Updated for Photoshop Elements 2023

Melissa

On the Digi Show Episode 111: It's Fabulous, there was some discussion over dragging and dropping files as smart objects in Photoshop.

In the comments, Jennifer Kellogg asks

I’m a new digi scrapper. I like to kit scrap. I’ve got PSE12.

What is the best way to use a kit? Open everything in the project bin? Or File > place each object from the folder?

The first page I did was a little frustrating (I was using File > Place) and it was tedious to go back to the folder each time I wanted to try a different paper, element, etc.

Suggestions?

Since version 7 of Photoshop Elements and the unpopular introduction of poorly implemented smart objects, Adobe has chopped and changed how you should go about dragging and dropping files into Photoshop Documents within Photoshop Elements.

Personally, a lot of the time I do use File - Place, as it's the easiest way to use smart objects in Photoshop Elements.

Using the place option adds your paper or embellishment as a smart object. This will not pixelate your image when you resize it. Pixelation is the blurry or jaggy look bitmaps get when resized. Usually, if you resize an item in Photoshop Elements, it will 'throw away' the excess pixels, and then when you resize it back up to its original size, you will not regain the details. Smart objects keep all the pixels, just in case you change your mind.

For most scrapbookers using Photoshop Elements 12, I would suggest the following method:

To add a paper or element to your layout, drag the file down from the main editing window onto your layout or template. That way your supplies will come in at full size. If you drag the file up from the Photo Bin in recent versions of Photoshop Elements it will be automatically resized, which is not what you want to happen.

Below, I've summarized the details of all the methods of dragging and dropping in Photoshop Elements.

What Happens when I:

Drag from Photo/Project Bin?

Photoshop Elements 6

• new layer named same a file name (handy for credits!)
• not smart object
• resized to fit canvas – so sized down to 8.5×11

PSE7

• new layer named same a file name
• smart object
• not resized to fit the canvas, there was a bug when you go back and transform the smart object it would loose its transparent background

PSE8-11

• new layer named same a file name
• not smart object
• resized to fit the canvas – so sized down to 8.5×11

PSE12

• new layer named same a file name
• not smart object
• resized to fill the canvas – sized up or down as required (very annoying in my book!)

PSE13

• new layer named same a file name
• smart object
• resized to fill the canvas if too large
• left at original size if smaller than canvas

PSE14+

• new layer named same a file name
• smart object
• resized to fill the canvas if too large
• left at original size if smaller than canvas

Drag from main editing window to Project/Photo bin in PSE

PSE6-13

• new layer named same as layer name (eg Layer 0 for png files)
• not smart object
• not resized at all

PSE14

• new layer named as Layer name
• no smart object (unless you drag something that is already a smart object)
• not resized to fit canvas

PSE15-PSE2018

• new layer named as Layer name
• smart object
• not resized to fit canvas

PSE2019+

• new layer named as Layer name
• no smart object
• not resized to fit canvas

Drag from floating window

From what I can tell this has always worked the same was from PSE6 onwards.
If you drag from one window to another, it will drag the layer over (not as a smart object), and will not resize it at all.

This works by default in PSE6-10, you simply select Window - Float All. In Photoshop Elements 11-13 you need to go to Edit, Preferences, General, Allow floating windows in Expert Mode to have this option.

 PSE6-11

• new layer named same as file name
• smart object
• resized to fit the canvas – so sized down

 PSE12-13

• new layer named as Layer X (depending on what layer number your file is up to)
• no smart object
• not resized to fit canvas

PSE14+

• new layer named as existing Layer or file name
• no smart object
• not resized to fit canvas

Dragging up from an Album in the Photo Bin

PSE13-14

• new layer named same a file name
• not smart object
• resized to fill the canvas – sized up or down as required (very annoying in my book!)

PSE15+

• new layer named same a file name
• smart object
• not resized to fill the canvas

A note about Photoshop Elements 13+

When you drop a layer from the  Photo bin, it will put it above the layer you release it over in the layers panel. It still puts the object directly in the middle of the destination file, regardless of where you click and drag it to from the Photo Bin. So it’s possible to drag a smaller file over an area that then puts it below a larger file in the center of your document. To send a layer to the front - just press Ctrl+Shift+] and it will go to the top of the layer stack.

Do you have dragging frustrations with Photoshop Elements?

Comment with your version number and problem and I'll see if I can give you a hand!