Making a Dull Image Brighter and Sharper
Need to make a low-resolution image sharper and brighter? Duplicate the layer which has your image and under the Filter menu, choose Other > High Pass. Choose the radius according to the resolution of the image. Now in the Layer's palette, choose the Hard Light option under Blend Modes. You could further flatten the image by choosing Layer > Flatten Image. Now see the difference between the new and the original image!
Working with the Healing Brush and Patch Tool
With the Rubber Stamp tool, you can clone pixels from a sampled area and apply them to an area needing correction. However, doing so does not take care of the shadows and highlights of the flawed area. Here comes the rescue. The Healing Brush tool clones the target area by using the texture from the sampled area and then using the colours around the brush stroke as you paint over the flaw. You can sample and heal between two images but you need to make sure they are in the same mode. The Patch tool is similar to the Healing Brush but instead of painting with brushstrokes, you select the flawed area and apply the patch to it. It is also effective for working with larger flawed areas.
Gamma Correction
Often what you see on screen does not match what you get in print. The gamma correction setting calibrates your monitor so that it remains in synchronization with your printer and your scanner. Use the related customization options in Windows Control Panel or Display Preferences in Mac.
Moving Type in Edit Mode
Haven't you always wished to be able to move the text to its proper position while you edit? As soon as you take the mouse away from the text, it changes into the Move tool. You can now move the type in the edit mode too. The moment you bring the mouse nearer to the text, the cursor blinks again and you can edit the text again.
Rotate through the Blend Modes
It is a test of your patience when you try to get the right effects in the layer Blend modes because you have to go back to the Blend mode drop down menu every time. There's a simpler way to do this: simply press [Shift] + [-] or [+] to go to the previous or next Blend mode. Easy!
Erasing Back to Your Original Image
When editing an image, to revert to an earlier stage, select the Eraser tool (instead of File> Revert, which will revert to the original image). Press down [Alt] key (or Option key on the Mac) and start erasing the areas you don't want to keep. Usually the Eraser tool erases the image, but when you hold down the [Alt] key, it acts like a history eraser and erases back to how the image looked originally.
Image Modes - RGB, CMYK, Duotone, Tritone
Before you begin editing an image, save it in the correct mode, else it won't show accurate colours. If you are going to use the image on the web, save it in RGB mode; for print, save it in CMYK. You can also save the image as Duotone (two colours) or Tritone (three colours) - that provide interesting effects to an image. If you want to use an image for the web as well as for print, make sure that you have two copies, one RGB and the other CMYK.
Comments