To
create an adjustment layer, click the new fill or adjustment layer icon
in the bottom of the Layers palette.
When
you click this icon, a menu of options will appear as shown below.
These
options represent the ways you can apply effects to the underlying image
or image layers.
When
you create an adjustment layer, you choose from the menu items to select
the type of adjustment you wish to make. Normally, the dialog box or
control for the type of adjustment you choose will appear on the screen.
You then make your adjustments to achieve the desired result. When you
are finished, the adjustments will be implemented on the underlying
layers.
At any
time, you can double click the adjustment layer in the layers palette,
and the dialog box or control for the effect will appear again. In this
way, Adjustment layers allow you to readjust the effect as much as you
like, without degrading the underlying image information.
As
with regular layers, you can configure the opacity and fill of an
adjustment layer in the usual way using the sliders available in the
layers palette.
Note:
All of these adjustments and more are available through the image menu
by choosing Image->Adjustments from the menu bar. Exercise caution when
making adjustments from the image menu. Unlike the adjustment layers,
these adjustments will be applied to the image itself, not
to a layer above the image.
Here
is a list of the options available in the adjustment layer menu.
|
Solid colour |
Will fill the
adjustment layer with the current foreground colour (like the
paint bucket tool). |
|
Gradient |
Will allow you to
create a colour or grey scale gradient for the adjustment layer
(similar to the gradient tool). |
|
Pattern |
Will allow you to
select and apply a pattern to the for the adjustment layer (like
the pattern stamp, but applied to the entire layer). |
|
Levels |
Allows you to
create an adjustment layer for controlling light and shade via
the three main tonalities (i.e. shadows, mid tones, and
highlights). |
|
Curves |
This option gives
you much finer control over the light and shade tonality of your
image by letting you adjust a curve representing the tonal
output for the image. |
|
Colour Balance |
This option gives
you general control over the colour balance of your image. You
could also adjust colour balance using the Levels option, by
working with separate red, green and blue channels. |
|
Brightness/Contrast |
Used to create
brightness /contrast adjustment layers. |
|
Hue/Saturation |
Create a
Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. |
|
Selective Colour |
Allows you to
create an adjustment layer for altering an individual colour
group (such as reds, greens, or purples) very specifically. |
|
Channel Mixer |
This adjustment
layer provides excellent control for the process of turning
colour images into greyscale (commonly known as black and
white.) |
|
Gradient Map |
This adjustment
layer will allow you to create a colour gradient for your image
based on specific colours of your choice. |
|
Photo Filter |
You can use this
option to simulate the effects of photographic filters (such as
sepia tone). |
|
Invert |
This adjustment
layer creates a negative of your underlying image. |
|
Threshold |
This will turn your
image into high contrast black and white (no grey). With a
slider switch, you can adjust the point (threshold) at which
pixels become white or black. |
|
Posterize |
This adjustment
layer allows you to add a “posterize” effect, essentially
displaying your image with fewer colours (you can specify the
amount). |
Don’t
be anxious if you do not understand these effects completely. The only
real way to understand them is to get a feel for the results. Experiment
with the adjustment layers options and observe the results. The beauty
of adjustment layers comes from the fact that you can create and delete
them as many times as you want without affecting your original image.
You
can delete an adjustment layer in the same way that you would delete a
regular layer. Just right click on the layer and choose the Delete Layer
option.
