out of photos. Using the Content-Aware Fill function, you can easily cut subjects out of a photo and drop them onto a background, or add fun graphics to a photo. In addition, there are also new collage and slideshow templates.
Peek-through Overlay is a new feature in Photoshop Elements 2023 that adds a creative depth-of-field.
Adobe
Another new feature is Peek-through Overlays. By manipulating blurring and vignetting, and adding graphics, users can create some depth-of-field for a more interesting photo.
If you have an idea of how you would like to edit a photo or video but are not sure where to start, the Guided menu can be helpful. You can browse the various tutorials or just type what you’re looking for into the search box. Adobe updated the search to understand natural language, even if you don’t know a specific editing term.
Turn videos into moving works of art
Adobe Premiere Elements 2023 lets you overlay an artistic filter on top of a video.
Adobe
If you’ve used the Prisma app, then this feature will be familiar. Also powered by Sensei, Artistic Effects in Premiere Elements 2023 adds an artsy layer — based on popular styles, like abstract — on top of any video. This feature was already available for photos, but now you can make your home movies look like a painting.
100 new audio tracks
Editing a video is one thing, but finding music to go along with it can be a challenge. Premiere Elements 2023 added 100 new tracks you can use for movies. However, when we asked Adobe if users can use the music publicly or even monetize it on YouTube, the answer was murky; Adobe says the music should be for private use, so you may still need to hunt for free-to-use music.
Improved performance on Apple M1 computers
Adobe said Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements 2023 have faster launch times — up to 70% — on Macs that use Apple’s M1 processor. In general, Adobe said launch times are 50% faster than previous versions. The applications also install faster and are smaller in file size.
New mobile and web companion apps that leverage the cloud
New web and mobile companion apps for Elements 2023 let you access your work from anywhere.
Adobe
Currently in beta, Elements 2023 users can now access their photos and videos when they’re away from their computers. With 2GB of cloud storage, you can view your uploaded content and share them via mobile and web apps. The web app also lets you create collages and slideshows. Editing is still limited, but it adds a bit of a pro Adobe feature to this consumer software.
Who is Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements 2023 for?
While anyone can use Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements 2023, Ashley Still of Adobe told us that while creativity is for all, “Elements is about the consumer — people who just want to express themselves.”
As Adobe’s senior vice president of Digital Media Marketing, Strategy, and Global Partnerships, Still has overseen the development of Elements since the beginning. While Elements is designed for novices and those with basic photo-editing skills, it also leverages features and technology introduced in the professional Creative Cloud applications. That means even pro users could take advantage of the software if they just want to do something quickly.
Elements is also ideal for users like small business owners who don’t have the editing skills or the budget to hire a designer. They can use Photoshop Elements to create ads and graphics that look professional, but with ease.
And as more people are now taking photos with their camera phones, more consumers and what Still calls “memory keepers,” want to do more with their content. Elements allow users to make complex edits with ease, thanks to the guided tutorials and Sensei AI.