Powerful photo-editing software normally comes with strings attached, in the way of high prices and steep learning curves. Unlike the full-blown edition of Photoshop, which costs nearly £600, Elements is the most mass-market editor on the market.

Not only is it available in both PC and Mac guises, but it also tailors itself to as wide a range of skill levels as possible. Indeed Elements 5 is almost like two programs in one, with completely different operating modes that include Quick Fix and Full Edit.

Let's kick off with Quick Fix mode: an incredibly simple interface that still gives full access to all the image-enhancement features that many of us are ever likely to need. These are neatly arranged down the right-hand side of the screen in a tool palette that includes General Fixes, Lighting, Colour and Sharpen.

Each section contains straightforward slider controls so, in Lighting, for example, you can make quick and easy adjustments to lighten shadows, darken highlights and alter midtone contrast. Likewise, the Colour section contains its own set of sliders for saturation, hue, tint and colour temperature.

Things can get simpler still if you take advantage of the Auto buttons which accompany each of the major adjustments and let Elements do the work for you. This is worth a try, as the program gets things pretty much spot most of the time.

Expert mode

For those who like to be in control, and don't mind putting in the extra effort, a single click on the main toolbar's Full Edit icon changes the whole interface into a kind of 'expert' mode. Here, you get a full range of photo editing features that include such favourites as cut-out tools, blemish removal facilities, dodging, burning and more besides.

Meanwhile, an Enhance pull-down menu gives fast access to a range of automatic enhancements and there's a much wider selection of manual image adjustment possibilities in the Filter menu.

Like Paint Shop Pro (reviewed on the next page), Photoshop Elements has plenty of layer options and, while they're not as far-reaching as the ones in the full-fat Photoshop, the inclusion of 'adjustment layers' is a welcome addition to this version. And if the use of layers is still a bit of a black art to you, rest assured that the layers system in Photoshop Elements is wonderfully intuitive, logical and easy to get to grips with.