Photoshop Fundamentals Bk

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    Table of Contents

    CHAPTER ONE: GETTING STARTED ......................................................................... 3

    What is Photoshop CS5? ................................................................................... 3

    Photoshops Workspace ................................................................................ 4

    Working with Photos ....................................................................................... 8

    Opening a File ........................................................................................... 8

    Saving a File .............................................................................................. 8

    CHAPTER TWO: LAYERS ...................................................................................... 9

    The Layers Panel ........................................................................................... 9

    The Background Layer ................................................................................. 10

    Layer Order.............................................................................................. 10

    Renaming and Copying New Layers .................................................................. 10

    Transforming Layers ................................................................................... 11

    Blending Modes ............................................................................................ 11

    Normal modes ........................................................................................... 11

    Darkening modes ....................................................................................... 11

    Lightening modes ....................................................................................... 11

    Overlay modes .......................................................................................... 12

    Difference modes ...................................................................................... 12

    Hue modes ............................................................................................... 12

    Layer Styles ................................................................................................ 12

    Style Libraries........................................................................................... 12

    Applying Layer Styles .................................................................................. 12

    Hiding or Removing Styles ............................................................................ 13

    CHAPTER THREE: CORRECTIONS AND ENHANCEMENTS ................................................. 14

    Common Corrections ..................................................................................... 14

    ............................................................................................................ 14

    Straightening ............................................................................................ 14

    Resizing .................................................................................................. 14

    Enlarging the Canvas ................................................................................... 15

    Removing Flaws ........................................................................................... 15

    Spot Healing Brush ..................................................................................... 15

    Healing brush ........................................................................................... 16

    Content-aware Fill ..................................................................................... 16Patch ..................................................................................................... 16

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    Clone stamp ............................................................................................. 17

    The Clone Source Panel ............................................................................... 17

    Eliminating Red-eye.................................................................................... 17

    Adjusting Tone and Color ................................................................................ 17

    White Balance .......................................................................................... 18

    Brightness/Contrast .................................................................................... 18

    Color Balance ........................................................................................... 19

    Levels .................................................................................................... 19

    Curves .................................................................................................... 20

    Vibrance ................................................................................................. 20

    Sharpening Images and Reducing Noise ................................................................ 20

    Sharpening ............................................................................................... 20Noise ..................................................................................................... 21

    Where to Begin ............................................................................................ 21

    CHAPTER FOUR: EFFECTS AND FILTERS ................................................................... 22

    Filters ....................................................................................................... 22

    Opacity...................................................................................................... 22

    Puppet warp ............................................................................................... 23

    CONCLUSION .................................................................................................. 24

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    CHAPTER ONE: GETTING STARTED

    In technical terms, Photoshop CS5 is a graphics editing software program produced by Adobe

    Systems Incorporated that allows you to do almost anything with digital photos. It is

    considered the industry standard by most photographers and other graphics professionals, but

    Photoshops versatility has earned its place on the home computers of regular people like you

    and me. In fact, Photoshop has become so mainstream that even its name has become a

    commonly-used verb: in the same way Kleenex has come to be synonymous with tissue, to

    say you have photoshopped an image means you have somehow edited it, regardless of the

    program you used.

    While Photoshops capabilities are extensive, we regular people tend to find it useful for basic

    adjustments such as rotating, cropping, or resizing, as well as for more advanced

    manipulations, such as airbrushing, retouching, or combining elements of different images.

    For the average person, Photoshops potential is virtually unlimited: from eliminating wrinkles

    in from your Facebook profile picture to revolutionizing how you scrapbook, Photoshop will

    rock your world.

    Figure 1: An Example ofPhotoshops Versatility--Creating Scrapbook Pages

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    Photoshops Workspace

    Lets explore what you see when you open Photoshop. Photoshops workspace, which is

    crammed with all sorts of tools and options, can be a bit intimidating. We are going to break it

    down into its parts.

    The components within the workspace (see Figure 2) are located at the top of the screen and

    to the sides of the screen, while the image you are editing appears in the center screen. At

    the top of the screen, you will find the application bar (A),

    the menu bar (B), and the options bar (C). The tools panel

    (D) appears on the left, and the panel dock (E) on the

    right.

    You can have more than one document open at a time.

    The Arrange Document drop-down menu allows you to

    choose how the multiple documents appear. For example,

    you can choose the 2 Up option, which allows you to view

    two documents side-by-side within the workspace.

    It may seem overwhelming at first, but here is the cool

    thing: Photoshops user interface is very similar to the one

    in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe

    Flash. Once you get comfortable, youll know how to

    navigate within the other applications.

    Figure 2: Photoshop's Workspace

    Figure 3: The 2-Up Arrange Document Option

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    The Application Bar

    The first feature we are going to explore is the Application bar, which appears at the top of

    the workspace.

    The Application bar (see Figure 4) contains several important features: the Launch Bridge

    button (A), the Launch Mini Bridge button (B), and commonly used controls related to

    document and workspace manipulation. On the right side of the Application bar are the CS Livebutton (C) and common window clip controls. You can customize your workspace and which

    controls appear in the Application bar.

    The Menu and Option Bars

    Next to the Application bar, you will find the Menu bar (see Figure 5).

    This toolbar lists available menus, each of which contain a list of commands you can use to

    perform tasks such as opening, saving, printing, and editing photos. To display a menu, such asthe Analysis menu, click the Analysis menu name on the menu bar. If you point to a command

    on a menu that has an arrow on its right edge, as shown in Figure 5, a submenu, or secondary

    menu, displays another list of commands.

    Below the menu bar, you will find the options bar (Figure 6), also referred to as the Control

    panel. This bar contains buttons and boxes that allow you to perform tasks more quickly than

    when using the menu bar and related menus. Most buttons on the options bar display words or

    images to help you remember their functions. When you point to a button or box on the

    options bar, a tool tip is displayed below the mouse pointer.

    Figure 4: The Application Bar

    Figure 5: The Menu Bar (with Adjustments Submenu Expanded)

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    Figure 6: The Tools Panel

    The options bar changes to reflect the tool

    currently selected on the Tools panel. You can

    float, or move, the options bar in the workspace

    by dragging the gray gripper bar on the left side

    of the options bar. You can dock or reattach the

    options bar below the menu bar by resetting the

    workspace. To hide or show the options bar,

    click Options on the Window menu.

    The Tools Panel

    In the Tools panel (see Figure 7), Photoshop

    houses an incredible number of tools, several of

    which you may never use. Many tools are

    grouped together, indicated by a black triangle

    in the lower-right corner of the icon (see Figure

    6). When you see the triangle, you know more

    tools are hidden beneath it. You can access

    hidden tools by clicking and holding on a tool

    until its entire group is listed in a menu.

    The table on page 7 lists and describes

    Photoshops most commonly-used tools.

    Figure 7: Options Bar

    Figure 8: The Brushes Tool Group (Expanded)

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    Figur-e 9: Table of Commonly-Used Tools

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    Panels

    Much of the work you do in Photoshop involves

    interacting with panels. Panels are collections of

    settings related to specific tasks. Each panel, in addition

    to the settings within it, has its own menu, which isaccessible from the icon on the panel title bars right

    side and contains commands specific to that panel.

    Figure 8 shows the expanded menu of the Adjustments

    panel.

    OPENING A F ILE

    Obviously, in order to make use of Photoshops

    workspace and tools, you must have a file open. Files

    saved in Photoshops native file format will end with

    .PSD, which stands for Photoshop document. However,

    you can open just about any kind of graphic in

    Photoshop (TIFFs, JPEGs, PDFs, PNGs, etc.).

    To open a file:

    1. Click Open on the File menu (or CTRL + O) todisplay the Open dialog box (see Figure 9).-

    2. Click the arrow in the Look in drop-downmenu to display the locations on your

    computer.

    3. Choose the file you wish to open, and click theOpen button.

    4. Your photo will display in the Photoshopworkspace.

    SAVING A F ILE

    Here is a bit of advice I learned the hard way: when you open a file, immediately save it as a

    working copy in a separate PSD file. This way, you are working with a copy and can make anychanges you like without affecting the original. This trick allows you to use the original image

    for something else later, or if you end up disliking the changes you make, you can return to the

    original and start over.

    To save a working copy:

    1. Choose File > Save As.2. Select Photoshop (*. PSD, *.PDD) from the Format menu at the bottom of the Save As

    dialog box.

    3. Name the file something youll recognize. (Its easiest just to add something to theoriginal filename.

    4. Click Save.

    Figure 10: Adjustment Panel Menu (Expanded)

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    CHAPTER TWO: LAYERS

    Understanding layers is essential to working in Photoshop. (In fact, layers are such a

    fundamental part of Photoshop, I gave the topic its own section!) Layers let you work with one

    part of an image without affecting others. When you first open an image in Photoshop, it has

    just one layer, the background layer. As you work with the image, you or Photoshop may add

    more layers.

    Photoshop includes special kinds of layers, such as text layers, which are created every time

    you add text, and adjustment layers, which let you make changes to your image without

    altering the actual pixels.

    To open the Layers panel choose Window > Layers. This panel lists all the layers in an image,

    shows each layers name, and displays a thumbnail of its content. From within the Layers

    panel, you can reposition, show, hide, and make other changes to layers.

    H IDING/SHOWING LAYERS

    You can choose whether to hide or show a layer from within the Layers panel. To make the

    layer visible, click beside within its Show/Hide Visibility column to display the eye icon. If the

    Figure 11: The Layers Panel

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    eye icon does not appear, the layer is hidden. In Figure 12 (below), the Background layer is

    hidden while the layer named Color Fill1 is visible.

    THE BACKGROUND LAYER

    When you create a new image with a white or colored background, the bottom layer in the

    Layers panel is named Background. (When you create a new image with transparent content,

    the image doesnt have a background layer.)

    A padlock icon (see Figure 12) indicates the special locked status of background layers:

    They cannot be scaled, rotated, skewed, distorted, flipped, or warped. You cannot change the stacking order, the blending mode, or the opacity of a

    background layer.

    What can you do if you want to alter the background layer? Convert it to a regular layer:

    1. Double-click the background layer in the Layers panel.2. Give it a new name in the New Layer dialog box 3. Click OK.

    LAYERORDER

    The order of layers makes a big difference in the appearance of your image, determining

    whether certain objects are on top of or obscured by others. Think of layers as sheets of clear

    plastic stacked on a table, each with a different portion of a drawing. If you rearrange thesheets, different portions of the image may appear or be hidden. To change the order of

    layers, simply drag a layer to another position in the Layers panel.

    RENAMING AND COPYING NEW LAYERS

    You can add content to images while concurrently creating a new layer:

    1. Drag an object or layer from one file into the image window of another file.2. You may drag from the image window of the original file or from its Layers panel.3. Either way, only the active layer will be copied into the destination file.

    Figure 12: Hiding/Showing Layers

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    TRANSFORMING LAYERS To transform a layer:

    1. Select the desired layer from the Layers panel.2. From the Edit menu, select Transform.3. The Transform submenu will appear.4. Select the transformation you want to apply.5. Layer handles will appear and the cursor will change to represent the transformation.6. Drag the layer handles to a new position. (You can also choose to enter values in the

    options bar.)

    7. Click Commit in the options bar.

    One of the most important features of Photoshop is blending modes. By applying different

    blending modes to a layer, you affect how one layer blends with the layers underneath,changing the way layers combine. The right blending mode can give pizazz to a boring picture

    or calm the effects of really wild filter. Blending modes can dramatically change your image.

    You can access blending mode options in a number of places within Photoshop:

    Blending modes can be set within the Layers panel (SeeFigure 13).

    To change the blending mode for a tool, choose anoption from the Mode menu in the options bar.

    Set a blending mode for layer effects in the LayerStyles dialog box.

    Photoshop offers six types of blending modes: normal,

    darkening, lightening, overlay, difference, and hue modes.

    NORMAL MODES

    This category of modes includes Normal and Dissolve. Normal

    hides pixels unless the top layer includes transparency. By

    randomly replacing pixels with the color of either layer,

    Dissolve results in the top layer appearing to dissolve into the

    one beneath it.

    DARKENING MODES The Darkening modes, as their name implies, always produce a

    darker image. This modes include Darken, Multiply, Color Burn,

    Linear Burn, and Darker Color.

    L IGHTENING MODES Conversely, the Lightening modes (Lighten, Screen, Color

    Dodge, Linear Dodge, and Lighter Color) always result in a

    lighter image by lightening different parts of the image.

    Figure 13: Setting Blending Modes

    from within the Layers Panel

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    OVERLAY MODES Overlay, Soft Light, Hard Light, Vivid Light, Linear Light, Pin Light, and Hard Mix produce

    varied results by increasing contrast.

    D IFFERENCE MODES The Difference modes (Difference, Exclusion, Subtract, and Divide) compares each layers

    colors.

    HUE MODES

    Hue, Saturation, Color, and Luminosity affect the actual color values of the image.

    Another way to enhance layers is by adding a layer style. Simple to apply, layer styles linkdirectly to the layer you choose. Like layers themselves, layer styles:

    Can be hidden (by clicking the eyeicon)

    Are non-destructive (can bechanged or removed)

    STYLE L IBRARIES

    Photoshop comes with a number of preset

    styles. The presets are grouped by functionin various libraries. These libraries

    include sets of styles designated for texts,

    photographs, buttons, and texturesto

    name a few. Figure 14 (right) shows the

    layer styles available in the Photographic

    Effects library.

    To browse available style libraries:

    Choose Window > Styles to open thepanel.

    Choose the library you want fromthe Styles panel menu.

    APPLYING LAYERSTYLES

    Applying a style to a layer is simple:

    1. Select a layer by clicking on thelayer. (See Figure 15.)

    2. Choose the library you want fromthe Styles Panel menu.

    3. Select a style.4. The style will be applied only to your selected layer. (See Figure 15.)

    Figure 14: Photographic Effects Styles Library

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    H IDING ORREMOVING STYLES

    Like layers themselves, layer styles can be hidden. To hide a style:

    1. Select the layer you want to change.2. Below the name of the layer and its thumbnail, you will see a the "eye" icon next to

    the word "Effects.

    3. To hide the style, deselect the eye icon.4. If you change your mind, reselect the eye icon to make the style visible again.

    To permanently remove a style:

    1. Double-click on the style name to open the "Layer Style" box.2. Uncheck the style that you no longer want applied to the layer.3. After you have removed the style click on "OK."4. If you decide that you want to keep the style click on "Cancel"

    Figure 15: The Sepia Tone Layer Style Applied to Gram & Pop (Selected) Layer Only

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    CHAPTER THREE: CORRECTIONS AND ENHANCEMENTS

    Now, we are getting to the fun part: making corrections and enhancing images. Here is where

    you get to be the hero by learning how to eliminate blemishes and maybe even a fat roll or

    two.

    If you are like me, your photos do not always come

    out perfect. Sometimes I hold my camera crookedly

    or I dont notice the cigarette butt protruding from

    my kids sandcastle. Alas, Photoshop can save the

    day! This section covers some of the most common

    corrections you can

    use Photoshop to

    make.

    STRAIGHTENING

    To correct angles that arent quite right, employ

    Photoshops Ruler tool to straighten your image. Here is how

    it works:

    1. With your image open, select the Ruler tool. (SeeFigure 16)

    2. Determine what the proper perspective should be. Ifpossible, find a line within the photo that should be

    parallel to the top.

    3. Click the left edge of the line youve chosen, anddrag the Ruler tool to the other end. (See Figure 17)

    4. Click the Straighten button in the options bar tostraighten the image.

    RESIZING

    Another basic correction made easy in

    Photoshop is resizing an image. To see the

    current dimensions and resolution of an image,

    choose Image > Image Size. The Image Size

    dialog box displays the dimensions in both

    pixels and inches (or another measurement

    unit, if you prefer). To change the size of the

    image, adjust the information in the Document

    Size area of the dialog box.

    Figure 16: The Ruler Tool

    Figure 17: Straightening an Image

    Figure 18: Image Size

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    ENLARGING THE CANVAS

    Most of the time your photo fills the canvas. Occasionally, though, you may want to enlarge

    the canvas to add a border or to extend a background color. There are a couple of ways to do

    this: You can use the Crop tool or the aptly-named

    Canvas Size dialog box (see Figure 19).

    To extend the canvas using the Crop tool:

    1. Select the Crop tool in the Tools panel.2. Drag the Crop tool to include the entire

    image in the cropping area.

    3. Drag the crop boundary using its handlesto pull it beyond the image.

    4. Press Enter to apply the crop.Additional area in the background color appears

    where you extended the canvas. (If there is nobackground layer, the extension is transparent.)

    The biggest zits and nosiest passers-by are no

    match for Photoshop. Several tools in Photoshop

    actually heal an area of the image, based on

    the surrounding content. The Spot Healing Brush,

    Healing Brush, and Patch tools, all grouped

    together in the Tools panel (see Figure 20), eachfunction a bit differently. Choosing the right tool

    means assessing the blemish:

    Small spots may be improved with a quickclick of the Spot Healing Brush tool.

    Larger areas are better candidates for theHealing Brush, Patch, or Clone Stamp

    tools.

    Where the background is fairly consistent,content-aware fill is an impressive and

    efficient solution.

    SPOT HEALING BRUSH The Spot Healing Brush replaces the pixels you paint with pixels that are similar to the

    surrounding area. To use the Spot Healing Brush tool:

    1. Select the Spot Healing Brush tool in the Tools panel.2. Set up the brush size and attributes in the options bar.3. Select Proximity Match, Create Texture, or Content-Aware in the options bar. (Note:

    Proximity Match should be used when the surrounding area is consistent; Content-

    Aware is a better choice if youre repairing areas in a pattern.)4. Click on the blemish, or click and drag to repair a larger area.

    Figure 19: Canvas Size Dialog Box

    Figure 20: Flaw Tools

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    HEALING BRUSH

    The Healing Brush tool, represented by a bandage (see Figure 20), is similar to the Spot

    Healing Brush in that it replaces selected pixels with a recreation of the surrounding area.

    However, unlike the Spot Healing Brush tool, you identify the source area. You can even

    source a sample from one image to heal pixels in another. If you are working on a large area orif you need more precise control over the retouch, the Healing Brush tool is a great tool.

    To use the Healing Brush tool:

    1. Select the Healing Brush tool in the Tools panel.2. Select a brush size and attributes in the options bar.3. Select Sampled in the options bar.4. Select Aligned if you want to continue sampling from the place you left off each time

    you release the mouse and click again. Deselect Aligned if you want to start over from

    the sample point each time you release the mouse.

    5. Choose which layers to sample from, if your image has multiple layers.6. Set the sampling point: with the pointer over the area you want to sample, Alt- click (

    Windows) or Option- click ( Mac OS).

    7. Paint over the area you want to retouch.CONTENT-AWARE F ILL

    The Content- Aware setting, though not a separate tool, is a powerful way to remove entire

    objects or cover blemishes. Didnt notice the helicopter in the background of your great

    cityscape photo? Forgot about the time stamp setting on your camera? Content- aware fill can

    save the day! Content-Aware is perfect when the area surrounding the blemish varies;

    however, it does not work to well with exact patterns or stripes.

    To apply content- aware fill:

    1. Select the area you want to replace.2. Choose Edit > Fill.3. In the Fill dialog box, choose Content-Aware from the Use menu.4. Click OK.

    PATCH

    Using a selection, the Patch tool copies pixels from one area to another and then uses thosepixels to heal the area. You can either select the pixels you want to use or the pixels you want

    to replace: select Source in the options bar to select the pixels you want to replace; select

    Destination in the options bar to select the pixels you want to use.

    To use the Patch tool:

    5. Select the Patch tool.6. Select Source or Destination in the options bar.7. If you selected Source, drag the tool to select the pixels you want to replace; if you

    selected Destination, select the pixels you want to use in the repair.

    8. Drag the selection either onto the pixels you want to use for the repair (Source) or ontothe pixels you want to patch (Destination).

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    CLONE STAMP

    You can also clone (exactly copy the pixels to replace others) any part of an image. The clone

    stamp is not only a healing tool, but its a great way to duplicate areas of the image. For

    example, you can use it to create balance in an image of a yard by turning one tree into two.

    Like the Healing Brush tool, the Clone Stamp tool requires that you set a sampling point fromwhich to start copying the pixels:

    Select Aligned to continue painting from your original starting point Deselect it to start over with the sampling point every time you begin a new stroke.

    To use the Clone Stamp tool:

    9. Select the Clone Stamp tool in the Tools panel.10.Set the brush size and attributes, and select the blending mode and opacity levels in

    the options bar.

    11.Select or deselect Aligned, and choose which layers you want to sample from.12.Alt- click or Option- click the area you want to use as source pixels to create a

    sampling point.

    13.Paint over the area you want to replace with the cloned pixels.THE CLONE SOURCE PANEL

    The Clone Source panel gives you control when using the Clone Stamp or Healing Brush tools. It

    allows you to view an overlay of the sample source, so you can preview the pixels before

    applying them. The Preview option, which is selected by default, lets you see what you are

    doing without even opening the Clone Source panel.

    ELIMINATING RED-EYE

    Perhaps the most common photography flawy, red-eye occurs when your camera catches the

    reflection of a person or animals retina. The result: even the sweetest subject takes on a

    demonic look. The good news is Photoshop makes it super easy to fix red-eye (so no one has a

    chance to claim it as proof that Fluffy is anything more than a sweet kitty). In fact, Photoshop

    has a tool specifically designed just for this task.

    Heres how it works:

    14.Zoom into the eye area so you can see it clearly.15.Select the Red Eye tool, located beneath the Spot Healing Brush tool (see Figure 20).16.Adjust the settings in the options bar if you need to.17.Click the red area in the eye.

    Thats it! (You can adjust the Pupil Size and Darken Amount settings to see how the results

    differ, but for most images, the default settings do the trick.) Fluffys secret is safe!

    Photoshop includes a full range of tools to help you correct the lightness, darkness, and

    contrast (a.k.a.the tonality) of your images. Some tools are incredibly simple, while others are

    a bit more complex. They all work essentially the same way: they map the original pixel valuesto a new range of values.

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    WHITE BALANCE

    The white balance of an image is a result of the lighting conditions under which the photo was

    taken. White balance includes:

    Temperature (how warm or cool the image appears) Tint (any magenta or green color)

    If the lighting was less than optimal or there was a glare when you snapped your picture, you

    probably will want to adjust the white balance. Its easy to do with the White Balance tool, an

    eyedropper tool found in the Adjustment-Levels

    panel (see Figure 21).

    Heres how it works:

    1. If the Adjustments panel isnt open,choose Window > Adjustments.

    2. Click the Levels icon to create a newadjustment layer.

    3. You will see three droppers (seeFigure 21).

    4. Select the bottom dropper to set thewhite balance.

    5. Click on an area of your image thatshould be white.

    6. The white balance will be adjustedaccordingly.

    BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST

    There are several ways to adjust brightness

    and contrast (how light or dark an image is) in Photoshop. One of the easiest ways, however, is

    to use a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer.

    To add a Brightness/ Contrast adjustment

    layer:

    7. If the Adjustments panel isnt open,choose Window > Adjustments.

    8.

    Click the Brightness/ Contrast iconto create a new adjustment layer

    (see Figure 22).

    9. Move the Brightness slider to theright to lighten an image or to the

    left to darken it.

    10.Adjust the Contrast slider.

    Figure 21: White Balance Tool

    Figure 22: Brightness/Contrast

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    COLORBALANCE

    You can perform a generalized

    color correction using a Color

    Balance adjustment layer, or you

    can let Photoshop take a stab at itby using the Auto Color option in

    the Levels or Curves dialog box.

    Balancing color removes any color

    cast, such as a blue or red cast,

    that may appear in your image.

    To remove a color cast using the

    Auto Color option:

    1. Click the Levels or Curvesicon in the Adjustmentspanel.

    2. Click Auto.3. The Auto option neutralizes

    midtones and clips shadows and highlight pixels.

    LEVELS

    The Levels panel affects the levels of intensity of

    shadows, midtones, and highlights. Its not all that hard

    to make the adjustments. The histogram (see Figure 24)

    helps you see where the detail is in the image:

    The left side represents the shadows; The right side represents the highlights; and The center shows the midtones.

    The input and output sliders are related, but heres

    what you need to know to use this adjustment: The left

    input slider, at the bottom of the histogram, sets the

    images black point the point beyond which all data is

    seen as pure black. The right input slider sets the white

    point the point beyond which everything is treated aspure white. Generally, youll get better results if you

    move the left slider to the point where significant

    shadow data occurs, and the right slider to the point

    where significant highlight data begins. The middle

    slider adjusts the gamma, which changes the intensity

    of the middle range of gray tones without making large

    changes to highlights and shadows.

    Adjusting levels can be a quick way to intensify the

    color in your image and to be certain youre seeing the

    appropriate detail.

    Figure 23: Auto Color Option

    Figure 24: Histogram

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    CURVES

    Adjust the curves to make more gradual changes

    through the tonal range. Why curves? Because the

    adjustments appear on a graph, and as you adjust the

    tonal range, youre adjusting the curve of the line.The horizontal axis of the graph represents the input

    values; the vertical axis represents the output values.

    Initially, the tonal range is represented as a straight

    diagonal baseline because the input and output

    values are identical. By default, the Curves graph

    shows the amount of light, so moving the curve

    upward lightens the image and moving it downward

    darkens the image. The steeper sections of the curve

    represent areas of higher contrast, and fl atter

    sections represent lower contrast. Moving a point inthe top portion of the curve adjusts the highlights;

    moving a point in the center adjusts the midtones;

    and moving a point in the bottom section adjusts the

    shadows. You generally need to make only small

    curve adjustments to correct the tone and color in an

    image.

    V IBRANCE

    The Vibrance adjustment is a fantastic option for easily saturating colors that need it while

    leaving the rest alone. Its particularly useful if youre working with an image that containsskin tones, as it keeps them from becoming oversaturated. In fact, it is so effective, I rarely

    resort to adjusting Hue/Saturation.

    Here is how to adjust vibrance:

    4. Click the Vibrance icon in the Adjustmentspanel.

    5. Drag the Vibrance slider to increase ordecrease color saturation.

    6. To apply the same amount of saturationadjustment to all colors (even those that arealready saturated), move the Saturation slider.

    SHARPENING

    Most images can benefit from sharpening. Photoshop

    offers several filters that sharpen areas of an image

    (see Figure 26). Which one you use depends on

    Figure 25: Curves

    Figure 26: Sharpening Filters

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    whether you need to sharpen

    all or only part of an image,

    and how much control you

    need. Regardless of method,

    be careful not to oversharpen.

    Sharpening brings out the

    detail in images, but it isnt a

    magical fix for severely

    blurred images.

    NOISE

    Noise refers to random, extra

    pixels that arent part of the

    image and give it a grainy or

    patchy look (see Figure 27).

    Noise can also refer to color

    noise, which appears as

    colored artifacts in the image.

    Photoshops Reduce Noise

    filter can fix both types of

    noise.

    With so many ways to correct and enhance, finding where to begin can be challenging. To

    help, I suggest approaching your photo editing in the order below:

    7. Resize or straighten your image if necessary.8. Remove flaws and blemishes scratches.9. Adjust color balance to remove any color casts or correct saturation.10.Adjust the tonal range using either a Levels or Curves adjustment layer. Set the white

    point (highlights) and black point (shadows), and make necessary adjustments to

    midtones.

    11.Make any other color adjustments, such as hue, saturation, or vibrance.12.Sharpen your image.13.Reduce noise.

    Figure 27: Image Before and After Reduce Noise Filter

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    CHAPTER FOUR: EFFECTS AND FILTERS

    From the artistic to sophisticated, Photoshopoffers dozens of filters. The filter gallery, available

    in the Filters menu, offers a preview of available

    filters, grouped by category (see Figure 28 )

    Important note: When you apply a filter to a

    standard image or layer, it changes the actual

    pixels, so make sure youre working in a copy of an

    image or a duplicate layer.

    The Opacity setting determines how opaque a layer

    or attribute is. By adjusting opacity, you can

    create some pretty neat effects:

    To change the opacity of a layer, select itand then change the Opacity in the Layers

    panel (see Figure 29).

    To change the opacity for the content butnot affect layer effects, use the Fill slider

    in the Layers panel.

    To change the opacity for a tool, change itin the options bar.

    Youll also see Opacity sliders in theGradient Editor, the Layer Styles dialog

    box, and many other dialog boxes and

    panels in Photoshop.

    Figure 28: Filter Gallery

    Figure 29: Opacity in the Layers Panel

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    Everyones new favourite feature, Puppet Warp, lets you distort an image in previously

    unheard of ways. Its hands-on nature means you can distort any portion of a layer or rotate an

    area.

    Heres how it works:

    1. To warp the image, you place pins in a mesh.2. The pins let you control movement in one area while preventing it in another area.3. The possibilities are limitless!

    Figure 30: Puppet Warp

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    Contact Me:

    John Araiza

    [email protected]

    http://photoshopauthority.com/

    CONCLUSION

    Whether you want to make your photographs appear more professional or you want to create

    something fantastical, Photoshop is the ultimate image editing software. With its seriously cool

    filters, layer styles, blending modes, opacity settings, and the new Puppet Warp feature, it

    calls to the creative in all of us.

    Unfortunately, this book isnt long enough to describe every option and possibility Photoshop

    presents. I can only hope theres enough information here to pique your interest and to inspire

    you to experiment!

    mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://photoshopauthority.com/http://photoshopauthority.com/mailto:[email protected]