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I have downloaded my photos and organized them into folders and libraries with Photos. Now, I have purchased Photoshop elements & it wants to import my photos. What will this do to my photos library? I do not want to lose the organization I set up. I cannot find info on this anywhere.
Mac mini (M2, 2023)
I use Photoshop Elements 2020 with my Photos library as an external editor. I don't use the Adobe Organizer as it conflicts with the Photos library.
You can Control (right) - click on a thumbnail in the Photos library and select the Edit With ➙ PhotoShop Elements from the contextual menu.
That will open the file in Photoshop and let you edit it. However, when you save it you should save it to the same format/extension as the original. If you've added layers with PSE you will need to flatten it and save as the original format. If you do't it will be saved somewhere inside the library package but Photos won't know where it is nor if you edited that photo.
I use Photoshop Elements 2020 with my Photos library as an external editor. I don't use the Adobe Organizer as it conflicts with the Photos library.
You can Control (right) - click on a thumbnail in the Photos library and select the Edit With ➙ PhotoShop Elements from the contextual menu.
That will open the file in Photoshop and let you edit it. However, when you save it you should save it to the same format/extension as the original. If you've added layers with PSE you will need to flatten it and save as the original format. If you do't it will be saved somewhere inside the library package but Photos won't know where it is nor if you edited that photo.
I actually like the idea of PS Elements as a photo manager.
The forget about Photos. Recreate what you have in Elements and move on. Using two managers makes no sense. It doubles the work and the disk space. Think of it this ay: what's the point in having two address books? Every new contact has to be entered twice. Every edit has to be done twice. Every deletion has to be done twice. To what advantage? As Keith says: Pick one horse and ride it.
The "Edit With command" that Yer_Man refers to is in Photo's Edit Window. It's hidden under 3 dots:
I use GraphicConverter for some edits, and I get to it from the 3 dots. It takes me to the external editor where I do what I can with the picture, then Save. And when I go back to Photos, the changed version is there. I can discard the changes or save them. The original unchanged version is never altered-- I can go back to that later if I want.
Thanks for your reply. Not what I wanted to hear but helpful in settling the question. I will only use PS Elements as an editor, not as a file manager. Too much work to convert.
Thanks. However, I actually like the idea of PS Elements as a photo manager. It does a lot more things than Photos. However, I do not want to destroy what I set up in Photos, as that basic structure of folders and libraries works for me. Does Elements set up its own library in parallel with Photos or does it "destroy" it and substitute its own? I like using Photos in addition to Elements, if that is workable.
Do you know of a source of info for this sort of thing? My questions seem sort of basic for anyone making a transition.
It will create its own library, but leave Photo's intact, but YMMV! However, in the future you will have to import into PSE *and* Photos. There is no way to import to both at the same time. Also, PSE will *not* use the image in Photos, it will copy to Bridge, so you will have *two* copies of every Photo.
It is best to pick a horse and ride it.
Don't let it import your photographs. It's trying to manage them as well, but you don't want that. Presumably you want to use it to edit them, and you do this using the Edit With command.
Photoshop Elements and Apple Photos
