User Guide

CHAPTER 5
82
Resizing, Cropping, and Laying Out Images
Straightening images
Skewed images are a common by-product of the
scanning process. For example, if you lay a photo-
graph on the scanner at an angle, the image will
appear rotated when you open it in Photoshop
Elements. You can quickly correct a rotated image
using one of the Straighten Image commands.
To straighten an image:
Do one of the following:
• To straighten and crop the image, choose
Image > Rotate > Straighten and Crop Image.
Note: The Straighten and Crop Image command
may not produce good results if the edges of the
rotated scan are too close to the image window
boundaries. In this case, you can use the Canvas Size
command to enlarge the work canvas. (See
“Changing the size of the work canvas” on page 80.)
• To straighten the image and leave the canvas size
the same, choose Image > Rotate > Straighten
Image. Using this command results in an image
with a transparent border at its edges.
Creating panoramic images
using Photomerge
™
The Photomerge command combines several
photographs into one continuous image. For
example, you can take five overlapping photo-
graphs of a city skyline, and then assemble them
into a panorama. The Photomerge command is
capable of assembling photos that are tiled
horizontally as well as vertically.
Photomerge composition of the skyline of Chicago
Taking pictures for use with Photomerge
Your source photographs play a large role in
panoramic compositions. To avoid problems,
follow these guidelines when taking pictures for
use with Photomerge:
Overlap images sufficiently Images should have
an overlap of approximately 15% to 40% of the
image area. If the overlap is less, Photomerge may
not be able to automatically assemble the
panorama. However, keep in mind that the images
shouldn’t overlap too much. If images overlap by
50% or more, it can be difficult to work with them,
and blending may not be as effective. Try to keep
the individual photos at least somewhat distinct
from each other.
Use a consistent focal length Avoid using the
zoom feature of your camera while taking your
pictures.