Adobe 29180155 User Guide - Page 233

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0 228 User Guide Finger Painting Smears the foreground color at the beginning of each stroke. If this option is deselected, the smudge tool uses the color under the pointer at the beginning of each stroke. See also "Understanding layers" on page 81 "About brush options" on page 231 To use the Eraser tool The Eraser tool changes pixels in the image as you drag through them. If you're working on the Background layer or on a layer with locked transparency, erased pixels change to the background color; otherwise, erased pixels become transparent. Transparent pixels are indicated by the transparency grid. 1 Select the Eraser tool from the toolbox. (If you don't see it in the toolbox, select either the Background Eraser tool or the Magic Eraser tool , and then click the Eraser tool icon in the options bar.) 2 Set options in the options bar as desired, and then drag through the area you want to erase. You can specify any of the following Eraser tool options: Brushes pop-up menu Sets the brush tip. Click the arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brushes pop-up menu, and then select a brush thumbnail. Size Sets the size of the brush in pixels. Drag the Size pop-up slider or enter a size in the text box. Mode Brush erases using characteristics of the brush tool-so you can make soft-edged erasures. Pencil makes hardedge erasures like the pencil. Block uses a hard-edged 16-pixel square as an eraser. Opacity Defines the strength of the erasure. An opacity of 100% erases pixels to complete transparency on a layer and to the background color on the Background layer. A lower opacity erases pixels to partial transparency on a layer and paints partially with the background color on the Background layer. (This option isn't available for block mode.) See also "About blending modes" on page 217 "About brush options" on page 231 To use the Magic Eraser tool The Magic Eraser tool changes all similar pixels when you drag in a photo. If you're working in a layer with locked transparency, the pixels change to the background color; otherwise, the pixels are erased to transparency. You can choose to erase contiguous pixels only or all similar pixels on the current layer.