Datasheet

16
Part I: Getting Started
Using the Tools palette
Elements provides a good number of palettes for
different purposes. The one you’ll find you use most
is the Tools palette. In palette hierarchy terms, you
typically first click a tool in the Tools palette and
then use another palette for additional tool options or
use the Options bar for fine-tuning your tool instru-
ments. More often than not, clicking a tool in the
Tools palette is your first step in most editing
sessions.
Tools can be easily accessed in Elements by pressing
shortcut keys on your keyboard. For a quick glance at
the Tools palette and the keystrokes needed to access
the tools, look over Figure 1-6.
If you accidentally press the Tab key on your key-
board, the Tools palette hides from view. Press Tab
again and the Tools palette reappears.
Notice in the Tools palette that several tools appear
with a tiny arrow pointing right and downward on
the lower-right corner of each tool. Whenever you
see this arrowhead, remember that more tools are
nested within that tool group. Click a tool with an
arrowhead and hold the mouse button down. A pop-
up toolbar opens, as shown in Figure 1-7, and offers
you more tool selections within that group.
To select tools within a tool group by using key-
strokes, press the Shift key and strike the respective
key (shown in Figure 1-6) to access the tool. Keep the
Shift key down and repeatedly press the shortcut key
to scroll through all tools in a given group.
The shortcuts work for you at all times except when
typing text. Be certain to click in the Tools palette to
select a tool if your last edit was made with one of
the Type tools.
The tools are varied, and you may find that you won’t use all the tools in the
Tools palette in your workflow. Rather than describe the tool functions here,
we address the tools in the remaining chapters in this book as they pertain to
the respective Elements tasks.
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Figure 1-6: You access
Tools by clicking the tool in
the Tools palette or typing
the respective character
on your keyboard.
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