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View Full Version : No Photo Bin--How to Organize Photos



Linda Sattgast
09-16-2006, 10:28 AM
The two main comments I get when someone upgrades from PSE to Photoshop CS are:
"There's no Organizer!" and "I really miss the Photo Bin!" The first question was answered well in another thread, so I'll address the second one. Here are some suggestions for keeping your desktop orderly and functional:

Create your own "Photo Bin"

Press Ctrl + minus (Mac: Cmd + Minus) several times to make your photo smaller. Then click on the bar at the top of your photo and move it to a specified area on your desk top. I use the lower right hand corner under the palettes, but you could also line them up across the bottom, just like a photo bin. When I'm ready for a photo, I simply click on it and press Ctrl + zero (Mac: Cmd + zero) to make it jump to full desk size.

On a Mac, use the Dock

If you click on the yellow button next to the red close button, your file will scoot away to the Dock as a thumbnail where you can easily recognize it and access it. Just click on it to return it to its former size on your desktop. In Windows you can minimize, but you can't see what the photo looks like, so I don't usually use this option.

Use the Screen Modes

If you maximize your photo, you obviously get rid of the "clutter," but in the Maximized Mode you can't move your photo around (other than resize it), and besides, Macs don't have a Maximized Mode in CS.

I prefer to use the Screen Modes. It's the set of three icons second to last in the Tool Bar. Even better, use the shortcut for the screen modes, rather than having to click on them. Press F for a gray background and F again for a black background. If you press F again, you'll be back to the regular mode.

While in the gray or black mode, press the Spacebar to access the Hand tool and click and drag your photo anywhere you want. Also, you can press Tab to get rid of the palettes and Tool Bar. In the black mode this gets rid of EVERYTHING but your photo, which makes for a great presentation of a single photo or scrapbook page!

Other Tips

Use Ctrl + Tab (in both Windows and Mac) to toggle through your open photos.
Click on the Window Menu to see a list of your open photos (they'll be listed at the bottom). The currently selected photo will have a check mark next to it. Click on the name of a different photo to make it the active one.

Hope that helps!

*Jill*D*
09-16-2006, 02:07 PM
Thank you! I like your idea of making the photos tiny and putting them along the bottom, just like a bin - this was my biggest problem (well, maybe not "problem" but couldn't think of a better word!) when switching from PSE-3 to PSCS2 - NO PHOTO BIN!! I have to be able to see all of the photos I'm going to use (or choose from) for a LO - this was driving me nuts, constantly opening/minimizing pics - I'll definitely try just making them tiny instead of minimizing... So simple... why didn't *I* think of that!! LOL!

digigal
09-16-2006, 06:26 PM
Thanks, Linda, what great information! I have PSCS loaded, but haven't made the "jump" yet. :)

jodee
09-18-2006, 01:13 AM
Oh Linda, Thank you for that, I hated loosing the photo bin.

hugs Jo

Victoria32
09-18-2006, 06:53 PM
I had the same problem...and din't feel comfortable, so have continued to use PSE4.

Team S
09-19-2006, 10:48 AM
That is so helpful! Thank you for the information!

teresa62
10-08-2006, 11:29 AM
I just invested in a second monitor for my computer. You can get monitors relatively cheap (I bought a basic 19" flat panel for $180) and it makes things so much easier. If you have a computer on the newer side, your graphics card will probably support 2 monitors. That way, instead of having a "photo bin" taking up room in my photoshop window, I just put the pictures I've loaded, on the 2nd monitor (they can be dragged outside of the photoshop window). This definitely falls under the "sure wish I'd thought of this before" category. I'm not sure I can ever go back to working on a single monitor.

digigal
10-24-2006, 12:52 PM
"There's no organizer" Can someone pls. point me to the link to this answer?
Thanks!

Priss
10-24-2006, 06:20 PM
Sometimes to conserve workspace area on my PC, I use the minus (minimize) button on the IMAGE'S TITLE BAR, to collapse the photo and send just the title bar(with it's collapsed photo) to the bottom of my window.

They'll stack up there quite nicely, (and you can have dozens open to work with at once) but you have to have given your photo a meaningful name! Doing this is al ittle bit different on a Mac. Linda's idea to replace the photo bin with little ctrl/cmd+minus-minis is a really great substitute for the photo bin as you transition to CS. ...then try the minus sign and see how you like that

gjlovett
10-31-2006, 02:05 PM
I just invested in a second monitor for my computer. You can get monitors relatively cheap (I bought a basic 19" flat panel for $180) and it makes things so much easier. If you have a computer on the newer side, your graphics card will probably support 2 monitors. That way, instead of having a "photo bin" taking up room in my photoshop window, I just put the pictures I've loaded, on the 2nd monitor (they can be dragged outside of the photoshop window). This definitely falls under the "sure wish I'd thought of this before" category. I'm not sure I can ever go back to working on a single monitor.

I can not get the pics on my second monitor - out of the photoshop window. Do you have any idea how you did it? I've been frustrated with this for a couple of years now!

Gloria

teresa62
11-02-2006, 04:36 PM
I didn't do anything special to be able to drag picture windows outside. I'm running in Standard Screen Mode.

Could it be the version of Photoshop? I'm running CS2.

Can you run with Adobe Bridge on the 2nd monitor and drag them into Photoshop? I run that way a lot as well.

What about other applications? Do you have any problem running them on the 2nd monitor?