Adobe photoshop elements User Manual

Page of 296
CHAPTER 7
162
Painting and Drawing
To define a pattern for use with the pattern tool:
1
Use the rectangle marquee tool (
) on any 
open image to select an area to use as a pattern. 
Feather must be set to 0 px.
2
Choose Edit > Define Pattern and enter a name 
for the pattern.
3
Deselect the rectangle.
Note: If you are using a pattern from one image and 
applying it to another, Photoshop Elements converts 
the color mode.
To use a preset pattern from the PostScript Patterns 
folder:
1
Choose File > Open. Each preset file in the 
PostScript Patterns folder (which comes with 
Photoshop Elements) contains a single pattern in 
the Adobe Illustrator format. You can scale and 
render these patterns at any resolution.
2
Select the pattern file you want to use, and 
click Open. 
3
Select any rasterizing options. (See “Opening 
4
Click OK.
5
Make a rectangular selection around the 
pattern, or choose Select > All.
6
Choose Edit > Define Pattern. The pattern is 
defined as an Adobe Photoshop Elements pattern.
7
Enter a name for the pattern in the Pattern 
Name dialog box.
8
Click OK.
Managing patterns
The pop-up palette in the options bar for the 
pattern stamp tool and the paint bucket tool, and 
the pop-up palette in the Layer Style dialog box 
can hold many patterns. You can also change how 
those patterns are viewed. (See “Using pop-up 
palettes” on page 35.) I
n addition, you can load or 
save patterns using the Preset Manager. 
(See “Working with presets” on page 35.)
Exiting Photoshop Elements saves the contents of 
the current pop-up palette in the Preferences file.