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We'll start by creating a blank file, and then I'll give a quick overview of the Elements workspace.
Create a new file for your layout
- Open Photoshop Elements (PSE) by clicking on Start: Programs: Photoshop Elements in Windows.
- You'll see a welcome screen which will show various sub-programs within Elements. Click on Edit to open the editor, which is what we will be working with today.
- To create your blank file, click on File: New: Blank File in the menu bar.
Shortcut: Type CTRL + n on your keyboard (Mac: Command + n) - You will now see the New file dialog box. Fill in the boxes as follows:
Width = 12 inches
Height = 12 inches
Resolution = 300 pixels/inch
Color Mode = RGB Color
Background Contents = Transparent.
Rule of Thumb: Printed images and computer monitors display images using tiny dots (or pixels) of color. Resolution refers to the number of dots of color per square inch - either 'dpi' or 'ppi'. Most printers use a resolution of 300, and so do all digital scrapbooking elements you buy, so that's why we use 300ppi for digial scrapbook layouts.
- Click OK to create your blank file.
- Now, save your file by clicking File: Save.
Shortcut: Type CTRL + s (Mac: Command + s)
Rule of Thumb: Save often. Even though PSE allows you to Undo your last 20 actions, there will be times when you have made more than 20 changes, but then you don't like it, and it's hard to recreate what you did like.
You should now see a lovely square filled with a gray and white checkerboard. You love it already, I bet. 
The gray and white squares are simply the way that "transparency" is displayed in PSE - if you print your file now, it will be a blank sheet of paper. While the screen is relatively empty, I will go over the main areas of your workspace. The diagram below shows each major area and the terms I will be using from here out.
Photoshop Elements Workspace
A. Menu bar: Contains menus for performing tasks. This part works pretty much like Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.
B. Toolbox: This area contains the main tools you'll be using for image editing. All of the tools have one-letter shortcuts - for example, you can type "v" to access the move tool. If you forget a shortcut, just hover your mouse over the tool - the tool name and the shortcut letter will appear as a tool tip.
C. Options bar: Every tool has options that go along with it. When you activate the tool by clicking on it or typing a shortcut, the options for that tool appear here.
D. Project Bin: This area displays a thumbnail of all the files you have open. You can turn it off when you're not working with it by clicking Hide Project Bin in the lower left of the Elements window.
E. Effects Palette: This area holds buttons for various layer styles and effects, such as shadowing and embossing. We'll use layer styles in lesson 4.
F. Layers Palette: This area holds all of the layers of the file you are currently working with. We'll learn go over layers in the next lesson.
