Adobe launches Photoshop Elements 5

Adobe Systems Incorporated has announced Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 software, a major upgrade to their consumer photo editing software.

Available for Windows, Photoshop Elements offers new and more flexible ways for consumers to organize files, edit images with ease and share photos in engaging and innovative ways. Adobe Photoshop Elements allows for quick, one-click fixes to photos with the option of exploring more sophisticated editing techniques.

“Digital photography has changed the way people capture moments and memories and today’s digital cameras and even camera phones have the potential to deliver some extraordinary results,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe. “Adobe Photoshop Elements gives customers the creative freedom to get more out of their digital camera, with the sophisticated and accessible editing features that the Photoshop name is famed for. The result is superior images that can be shared with family and friends in new, exciting, high impact ways - on the Web or in printed formats.”

Photoshop Elements software makes it easy to share photos with themed and customizable layouts, multi-page document options for albums and scrapbooks and over 100 framing choices. With drag-and-drop simplicity, photos can be moved and resized within these flexible layouts. The new Map View allows consumers to drag photos to any location tied to an online satellite map to relive memories based on locations where photos were taken.

An interactive Adobe Flash based photo gallery service, called Adobe Photoshop Showcase, allows photos to be shared for free, or upgraded to an extended sharing service via a Web site. These online galleries can take the form of a virtual scrapbook with flipping pages, a winter scene with falling snow or a spinning photo carousel.

Innovative editing functions give consumers new ways to tackle common photo edits. The new black-and-white conversion tool adds a dramatic and elegant look to photos, instantly converting color originals to a variety of rich black-and-white photo styles with deep contrast. The new Adjust Color Curves controls allow consumers to achieve the perfect exposure for every image. Photoshop Elements also allows consumers to easily correct camera lens distortion.

Adobe’s digital imaging and digital video products will be available in October 2006 at www.adobe.com at an estimated street price of US $149.99.