Adobe today announced the availability of Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 Editor in the Mac App Store, providing Mac users with photo-editing tools. "The powerful capabilities in Photoshop Elements 9 Editor complement iPhoto perfectly, for users who want to take their photos to the next level with advanced compositing and stunning effects," said Winston Hendrickson, vice president of Digital Imaging Products, Adobe. "Photoshop helped pioneer creativity on the Mac, so it's appropriate that this special edition of Photoshop Elements is Adobe's entry into the Mac App Store."

Photoshop Elements 9 Editor includes editing features available in the full version of Adobe Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 Guided Edits offer step-by-step instructions for creating artistic effects such as Out of Bounds for making photos leap off the page, Pop Art for creating retro-style images, or Perfect Portraits for retouching. Users can instantly remove clutter from photos or repair imperfections with one stroke of the Spot Healing Brush, which uses content-aware technology adapted from Photoshop CS5.

For group shots, Photoshop Elements 9 Editor combines the best facial expressions from a number of different shots into a single photo. And, the new Adobe Photomerge Style Match analyzes stylistic characteristics of any photo, such as contrast or color tone, and automatically applies them to another photo. One-step shortcuts provide quick fixes such as whitening teeth or creating vibrant blue skies, and automated layout options quickly showcase selected photos. Users can also create and print customized calendars, cards and photo books right at home.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 Editor can be downloaded immediately for US$79 from the Mac App Store.