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Thepowerful tools in Photoshop can enhance, repair, and correct thecolor and tonality (lightness, darkness, and contrast) in an image.Here are some items to consider before making color and tonal adjustments.
- Work with a monitor that’s calibrated and profiled. For critical image editing, calibration and profiling are essential. Otherwise, the image you see on your monitor looks different on other monitors or when printed.
- Plan to use adjustment layers to adjust the tonal range and color balance of your image. Adjustment layers let you go back and make successive tonal adjustments without discarding or permanently modifying data from the image layer. Keep in mind that using adjustment layers adds to the file size of the image and demands more RAM from your computer. Accessing the color and tonal commands in the Adjustments panel automatically creates adjustment layers.
- If you don’t want to use adjustment layers, you can apply adjustments directly to an image layer. Remember that some image information is discarded, when making a color or tonal adjustment directly to an image layer.
- For critical work and maximum preservation of image data, it’s best if the image you work with is 16 bits per channel (16‑bit image) rather than 8 bits per channel (8‑bit image). Data is discarded when you make tonal and color adjustments. The loss of image information is more critical in an 8‑bit image than a 16‑bit image. Generally, 16‑bit images have a larger file size than 8‑bit images.
- Duplicate or make a copy of the image file. Working on a copy of your image preserves the original in the event you want to use the image in its original state.
- Remove any flaws such as dust spots, blemishes, and scratches from the image before making color and tonal adjustments.
- Open the Info or Histogram panel in Expanded view. As you evaluate and correct the image, both panels display invaluable feedback on your adjustments.
- You can make a selection or use a mask to confine your color and tonal adjustments to part of an image. Another way to apply color and tonal adjustments selectively is to set up your document with image components on different layers. Color and tonal adjustments are applied to only one layer at a time. Only the image components on the targeted layer are affected.
Here is the generalworkflow you follow when you correct the tonality and color of animage:
- Use the histogram to check the quality and tonal rangeof the image.
- Make sure that the Adjustments panel is open to access color and tonal adjustments. Click an icon to access the adjustments described in the following steps. Applying corrections from the Adjustments panel creates an adjustment layer, which gives you more flexibility and doesn’t discard image information. See Adjustments panel overview and About adjustment layers and fill layers.
- Adjust the color balance to remove unwanted color casts or to correct oversaturated or undersaturated colors. See Color adjustment commands.
- Adjust the tonal range, using either the Levels or Curves adjustments.Begin tonal corrections by adjusting the values of the extreme highlight and shadow pixels in the image, setting an overall tonal range for the image. This process is known as setting the highlights and shadows or setting the white and black points. Setting the highlights and shadows typically redistributes the midtone pixels appropriately. However, you might need to adjust your midtones manually.To adjust the tonality in just shadow and highlight areas, use the Shadow/Highlight command. See Improve shadow and highlight detail.
- (Optional) Make other color adjustments.After youcorrect the overall color balance of your image, you can make optionaladjustments to enhance colors or produce special effects.
- Sharpen the edges in the image.As one of the finalsteps, use the Unsharp Mask or the Smart Sharpen filter to sharpenthe clarity of edges in the image. The amount of sharpening required foran image varies according to the image quality produced by the digital cameraor scanner you use. See Sharpenimages.
- (Optional) Target the image for printer or press characteristics.You can use options in the Levels or Curves adjustments to import highlight and shadow information into the gamut of an output device, like a desktop printer. This procedure can also be done if you are sending your image to a printing press, and know the characteristics of the press.Because sharpening increases the contrast of neighboring pixels, it’s possible that some pixels in critical areas might become unprintable on the printer or press that you’re using. For this reason, it’s best to fine-tune the output settings after sharpening. For more information on adjusting the output settings, see Setting highlight and shadow target values.
The tools for making color and tonal adjustments can be found in the Adjustments panel. Clicking a tool icon both selects an adjustment and automatically creates an adjustment layer. The adjustments you make using the controls and options in the Adjustments panel create nondestructive adjustment layers. See About adjustment layers and fill layers.
The Properties panel has a Presets menu with the adjustment presets. Presets are available for Levels, Curves, Exposure, Hue/Saturation, Black & White, Channel Mixer, and Selective Color. Clicking a preset applies it to the image using an adjustment layer. You can always save adjustment settings as a preset, which is added to the presets list.
Clicking an adjustment icon or a preset displays the settings options for the specific adjustment.
For a video, see Control which layers are affected by an adjustment layer.
- In the Adjustments panel, click an adjustment icon or choose an adjustment from the panel menu.
- Use the controls and options in the Properties panel to apply the settings you want.
- To toggle the visibility of the adjustment,click the Toggle Layer Visibility button .
- To return the adjustment to its original settings,click the Reset button .
- To discard an adjustment, click the Delete ThisAdjustment Layer button .
- To expand the width of the Adjustment panel, drag a bottom corner of the panel.
- In the Adjustments panel, click an adjustment icon or choose an adjustment from the panel menu.
- The Adjustments, click the Clip to Layer button . Click the icon again to make the adjustment apply to all layers below it in the Layers panel.
The Properties panel has a Preset menu with the adjustment presets for the tool that you clicked in the Adjustments panel. Additionally, you can save and apply presets for Levels, Curves, Exposure, Hue/Saturation, Black & White, Channel Mixer, and Selective Color. When you save a preset, it’s added to the presets list.
- To save adjustment settings as a preset, choose the Save Preset option from the Properties panel menu.
- To apply an adjustment preset, choose a preset from the Preset menu in the Properties panel.
Automatically select text fieldsor the targeted adjustment tool
If you often change adjustment parametersusing text fields or the targeted adjustment tool, maximize yourefficiency by automatically selecting these items.
- From the Properties panel menu, select Auto-Select Parameter or Auto-Select Targeted Adjustment Tool.Note:If you prefer to select text fields asneeded, press Shift-Enter (Windows) or Shift-Return (Mac OS).
You can choose from the following color adjustmentcommands:
Quickly corrects the color balance in an image. Although its name implies an automatic adjustment, you can fine-tune how the Auto Color command behaves. See Remove a color cast using Auto Color.
Adjusts color balance by setting the pixel distribution for individual color channels. See Adjust color using Levels.
Provides up to 14 control points for highlight, midtone, and shadow adjustments for individual channels. See Curves overview.
Adjusts tonality by performing calculations in a linear color space. Exposure is primarily for use in HDR images. See Adjust Exposure for HDR images.
Adjusts color saturation so clipping is minimized. See Adjust color saturation using Vibrance.
Makes color adjustments by simulating the effects of using a Kodak Wratten or Fuji filter in front of a camera lens.
Changes the overall mixture of colors in an image. See Apply the Color Balance adjustment.
Adjusts the hue, saturation, and lightness values of the entire image or of individual color components. See Adjust hue and saturation.
Matches the color: from one photo to another photo, from one layer to another layer, and from a selection in an image to another selection in the same image or a different image. This command also adjusts the luminance and color range and neutralizes color casts in an image. See Match the color in different images.
Replaces specified colors in an image with new color values. See Replace the color of objects in an image.
Adjusts the amount of process colors in individual color components. See Make selective color adjustments.
Modifies a color channel and makes color adjustments not easily done with other color adjustment tools. See Mix color channels.
All Photoshop color adjustment tools work essentially the same way; they map an existing range of pixel values to a new range of values. The difference between the tools is the amount of control they provide. Color adjustment tools and their option settings are accessed in the Adjustments panel. For an overview of the color adjustment tools, see Color adjustment commands.
You can adjust the color in an image in different ways. The most flexible method is to use an adjustment layer. When you select a color adjustment tool in the Adjustments panel, Photoshop automatically creates an adjustment layer. Adjustment layers let you experiment with color and tonal adjustments without permanently modifying the pixels in the image. The color and tonal changes reside within the adjustment layer, which acts as a veil through which the underlying image layers appear.
- If you want to make adjustments to a portion ofyour image, select that portion. If you make no selection, the adjustmentis applied to the entire image.
- Click an adjustment icon in the Adjustments panel.
- Create an adjustment layer. See Create and confine adjustment and fill layers.
- Double-click the thumbnail of an existing adjustment layer in the Layers panel.
Note:You can also choose Image > Adjustments, and choosea command from the submenu to apply adjustments directly to theimage layer. Keep in mind that this method discards image information.A new adjustment layer includes a layer mask, whichby default is empty (or white), meaning that your adjustment isapplied to the entire image. (If you have an active selection onthe image when you add an adjustment layer, the initial layer maskmasks out the unselected area in black.) Using the Brush tool, youcan paint black areas on the mask where you don’t want the adjustmentto affect the image. See Edita layer mask.- Click an adjustment icon in the Adjustments panel.
- To toggle the view of your image with and without adjustments, click the Toggle Layer Visibility icon in the Properties.
You can save your color adjustment settings and apply them to other images. Once a setting is saved, it can be accessed in the Preset menu in the Properties panel. You can also choose the Load Preset option from an adjustment dialog box menu. If you are saving color adjustment settings using the Match Color command, see Match the color in different images.
- To save a setting in the Preset menu, choose the Save Preset option from the panel menu. This option is only available for Levels, Curves, Exposure, Hue/Saturation, Black & White, Channel Mixer, and Selective Color.
- To save a setting in the Shadows/Highlights or Replace Color image adjustment dialog box, click Save. In the Levels, Curves, Exposure, Hue/Saturation, Black & White, Channel Mixer, or Selective Color image adjustment dialog box, choose Save Preset from the panel menu. Enter a name for the setting, then click Save.
Once an adjustment setting is saved, it’sstored as a preset and can be reapplied.
- Choose an adjustment preset from the Preset menu in the Properties panel.
- In an adjustment dialog box, click Load. Locate and load the saved adjustment file. In the Curves, Black & White, Exposure, Hue/Saturation, Selective Color, Levels, or Channel Mixer dialog boxes, saved presets appear in the Presets menu. Choose Load Preset from the Preset option to load a preset not shown on the Preset pop-up menu from a different location.
To remove default presets, navigate to the followingfolders, move the presets out of the folders, and restart Photoshop.
- Windows: [startup drive]/Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop [version_number]/Presets/[adjustment type]/[preset name]
- Mac OS: [startup drive]/Applications/Adobe Photoshop [version_number]/Presets/[adjustment type]/[preset name]
Although you can perform all colorand tonal corrections in RGB mode and most adjustments in CMYK mode,choose a mode carefully. Avoid multiple conversions between modes,because color values are rounded and lost with each conversion.Don’t convert RGB images to CMYK mode if they are meant for on-screendisplay. For CMYK images that are separated and printed, do notmake color corrections in RGB mode.
If you must convert your image from one mode to another, performmost of your tonal and color corrections in RGB mode. You can thenuse CMYK mode for fine-tuning. The advantages of working in RGBmode are:
- RGB has fewer channels. As a result, your computer uses less memory.
- RGB has a wider range of colors than CMYK, and more colors are likely to be preserved after adjustments.You can soft proof colors to see an on-screen preview of how your document’s colors will look when reproduced on a particular output device. See About soft-proofing colors.
Note:
You can edit an image in RGB mode in one window and view the same image in CMYK colors in another window. Choose Window > Arrange > New Window For (Filename) to open a second window. Select the Working CMYK option for Proof Setup, then choose the Proof Color command to turn on the CMYK preview in one of the windows.
A gamut isthe range of colors that a color system can display or print. Acolor that can be displayed in RGB could be out of gamut,and therefore unprintable, for your CMYK setting.
In RGB mode,you can tell whether a color is out of gamut in the following ways:
- In the Info panel, an exclamation point appears next to theCMYK values whenever you move the pointer over an out‑of‑gamut color.
- In both the Color Picker and the Color panel, an alert triangle appears. Whenyou select an out‑of‑gamut color, the closest CMYK equivalent is displayed.To select the CMYK equivalent, click the triangle or the color patch.Photoshop automaticallybrings all colors into gamut when you convert an RGB image to CMYK.Note that some detail in the image may be lost, depending on yourconversion options. You can identify the out‑of‑gamut colors inan image or correct them manually before converting to CMYK. You canuse the Gamut Warning command to highlight out‑of‑gamut colors.
- ChooseView > Proof Setup, then choosethe proof profile on which you want to base the gamut warning.
All pixels outside the gamut of the current proof profile space are highlighted in gray.
- (Windows) Choose Edit > Preferences >Transparency & Gamut.
- (Mac OS) Choose Photoshop >Preferences > Transparency & Gamut.
- Under Gamut Warning, click the color box to display theColor Picker. Then choose a new warning color, and click OK.For best results, use a color that is not already presentin the image.
- Use this option to reveal more or less of the underlyingimage through the warning color. Values can range from 1 % to 100%.Original image, and out‑of‑gamut colors preview with blueselected for gamut warning color
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Printing using extended gamut process colors allows for a broader color gamut – CMYK PLUS Orange, Green and Violet. By adding these three additional base inks into the process, you can achieve a much closer match to traditional formulated spot ink colors. For example, orange will look truer and cleaner when orange ink is used, rather than mixing yellow and magenta to achieve a suitable match. Read more about how the PANTONE® EXTENDED GAMUT Guide helps printers here.
Good: CMYK
A less expensive form of process printing, but matches only about 55% of PANTONE Spot Colors. Missing the mark can become expensive with repeated trial and error approval rounds for results that ultimately aren't always satisfying.
Better: EXTENDED GAMUT
Seven-color process produces more stable results with cleaner, brighter, crisper effects when compared to CMYK and can match about 90% of PANTONE Spot Colors. Save time and money with closer matches to spot colors that are more consistently achievable.
Best: SPOT COLOR
PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM® Spot Colors are still the ideal choice for consistent, accurate color reproduction.
A big production benefit is that the printing press can be set up with a “fixed palette” of CMYKOGV inks to produce most of the range of Pantone+ Colors, without needing to change any ink on the press, from one job to the next. There is also no limit to the number of Pantone+ Colors that you can put into a job. Although a number of large, well-known brands are already achieving amazing results with a fixed palette of colors, there’s still some resistance in the market. One big reason is the fear of “mixing” ink separations and dot patterns on press instead of ink in a bucket, because print and color quality control become key factors. You need a system that provides real-time feedback so the entire run can be monitored and adjustments can be made right on press.
Today we’ll share five tools that can help you measure, monitor, and control print quality so you can successfully make the switch to extended gamut.
Tools of the Trade
1 - PANTONE® PLUS SERIES EXTENDED GAMUT Coated Guide
![Gamut Tools Gamut Tools](https://gtwww.blob.core.windows.net/images/categories/ac187f40-11cb-11e8-a995-1d817db6b453.png)
This guide features simulations of 1,729 PLUS SERIES FORMULA GUIDE colors using a seven-color printing process, although if you examine the guide closely, no more than three inks are required to achieve any Pantone Color. In fact, by adding orange, green and violet to the traditional CMYK inks, you can achieve an acceptable visual match for approximately 90% of the solid colors in the PANTONE Matching System. Designers and converters can use this guide to visualize how a given set of colors will look in spot, CMYK, and extended gamut versions in order to make the best printing approach and hierarchy decision.
PANTONE COLOR MANAGER comes free with the PANTONE EXTENDED GAMUT Guide. This software application syncs the latest PANTONE Color Libraries with popular design software, making it much easier for designers to create files all of the latest Pantone+ Colors.
2 - X-Rite eXact
The eXact portable spectrophotometer is the perfect tool for busy pressrooms because it provides accurate and consistent color measurements on a variety of print and packaging substrates. Its cordless operation and innovative color touch screen make it very easy for printers and packaging converters to understand, control, manage, and communicate color from anywhere on the pressroom floor. With configurations for Tone Value, Tone Value Increase (TVI) or Dot Gain, TVI Table, and Print Characteristics, the eXact makes it easy to measure both spot and process colors in extended color gamut printing.
The newest member of the eXact family – the eXact Xp – addresses the unique challenges of working with packaging film substrates, including lamination materials and base structures. The eXact Scan option extends this ability to quickly read conventional, custom and non-continuous strips on all sizes of packaging applications, up to 44”. This can be paired with X-Rite ColorCert for measuring control strips in flexo and gravure production or with X-Rite eXact InkKeyControl to provide key-by-key ink control for smaller presses. These tools are critical for getting up to color quickly, and validating that color is maintained throughout the press run.
Is the eXact Xp right for you? Learn how to determine if your film exhibits interference that can skew your measurement results in this blog, The Key to Controlling Color on Flexible Film.
3 - PantoneLIVE Production
While physical references remain a critical component of a color workflow, digital standards offer a more sophisticated level of connectivity. They are scientific, precise, and repeatable, and the values will not change over time like their physical counterparts. Digital color standards can open the door to consistent color across different substrates, inks, and printing technologies. They can also align multiple print facilities and join components of a larger project much more effectively than working from multiple physical standards.
For design and brands, we offerPantoneLIVE Design to view and specify colors based on specific substrates, print processes, inks, and application methods. It also includes a Visualizer application to preview how Pantone+ Spot Colors can be expected to reproduce in different printing conditions. For example, you might need to know how a color will reproduce on a flexo printer label as compared to an offset printed folding carton. Also included is an Adobe® Illustrator plug-in to enable the designer to specify these colors in the job and preview the design with accurately rendered Pantone Colors on a calibrated monitor.
For printers and converters, we offer the PantoneLIVE Production license. This is used with X-Rite and supported third-party applications for prepress, proofing, ink formulation, and production quality control. This license can also be used within Esko prepress applications to provide the best conversions to extended gamut CMYKOGV colors. This helps ensure that the specified color – spot or extended gamut - is used and achieved consistently throughout the workflow.
4 - ColorCert Suite
The key to quality and consistency in any print and packaging workflow is collection of color data with actionable feedback to help the operator match color standards in the inkroom and at press. ColorCert is modular, job-based solution for controlling print run quality in real time. Utilizing a combination of desktop software, it links every stakeholder in the production workflow, including prepress, inkroom, and pressroom, in one site or many. Comprehensive reporting capabilities help press operators monitor how the press is running, identify production issues and apply corrective actions, and see real-time results during the run. The ColorCert interface is very easy to use, especially when combined with X-Rite eXact Scan, and presents all the necessary information to make sure the extended color gamut process is successful.
5 - NetProfiler
Your measurements are only as accurate as your devices. NetProfiler monitors your instruments, ensures calibration, and provides history and performance reporting. With NetProfiler, you can verify and optimize the performance of your color measurement instruments in multiple sites around the globe. NetProfiler ensures you can maintain the tightest correlation between all of your instruments.
Making the Switch to Fixed Color Palette Printing
Another reason now is the time to make the switch to an extended ink set is the adoption of CxF/X by the International Standards Organization (ISO 17972-1:2015). Integrating CxF/X into design and workflow applications makes it more convenient and accurate to communicate all aspects of color across the print and packaging workflow.
If you’re a brand owner, designer, converter or printer who wants to learn more about printing with an extended ink set, get in touch. Our Color Experts are always happy to assist.
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