PSE Power Tip: Bypass PSE 2020 Home Screen

By default Photoshop Elements 2020 opens in its Home Screen, which allows quick access to several powerful features or to open the Editor or Organizer. Unlike earlier versions of PSE, Adobe has not provided a way to bypass that screen and go directly into the Photo Editor or the Organizer. Fortunately, it’s easy to set up shortcuts (Windows or Mac) to add those programs to your Windows Desktop or Mac Dock for easy access.

Windows

• Open Windows Explorer and navigate to Program Files>Adobe>Photoshop Elements 2020 (your version of Windows may differ from what’s shown on the image below).
• Scroll down (probably a long way) until you see PhotoshopElementsOrganizer.exe as shown on the image.
• Right click on it, and from the pop up menu, choose Create Shortcut.

• Drag the duplicate you just made onto your Windows Desktop.
• You can rename the shortcut by clicking on it once and then once again, which will highlight the text so you can change it. Be careful not to double click because that will launch the program.

• Now locate the PhotoshopElementsEditor.exe file and repeat the steps to create a shortcut and place it on your Desktop.

Once you have both shortcuts on your desktop, you can simply double click on the application  you wish to launch.

When PSE is open, you can view the Home Screen at any time from the Help menu.

Mac

It’s easy to keep the PSE Editor and Organizer applications quickly accessible.

• Launch PSE and from the Home Screen, open the Photo Editor
• Hover your mouse over the Photo Editor icon on your Mac’s Dock – it will have a black dot under it.
• Hold  down the Ctrl key and click on it (0r right click on it, if your mouse supports it) and from the menu choose Options>Keep in Dock.

• Repeat with the Organizer, if you wish.

When PSE is open, you can view the Home Screen at any time from the Help menu.