Photoshop for beginners - the 3 basics of using the curves

Avoid the most beginners Photoshop (and many advanced users), with the curves command, because it reminds you of school math classes and geometry! I know how you feel, but if you take to understand a bit of time, the basics of how to use curves lose your fear - trust me. In this article I will show you the 3 basics you need to understand to effectively use curves.

What do actually curves?

The curves are very like the levels in which you are used to the tonal contrast of photography. Above all, you are also used to customize the look of the various grey tones in an image. The difference between curves and levels is that "Curves" dialog box you can control a part of the grey tones, while all of the different sounds at the same time changing the levels; You have less control with levels as you with curves. This is why professionals prefer, with curves; Set in the control.

Use the command curves to the overall contrast of change:

(1) Choose the first note in the image you want to have a pure black value.

Known as black point setting, can move the black slider at the bottom of the grid in the curves dialog set that will be sound pure black on the photo. Thinking remember that if you move the slider of the start of the chart shape you some past who are to lose subtle really dark shades and go this information lost. For example, if you move the slider to the right, so it is very left end of the chart (displays the value the sound at this point the input box), is to change this value to pure black (value 0) and all other grey tones are proportionally darken. If you still move the slider further to the right i.e. make a slightly higher tone value pure black, they all tones are shown losing in the graphic, are on the left side of the slider. Say we, at the end of an input value of 20, the chart shows this is the darkest tone of the image and when will it be pure black we don't lose all other sound values because the other notes have higher values (they are brighter tone). However, if we move you further say input the slider in the chart value 30, lose all of the sounds between 20 and 30 because you all be made pure black are we.

Now we know to rich looking shadow set as the darkest sound of the picture to pure black.

(2) If the pure white tone of the image.

Now we use white point adjustment to the lightest tones of the image set. Move the white slider to the left, so that only the right side of the chart will affect the sound in this position are pure white make. As with the black point adjustment, the above described there all other sounds in this section are low value (i.e..) (You are dark all), then we lose none of the subtle light tones. However, if we further move the white slider to the left, so you lose all sounds on the right side of the slider in the form of the diagram, we be made pure white in the image as you.

Set the endpoints in the dialog box of curves, as described above is exactly the same as you layer in the dialogue. For the endpoints to the two commands do exactly the same work. The real power of curves is how we can control the other tones of the image, as we will see now.

(3) The intermediate tones of the image control.

Remember the first difference between levels and curves is that there is no gray slider is displayed in the curves dialog and that there is a diagonal line from one corner to the other, display of the histogram behind this line. (To understand, see my article on understanding the histogram more of the chart in the "Curves" dialog box.) This line is actually a curve without any curves in it! If the line is directly (as it will be, if you only the endpoints in 1 and 2 above), the relationship between the intermediate tones is affected both by the line. However, you can now click and drag to create everywhere in this line to a curved line. If the line of a curve shape is controlling the tones no longer equally. The real power of the correction settings is that you must click and drag several points on the line after any form that can create curve. By changing the shape of the line to a curve you can control which be adjusted parts of the tone scale. You can also simply click, create on the route to fixed points to stop that as an anchor, the line of curvature. If the line is just no changes are to the tones in this area. This is how you; select only a portion of sound change, To preserve, create multiple anchor points along the line of the tones and then turn the row up or down within the area you want to change.

A word of caution; You caused the curved part of the row that covers the shadows of the chart that the curve of the lighter you sounds higher the notes, to undo. This is known as Posterization and is not good! Try to ensure that the curve is increased all the way from left to right and that it not diving you down too much in the middle section.

There, you have the 3 basics of using the curves command. Curves is the most powerful way to control the contrast of your photo and you should now be able to use it with confidence.

Now you can learn all the skills, edit for your photo to Zone2Tone and get a free professional-quality video tutorial needs.

Copyright (c) Les Meehan 2010.

Les Meehan is the author of seven published Photoshop books and is a qualified teacher who has taught workshops for over 20 years. I can be contacted under Les Meehan

Photoshop for beginners - understanding levels and curves input values

If "Tone value correction" dialog box, you set the value of the input or "Curves" either by the black or white triangular slider drag or enter a value directly in the input box, you are to say Photoshop, all the pixels in the image change, the new sound value, so that the same as the standard output value. For example, if you move the white slider in the dialog box "Curves" to 250, you say basically "I want all pixels with a value of 250 and higher (i.e. 250 to 255 range), have the same value as displayed in the field output."

As is the standard output value 255 for white, all the pixels in the image with a value of 250 or higher take place, be pure white (value 255). The other light tones in the image will be easier. The same goes for the black slider. If you move the black slider, you set the INPUT value all pixels with this and lower value equal to the standard output value changes is (i.e. black) of 0. For example, if you move the black slider or you set the input black value to 25, are all pixels with a value of 25 or lower on the output value from 0 (black) provided. This is also all the shadow tones to the darkening of lead.

Actually, you are the upper and lower limits of the white and black tones in the image which in this example would increase the overall contrast of the image. So, if you have a low contrast image that still didn't get a black clay and has not got a white tone, you would normally speak his "OK, the darkest tone in this picture has, say a value of 20, but this is not true black and I want it to be black." "Right, so that I must have the INPUT value, set the black slider to 20 and leave the output value with 0."

This changes the value of the selected audio from 20 to 0, which is the depth of the shadow tones. Note that all sounds in the dark areas are proportionally be reduced in value. You have one now either levels or curves sound setting 'has assigned the value of 20 to 0'. Working with the lighter tones now, we say the lightest tone in this same image has a value of 230 (a light gray photos sound, typical for low contrast). Now let's assume, we want the image to a pure white have. So, we need to change the value of this tone of 230 so that it looks white (value 255). Use the levels or curves adjustment dialog we move the white slider until the INPUT value 230 is and let the output value to the default value of 255. This will change all sounds with a value of 230, so that you the new value of 0 (zero) have that white in the image change is.

The result of these two changes to the black and white input values are that the image contrast have increased you, thus it fill the full tonal range and more ' normal' displayed. Now you understand levels as the input values in the dialogs and curves work and correct as you use it, take a picture with low contrast.

Now on other features in Photoshop learn by the accession of me and other like-minded folk, free of charge Zone2Tone members , and after you get us free professional-quality video tutorial.

Copyright (c) Les Meehan 2010.

Les Meehan is the author of seven published digital photography books and as a qualified teacher workshops taught for over 20 years.

Photoshop for beginners - understanding levels and curves output values

In another article, I explained how the INPUT values, which uses the dialogs Photoshop layers and curves. In this article I discuss the output values except to say that are the default values of 255 for the white slider and 0 for the black slider.

The output values can be used, darken lighten up dark tones to bright colors. This can be used to reduce the overall contrast of a photo. When you drag the black endpoint on the left side of the diagram upwards, you will be in the curves dialog the value of the black output for the default value of 0 (zero) increase. Conversely, if you drag the white end point on the right side of the chart down, you can reduce the value of the white output to less than the default of 255. This has the effect of reducing the contrast of photography that you edit. This is similar to, but to the using the input values.

However, the output values have a more important function - you help you calibrate your printer! If we print thumbnail the images are interpreted by the printer, and this can all too common problem to which the pressure not matching the image result. The problem is that the printer has an own ' contrast range' and this may be, and often is, less than the contrast of the screen of image.

This means, that the printer well some which are more subtle tones of the image, that is, shadow values 5, 6, 7 to say 15 as black and print the lightest tones of 250 251 up to 254 as solid white. The result would be a pressure, which had more contrast and less detail than the image.

The solution is, some test to make prints with a gray scale of sounds (i.e., a number of patches of different sound values) from black to white. The tonal values of each patch should be in the value of say 3 or 5 in both the brightest and darkest parts change. The middle tones can such as units of 10, since you are not so important with larger differences in values that change this calibration. You print on this scale your printer with your usual papers. You should test each paper that you use as the paper of the visible dynamic range effect.

Now, compare the pressure on the screen and find the sound value patch on the printed scale, which is completely black and that is entirely in white. For example, you need dark tones in the grayscale screen 0 (black) say image, 5, 10, 15, 20 and bright sounds say 250, 252, 254 and 255 (white).

If the view of the test is print, if there is no visible difference between the dark it spots the scale with values of 5, 10 and (i.e., the notes of 5 and 10 are pure black in print) shows this black your printer on a dark tone which interpret value 10 and less than pure black.

Which will look at lightest tones, vice versa, if the notes with values 252 and show white paper, your printer shows this to something about 252 as pure white as printed. Well, now we the borders the contrast can know the printers can produce. In this example, every note is printed darker than 10 as pure black and white prints each sound lighter than 252 as pure.

Now we can use the output values of the dialog window curves, to compensate for this printer/paper contrast. With our example, we now know that every note with a value of 10 or lower are black in print. In other words, is the BLACK POINT of the printer 10. Yes, to compensate for the output value, we need the the black slider in the curves dialog box set to the value 10. This is the shadow in the image lighten (and probably make it boring look), but when you print the image of the printer will lower the values below back where you you.

The same happens for the lighter tones. The printer will produce any value of 252, such as paper white (no ink), so we need to output value, which the white slider in the dialog curves 252 set. This reduces the values of the light tones in the image, but the printer will lift you back up to the expression! You are now enough the levels and curves output values for you the image contrast options to customize the printer and paper. The Visual result on the screen does not matter!

Now on other features in Photoshop learn by the accession of me and other like-minded folk, free of charge Zone2Tone members , and after you get us free professional-quality video tutorial.

Copyright (c) Les Meehan 2010.

Les Meehan is the author of seven published digital photography books and as a qualified teacher workshops taught for over 20 years.

Should Photoshop use levels or curves for beginners - I?

You learn many Photoshop users who know layer dialog box and then never progress to learn how to use the curves. In this article of Photoshop I give several reasons why you learn, use the curves you will make more an expert with Adobe Photoshop.

What is the difference between levels and curves?

Edit in digital photography, used both the levels and curves of the single most important editing tasks: image-sound control. If you have a photo with less than perfect contrast, i.e., the contrast is either too low or vice versa to high must use some form of sound control. The black and white endpoints which change the tonal range of the image, you can both the levels and curves. You can customize the endpoints the global or a total contrast to change a photo; the method and affect is which of the two commands you want to use the same, depending.

Both commands, you can modify the appearance of intermediate or gray, sounds in between the black and white endpoints. The main difference between the two commands, however, is that a levels adjustment changes proportionally all the sounds in the tonal range; during the curves, you can select which part of the tone scale that you want to customize. A linear adjustment is the levels but the curves are a geometric adjustment (in fact, this difference in the field of the name is and linear curves and geometric). This is a massive difference and with curves rather than levels editing will increase ability on a professional level.

Is the big question, which you should use?

This is quite straightforward if you take into account the following points.

Use levels, if:

Only the endpoints you want to black or white, to global contrast, you lighten or darken want to adjust the entire tonal range. This is normal exposure adjust errors. To you the visual relationship of the values for the nuances to maintain.

Use curves, if:

You want to subtly adjust the visual relationship of sound values. For example facilitate you the lights and you to dark shadow from. This requires usually one ' s ' shaped curve adjustment. Want to customize only the bright tones or only the dark shades. You want the notes in only a small part of which adjust the entire tonal range. You want full control of your tonal editing.

Although a little more practice levels learn the curves is to use, and the fact that everything, from a distance looks like mathematics and geometry half to death shocked many people, you are not really hard to master. If you play with the curves dialog for 10-15 minutes you feel much more comfortable with the process. And don't forget that if you use the curves layer as an adjustment to modify always the impact without damaging your original photography.

Now you can learn all the skills, edit for your photo to Zone2Tone and get a free professional-quality video tutorial needs.

Copyright (c) Les Meehan 2010.

I have written seven Photoshop books and teachers were qualified workshops run for over 20 years. I can be contacted under Les Meehan