Photo Editing with Adjustment Layers

Today's tale is about the adjustment layer in Photoshop CS and why you should be using it instead of the regular image adjustment from the menu. If you've read some of my tutorials, you'll notice that I often use Adjustment Layers. And you're wondering..what's the different than the regular adjustment method..well, today..you're gonna find out!


First, let's see what the regular image adjustment does. You can find the image adjustment under Image > Adjustments. You'll see several options as shown below.



So, we have the photo below. As you can see, it's a little bit red on the skin. I'm gonna use Color Balance to correct the image and achieve the 'After' image.



Go to Image > Adjustments > Color Balance. The Color Balance window will appear. And I adjust the settings as shown below..and click OK.



After looking at the final image for a few seconds, I don't think it's the outcome I want. So, again..I go to Image > Adjustments > Color Balance. And a Color Balance window will appear. But the values are all set to zero.



What this essentially saying is that, part of the original image information is lost when I made the initial edit with the Color Balance adjustment. When I want to make another Color Balance adjustment, I have to start with the adjusted image, not the original one.

Once you've made the adjustment it will be permanent. Unless, you build a time machine, there's no way you can get the information of the original image back. Okay, maybe the 'step backward' function will help a little bit but it can only trace back until a certain amount of steps. When you close the file, there's no turning back.

And now, let's see why Adjustment Layers are so much cooler than the regular adjustment method. BTW, you can find the adjustment layer option under..Layer > New Adjustment Layer.



With the original image selected on the Layer Palette, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance. You'll see a small window below..just click OK.



And you'll see the Color Balance window. Adjust the settings until you got something you like for the image. I chose the settings below.



In the Layer Palette, you can see a new layer called Color Balance 1 is created.



To see your original image, just click on the eye icon on the layer palette to make the Adjustment layer invisible. Click on it again to make it visible. Or if you don't like it, you can just delete the adjustment layer and you're left with the original image.



If after a few seconds, you change your mind and decided to change the color of your image a little bit. Just double-click on the icon circled in red to bring out the Color Balance window again.





Notice that, you still have the values of your setting just now. And from that, you can start adjusting the Color. It's like you're adjusting from the original image. And since you're making changes to the settings for the adjustment layer, not to the image itself, you're still not harming a single pixel in the original photo. In fact, you can go back and make as many changes as you want to an adjustment layer and never have to worry about damaging your original image..

As long as you're using adjustment layer for your editing, you can keep changing your mind over and over again even after you close the PSD file. You can reopen the PSD file a year from now and still make changes to your image. And remember, this method does not just apply to Color Balance adjustment, you can use it when adjusting the Curves, Levels, Hue and Saturation etc..

Therefore, if you decided to edit your image anytime soon, use adjustment layers..and you'll realized how much flexibility you can get when doing the adjustment.

Guidelines to Use Our Photo Effect Action

Some of the resource we offer here is 'Action'. Action or .atn file is a series of steps recorded in Photoshop to generate a certain photo effect (or in general, anything you do in Photoshop). This recorded steps can be saved and play-back at later time to achieve the same effect on different image. This action can also be shared with other Photoshop users to create the same photo effect. All you have to do is download the action to your hard drive. Load the action in Photoshop. Open your image and run the action. If you haven't start using action, better start now because it can save you a lot of time. If you download one of our Photo Effect Actions, here's a few guidelines for you.


Preparing your Image to Run the Action

Open your image in Photoshop and make sure your layer palette looks like the picture below ie. (a)only one layer, (b)it should be named 'Background' and (c)it should be locked with a sophisticated lock symbol on the side. Click on the 'Background' layer on the layer palette to select that layer and run the action.



If for some reason, above is not the case for you, here's what you can do to achieve the correct starting point for the action:




Running The Action

1. Download the Action to your hard disk.

2. Fire up Photoshop. If you cannot see any 'Action Palette', on the menu above, go to Window > Actions. You'll notice the pallete below appears:



3. Click on the small arrow on top right hand corner and select Load Action. Locate the Action file in your hard disk.



4. You'll see a new action folder in your action palette. In this example, it's the 'Canvas Painting FX' folder.



5. Click on the small triangle near that folder to see the Action available in that folder.



6. Open your image in Photoshop. And Run the Action.

How to Use Photoshop Actions Tutorial

Looking for some actions in your life? Well, here's one...a Photoshop action. Then you ask, 'what's that?' In plain English, what Photoshop action does is, record the steps you do in Photoshop and then you can replay these steps over and over again with just one click. Essentially, it's like having a robot..first, you show it what to do. Then, whenever you want to do the same thing, you just click a button and the robot will repeat whatever you showed it earlier. Still not getting it? Let's get to a simple working example then.



Part A: Introduction

Here's how it works..let say you want to:

1. Open a new image
2. Duplicate the image
3. Resize the image to 50% smaller
4. Copy the resized image
5. Open a new document
6. Paste the resized image on the new document

And you want to do this with 10 photos.

Of course, traditionally, you can open an image file in Photoshop, apply the above steps one by one and keep repeating this until you finished with the 10th image. Imagine how tiring and boring that is. Here's when Photoshop action comes to play the role. All you have to do is:

1. Create a new action and start recording your steps.
2. Do step 1 to 6 mentioned above on your 1st image.
3. Stop the action recording.

For the rest of your images, you don't have to repeat step 1 to 6 again and again. All you have to do is play your recorded action 9 times..and that means with a total of 9 mouse clicks...you're done.

This is just a simple example of how you can use action in Photoshop. In reality, action can be used for far more complicated steps like turning your image into a comic book sketch or achieving a retro effect with your image.

Part B: Knowing your Actions Palette

Shown below is your Actions palette. If you can't see it when you open Photoshop, go to Window > Actions.



The picture below will explain further the functions of each icon in the Actions palette.



Part C: How to Record Actions

Note that, this tutorial follow the CS2 version of Photoshop. The steps might be slightly different for other versions..just slightly.

Back to our example above, we want to record step 1 to 6.

1. Click on the 'create new set' icon in your Actions palette. A small window will open. Specify the name you want for your set. I'm gonna call this set, the Example Set.

2. Click on the 'create new action' icon in the Actions palette. A small window will open. Specify the action name and choose Example Set as your set. Then, hit the Record button.



3. Our first step is to open a new image. Now, the general step is to go to File > Open. However when it comes to selecting the image you want to open, we want our selection to be specific..so that, when we run the actions later, we can choose what image we want to open. To do this, click on the small arrow icon on the top right and choose Insert Menu Item.



Essentially, what the 'Insert Menu Item' function does is..it allows the actions to pause when we run it later and let the user specify some inputs before continuing with the rest of the steps. For instance, you can choose other menu items like Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and specify different value of master saturation when you run the actions for later use.

4. This window will appear. It says here, to record a menu item, select a menu item using the mouse. So go to File > Open. Then, click OK.



5. We want to pause the recording while we open our first image. Hit the 'stop playing/recording' button at the bottom of the layer palette.

6. Go to File > Open and choose your first image and open it.

7. Now hit the 'Begin Recording' button once again to begin recording the rest of the steps.

8. Duplicate the image. With the duplicate image selected, go to Edit > Transform > Scale. Reduce the size to 50%.

9. To select the resized image, click on the duplicate image layer in the layer palette, put your cursor on the image icon and hit CTRL.



10. Hit CTRL+C to copy the selection. Go to File > New and click OK.

11. Hit CTRL+V to paste the selection on the new document.

12. Now that you're finished with all the steps, Hit the 'Stop Recording' button. And you got yourself a new action.



Part D: How to use Photoshop Actions

Okay, you're done applying step 1 to 6 to your first image. Now, you want to continue with the rest of your images. And how do you do that with the action you just created?

1. Select the 'Example Actions' we created just now and simply hit the 'Play Selection' button.





2. The actions will pause for you to choose the image you want to open. Choose your second image and hit Open.

3. And the Actions will continue to do the rest of the job for you. You'll end up with a nice resized image on a new document.

4. Repeat step 1 to 3 for the rest of your images. Easy as that =)

Part E: Saving Actions in Photoshop

It's best to save the actions you just created to your hard disk after you're done with them. Who knows what could happen in the future..maybe the action will mysteriously disappear from your actions palette and you don't have have a backup copy of it.

1. So, to save the actions, Select the set the actions are in. In our case, it's the Example Set. Remember, select the set not the actions.



2. Click on the small arrow button on the top right and choose Save Actions.



3. Just go on with the general file saving procedure.

Part F: Opening or Loading an Action File to be Used in Photoshop

Let say you have a friend who wanted to do steps 1 to 6 just like you did just now. Being a kind-hearted person and all, you decided to make his life easier. So, you locate the action file you just saved in your hard disk and send it to him through email or something.

And this is how you can use the Action file (.atn) in Photoshop:

Of course first, you have to save the received action on your HD. And then open Photoshop program. If you can't see it when you open Photoshop, go to Window > Actions.

1. To load the new action, click on the small arrow icon on the top right of the Actions Palette. Choose Load Actions and select the file location and open the action.



2. The action will now appear in the Actions palette. And you can start using it as usual. See Part D above on how to use the action (.atn) file.

Remove Background Using Extract Filter

Another way to delete background out of an image in Photoshop is by using the Extract Filter. It may not be the most precise tool for background removing but it gives you a pretty decent selection that you can clean up afterward. With some images, the clean up process might not take that long. If you're not really familiar with the Pen Tool, then the extract filter technique is a simple and easy way to do it.


1. Open your image. I'm gonna use this one of Sarah Connor. Duplicate the image. Turn Off the original image by clicking the eye icon beside it in the layer palette.



2. Now working with the duplicate image, go to Filter > Extract. Zoom in the image (CTRL ++) so it's easier for you to see the edges. Select the Edge Highlighter Tool (B) at the top left. Then, at the right hand side, set the brush size. Mine is set to 20. You can adjust the setting depending on the size of your image.



3. We'll start with hair area first. Trace the edge of the hair carefully. The highlight must touch a little bit of the hair and a little bit of the background. Look at the picture below:



4. Now, we're done with the hair. For well-defined edge, we're going to use the Smart Highlighting Tool. Select this tool located below the brush setting on your right hand side. Then, begin tracing the rest of the image. Use the Hand Tool at the bottom left to drag your image around.



5. Now, we're done with all the edges. You should have something like this:



6. Select the Fill Tool (G), the bucket icon at the top left, and click inside your traced image. You'll see something like this:



7. Click the Preview button. If needed, use the Edge Touchup Tool (T) to refine the edge by brushing around the edges. If there's part you don't want, select the Cleanup Tool (C) to delete it. Now, click OK and you'll have this:



8. Looks pretty good to me. Now, there might still be some unwanted background around the image. You can delete this and smooth the edge around using the Eraser Tool. And that's it..you're done deleting the background just by using the Extract Tool in Photoshop.

Cutting Image Out of the Background Using Pen Tool

Today I'm gonna teach you a technique to cut an image out of the background in Photoshop. Though there are several ways to get the background out of the way, today's tutorial will involve just the Pen Tool (P). Now, don't run just yet. I know, some people said, the Pen Tool is not for beginners, but I don't agree to that. It's so easy to use once you've tried it. So really, you don't have to be afraid of the Pen Tool.

If you're looking for an easy way to do this, first, you should try using the Extract Filter to remove the background. Then, if that doesn't work for you...proceed with the Pen Tool tutorial here.

Btw, we're cutting Chuck and Blair out of the background. Here's the final result:



A bigger version of this image can be found @ Blair and Chuck Wallpaper


Okay, I'm actually gonna guide you on how to cut Chuck, you'll have to figure out Blair on your own ;)

1. Open your image. Duplicate your image and make the original image invisible by clicking the eye icon beside it on the layer palette. Zoom in to 200%. (CTRL +++)



2. Select the Pen Tool (P). Make sure it is set to Path instead of Shape Layers.


3. Start tracing the edge of Chuck Bass with the Pen Tool. Aim your Pen Tool at the starting point and click your mouse, then click on the next path and so on. If you accidentally select the wrong path, don't freak out. Just go to Edit > Step Backward and continue from there.



4. Now a little tip when you arrive at the hair. This is the area where most people will have problem tracing using the Pen Tool. You don't have to really follow the edge of the hair. I mean try if you can but when it's getting impossible, just use your imagination and create your own spikes and curls. As long as the spike is within the hair color and doesn't extent to the background, you'll be fine.



5. Okay, so you're done tracing, close the path ie. connect your last path with the first one. Now, right click on your image, and select Make Selection.



When a small window open, use the setting below and click OK:



6. Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool (M). Right Click on your image and choose Select Inverse. Then hit the Delete key.



You'll have this:



Well, there's still some background between the body and the arm. Use the Pen Tool to trace that area, make selection and then delete that part.

And here's the final outcome after I added a white background underneath it. You'll get a nice picture minus the background.

Image Coloring Tutorial in CS2 for Icon Makers

Icons...avatars, whatever you call them..would be prettier if you take some times to adjust their coloring, right?. Here's a tutorial that will teach you how to get the coloring below:




1. Crop and sharpen your image

2. Duplicate image. Set to screen 100%. Repeat this step depending on your image.

3. Add a new adjustment layer. Layer > New adjustment layer > Hue/saturation.Set master saturation: +10 (increase or decrease the saturation..again depending on your image)

4. Add a new adjustment layer. Layer > New adjustment layer > Selective color. Use the settings below:

REDS:
-100, 0, +100, 0
YELLOWS:
+100, 0, -100, 0
GREENS:
-100, +100, 0, 0
CYANS:
+100, 0, 0, 0
BLUES:
+100, 0, 0, 0
MAGENTAS:
-100, +100, +100, +100
NEUTRALS:
+20, 0, -10, 0

5. Add a new adjustment layer. Layer > New adjustment layer > Color Balance. Use the settings below:

Midtones: -64, 9, -13
Highlights: +10, 0, +5
Shadows: -20, 0, +10

6. Add a new adjustment layer. Layer > New adjustment layer > Levels.

RGB
Input Levels: 20, 1.00, 255
Output Levels: 0, 255

7. Add a new adjustment layer. Layer > New adjustment layer > Selective Color.

REDS: -95, 0, 0, 0
NEUTRALS: +8, -15, -6, 0

8. Add a new adjustment layer. Layer > New adjustment layer > Color Balance.

Midtones: -20, +6, 0

Tips:
*If your image becomes too greenish, you can skip step 6, 7 and 8. Still greenish? skip step 5 too.