Transforming and Retouching > Creating panoramic images using Photomerge > Editing a Photomerge composition
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Editing a Photomerge composition


When assembling a panoramic composition, your goal is to align the separate pieces and blend them into a seamless image. Because of differences in perspective, the pieces may not line up exactly. Photoshop Elements lets you adjust the perspective and blend exposure differences to produce the best possible effect.

To assemble a composition in the work area:

1 Select the select image tool ().

2 Do one or more of the following:
  • Drag an image in the work area to reposition it. Hold down Shift to constrain the movement to a horizontal path, a vertical path, or a 45° angle.
  • Drag an image from the lightbox to the work area to add it to the composition.
  • Drag an image from the work area to the lightbox to remove it from the composition.
  • Double-click an image in the lightbox to place the first image in the work area. For moving subsequent images, use any of the three previous methods.

    • 3 If desired, modify the Tool Settings options to determine how images appear as you drag them in the work area:
  • Dragging to control the interaction between overlapping images. Choose Ghost to make an image partially transparent while you are dragging it. Ghosting allows you to visually align common elements in overlapping areas.
  • Snap to Image to turn snapping on or off. Select Snap to Image to automatically snap overlapping images into place when a commonality is detected.

    • Sometimes it's difficult to select an image that is partially obscured by another overlapping image. Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you move the mouse in the work area. The image, whose center is nearest to the pointer, is highlighted. You can then click to select the image.

    To adjust the perspective of a composition:

    1 Select the Use Perspective option.

    2 Select the vanishing point tool (), and click on an image in the work area to make it the vanishing point image.

    The vanishing point image is used to correct the perspective for the entire composition and has a light blue border when it is selected (as opposed to a red border). By default, the first image you drag into the work area is the vanishing point image. In an automatically assembled composition, the middle image is the default vanishing point image. There can only be one vanishing point image per composition.

    3 If necessary, adjust the position of the non-vanishing point images. A non-vanishing point image has a red border when it is selected (as opposed to a blue border).

    When you apply perspective correction to a composition, the non-vanishing point images are linked to the vanishing point image. You can break this link by separating the images in the work area or by dragging the vanishing point image back to the lightbox. Once the link is broken, images return to their original shapes.

    The perspective correction only works up to approximately a 120° angle of view. For a wider angle of view, the Use Perspective option should be deselected.

    To change the perspective of a composition, select the vanishing point tool, and click on a non-vanishing point image in the work area. Notice how the perspective of the composition changes depending on which image is the vanishing point image.

    To rotate an image in the work area:

    1 Select the select image tool (), and click on the image you want to rotate.

    2 Select the rotate tool ().

    3 Click near the edge of the image and drag in a circular motion around the center of the image. Hold down Shift to constrain the rotation to 45° increments.

    To clear a composition:

    Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and click New. All images in the work area are returned to the lightbox.

    Transforming and Retouching > Creating panoramic images using Photomerge > Editing a Photomerge composition