What is the difference between AdjustShop and ElementsXXL? What more does AdjustShop have to offer?

The main product idea of AdjustShop is to provide new filters, fill and adjustment layers for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, which are not available in ElementsXXL. The second idea behind AdjustShop is to make features of ElementsXXL available in Photoshop, because ElementsXXL only works in Photoshop Elements. That is why AdjustShop includes some features of ElementsXXL, which do not exist in Photoshop.

However, some of these ElementsXXL features have been enhanced in AdjustShop. For example the Curves adjustment layer of ElementsXXL is only able to edit 4 channels whereas the Curves adjustment layer of AdjustShop lets you edit 17 channels. When using ElementsXXL and AdjustShop together in Photoshop Elements, some features of ElementsXXL are therefor replaced with more advanced versions of the same features from AdjustShop. Even if you already own ElementsXXL, there are plenty of new features in AdjustShop that you will find valuable.

 

Can I use AdjustShop together with an older versions of ElementsXXL in Photoshop Elements?

For full compatibility we recommend to use AdjustShop together with ElementsXXL 6.04 or higher. If you use ElementsXXL 6.03 or older, the following restrictions occur:

• AdjustShop hides some menu items, which are similar to ElementsXXL in order to avoid duplicate entries. So you will be using these features from ElementsXXL instead of AdjustShop. But this is no big deal, because the functionality remains the same.
• The AdjustShop fill and adjustment layers are not added to the icon menu on the Layers panel to avoid a crash. You have to run them from the Layer > New Fill/Adjustment Layer sub menu.
• Editing fill and adjustment layers only work correctly via the "Layer > New Fill/Adjustment Layer > Edit Adjustment" menu item. Double clicking the thumbnail in the Layers panel does not work. Using the "Edit Adjustment" menu item from the Layers context menu works fine for fill layers, but less good for adjustment layers.
  

If you are a user of ElementsXXL 6.03 or lower, we highly recommend to update or upgrade to ElmentsXXL 6.04 or higher. As a user of ElementsXXL 1 to 5 you have to uninstall ElementsXXL if you do not like the above restrictions.

 

Some effects of AdjustShop seem to be already availabe in the PhotoWiz plugins. Do I need AdjustShop?

AdjustShop includes some effects from the PhotoWiz plugins, but these effects were either enhanced, produce different results, have a different UI or offer more presets. AdjustShop lets you apply them as fill or adjustment layers, which is not possible with the PhotoWiz plugins. Additionally AdjustShop offers many other effects and features that are not available in the PhotoWiz Collection.

 

Are there any differences when using AdjustShop in different versions of Photoshop (Elements)? Which version of Photoshop (Elements) should I use?

AdjustShop supports Photoshop CS2 to CS5.5 and Photoshop Elements 11/12, but we recommend using it with Photoshop CS6/CC or Photoshop Elements 13 and higher. In Photoshop CS2 to CS5.5 and Photoshop Elements 11/12 the adjustment layers of AdjustShop are not available, because they require a functionality that is not available in these older versions of Photoshop (Elements). However, the filter versions of these adjustment layers and all fill layers work in these older versions.

 

I own both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Which is preferable for running AdjustShop?

We recommend using AdjustShop in Photoshop CS6/CC as well as Photoshop Elements 13 and higher. If you have to choose between both, it is usually better to work with AdjustShop in Photoshop. Some features of AdjustShop runs faster in Photoshop, because AdjustShop relies on functionality, which clearly execute faster in Photoshop than in Photoshop Elements. Additionally several features of AdjustShop can be applied to images with 16-bit/channel in Photoshop, but only to 8-bit/channel images in Photoshop Elements, because Photoshop Elements only supports layers for 8-bit per channel.

 

How do I know which features are added by AdjustShop and which are part of Photoshop or Photoshop Elements?

AdjustShop adds a red background to its menu items. This colorization can be removed by going to File > Automation Tools > AdjustShop and deactivating the "Colorize Icons & Menu Items" check box.

AdjustShop also provides some new key shortcuts. You can see a list of its key shortcuts under File > Automation Tools > AdjustShop > Key Shortcuts. Additionally you can check out the manual on the menu under Help > AdjustShop Help. All features of AdjustShop are explained there in detail.

 

Where do I find the features of AdjustShop?

Here is a list of the new features in AdjustShop and where they are located in Photoshop as well as Photoshop Elements:

File > Export > Lookup Table
Edit > Copy / Paste (for multiple layers)
Edit > Preferences > AdjustShop
Image > Split Layer / Add Color Lookup Pattern / Replace Background
Layer > New Fill Layer > HDR Toning / Fill Flash / Lighting Effects / Glow / Highpass Sharpen / 2D Gradient / Vignette / Frame / Texture / Film Grain
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels / Curves / Basic Adjust / Tonal Adjust / Photo Gradient / Replace Color / Color Correction / Color Adjust / Color Lookup / Creative Color / Retro B&W
Filter > AdjustShop > Lighting Effects / Glow / Photo Gradient / 2D Gradient / Vignette / Frame / Texture / Film Grain
Window > HistogramsXXL / Scopes

Here is the location of more AdjustShop features in Photoshop only:

Image > Auto Saturation
Image > Correct > Color Lookup / Color Correction / Color Adjust / Creative Color / Match Color / Levels / Curves / Basic Adjust / Tonal Adjust / HDR Toning / Fill Flash / Retro B&W
Filter > AdjustShop > Clarity / Highpass Sharpen / Micro Contrast / Anti-Alias
Select > Refine Edge (Photoshop CC only)

The same features are located a bit differently in Photoshop Elements:

Enhance > Auto Saturation / Retro B&W / Clarity / Highpass Sharpen / Micro Contrast
Enhance > Adjust Color > Color Lookup / Color Correction / Color Adjust / Creative Color / Match Color
Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels / Curves / Basic Adjust / Tonal Adjust / HDR Toning / Fill Flash
Filter > Adjustments > Anti-Alias

Which features does AdjustShop share with the ElementsXXL in Photoshop Elements?

AdjustShop and ElementsXXL have some features in common. This is because AdjustShop works in Photoshop whereas ElementsXXL does not. AdjustShop basically allows some features known from ElementsXXL to be also used in Photoshop. Here is a list of the features that various versions of ElementsXXL as well as AdjustShop have in common:

ElementsXXL 3:

Image > Split Layer (improved in AdjustShop)
Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Curves (More features in AdjustShop)
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves (More features in AdjustShop)

ElementsXXL 4:

File > Export > Save Lookup Table
Image > Split Layer (improved in AdjustShop)
Image > Add Color Lookup Pattern
Enhance > Adjust Color > Color Lookup
Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Curves (More features in AdjustShop)
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves (More features in AdjustShop)
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Lookup / Replace Color

ElementsXXL 5:

File > Export > Save Lookup Table
Image > Split Layer (improved in AdjustShop)
Image > Add Color Lookup Pattern
Enhance > Adjust Color > Color Lookup
Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Curves (More features in AdjustShop)
Enhance > Micro Contrast
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves (More features in AdjustShop)
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Lookup / Replace Color

ElementsXXL 6:

File > Export > Save Lookup Table
Image > Split Layer / Add Color Lookup Pattern / Replace Background
Enhance > Auto Saturation / Clarity / Micro Contrast / Highpass Sharpen
Enhance > Adjust Color > Color Lookup / Match Color
Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Curves / HDR Toning / Fill Flash
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves (More features in AdjustShop)
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Lookup / Replace Color
Filter > Lighting Effects
Filter > Adjustment > Antialias
Window > HistogramsXXL / Scopes

What happens when a PSD file with adjustment and fill layers from AdjustShop is used in Photoshop (Elements) on another computer that does not have AdjustShop installed?

The adjustment and fill layers work even if AdjustShop is not installed. But you cannot edit the settings of these layers if AdjustShop is not available. So you can send PSD files containing AdjustShop fill and adjustment layers to other people, but these other people will not be able to edit them if they do not have AdjustShop.

 

I have a non-English version of Photoshop (Elements). Can I use AdjustShop with it?

Yes, definitely. 99% of the features of AdjustShop are automatically translated to the language of Photoshop (Elements). For example, if you use a Spanish version of Photoshop (Elements), almost all menu items and dialogs of AdjustShop are in Spanish. Only a few messages or items are only available in English and German.