Adobe® Photoshop® CS6

Chapter 7

Creating Color Channels and Actions

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• Create a master image• View channel color separations• Use the Channels panel to create alpha channels• Use a brush in overlay mode to help define a selection• Use a brush in color mode to recolor a selection• Convert an image to black and white using different

methods• Create black-and-white, sepia, and duotone versions of

an image

Objectives

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• Create an advertisement with warped text• Create a new action set• Record, save, edit, and play back an action• Convert an RGB image to LAB color and then to

CMYK• List prepress activities• Resize and resample images• Print color separations

Objectives

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Project – Animal Adoption Advertising

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• Plan your versions• Choose the best tool for the job• Record actions for repetitive tasks• Create print versions of artwork

General Project Guidelines

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The Channels Panel

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• Click the Channels panel tab to access the Channels panel

• Click the desired channel to display it

Viewing Channels

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• Click the Zoom Tool button on the Tools panel• Drag a rectangle around the area to zoom• Release the mouse button to apply the zoom

Zooming by Dragging

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Zooming by Dragging

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• Right-click the Lasso Tool button on the Tools panel to display a context menu, and then select Magnetic Lasso Tool

• Click the edge of the area to select, and then drag the mouse around it, staying close to the edges

• Click the starting point as you finish to close the selection

Selecting Using a Channel

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Selecting Using a Channel

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• Click the ‘Indicates channel visibility’ button to the left of the Alpha 1 channel to display its color overlay

Creating an Alpha Channel from a Selection

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• Click the Alpha 1 channel to select it• Click the Brush Tool on the Tools panel to make it the

active tool• Click the Brush Preset picker button on the Options bar

to display the Brush Preset picker, double-click the value in the Size box, and then type the desired brush size

• Double-click the value in the Hardness box and type the desired hardness

• Drag over the desired area of the picture

Editing an Alpha Channel

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Editing an Alpha Channel

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• Click the desired channel thumbnail to select the channel

• Right-click the channel and choose Duplicate Channel from the context menu to display the Duplicate Channel dialog box

• In the As text box, type the desired channel name, and then click the OK button to close the Duplicate Channel dialog box

Creating an Alpha Channel from Scratch

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Creating an Alpha Channel from Scratch

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• Click the Brush Tool button• In the options bar, click the Mode button and select Overlay• Click the Brush Preset picker button to open the Brush Preset

picker• Double-click the value in the Size box and type the desired

brush size, then type the desired hardness in the Hardness box• Click the Brush Preset picker button again to close the Brush

Preset picker• If necessary, press the D key to reset the foreground/

background colors• Drag across the desired portion of the image

Making a Selection in Brush Overlay Mode

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• Press the X key to reverse the colors• Drag the mouse pointer over the background

Making a Selection in Brush Overlay Mode

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• Select the Lasso Tool and draw a selection around the desired area

• Click Edit on the Application bar, and then click Fill to display the Fill dialog box

• Click the Use box arrow to display the Use list. Click the desired fill color, and then click the OK button to fill the selection with the chosen color

• Press CTRL+D to deselect the selection

Fine-Tuning the Selection

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Fine-Tuning the Selection

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• Click Select on the Application bar, and then click Load Selection to display the Load Selection dialog box

• Click the Channel box arrow to display the list, select the desired channel, and then click the OK button

• Click the desired layer in the Layers panel to make it the active layer

• Click the Add layer mask button to create a mask from the selection

Creating a Layer Mask from an Alpha Channel

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Creating a Layer Mask from an Alpha Channel

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• Click the mask thumbnail on the desired layer• Click Select on the Application bar, and then click

Refine Mask to display the Refine Mask dialog box• Make the desired selections in the Refine Mask

dialog box• Click the OK button to apply the refinement

Using the Refine Mask Tool

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Using the Refine Mask Tool

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• Click the desired layer on the Layers panel• Click Select on the Application bar, and then click Load

Selection to display the Load Selection dialog box• From the Channel menu, select the desired alpha

channel• Click the OK button to load the alpha channel as a

selection• Click the ‘Add layer mask’ button on the Layers panel

status bar to turn the selection into a mask• If desired, hide the necessary layers

Adding a Layer Mask from an Alpha Channel

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Adding a Layer Mask from an Alpha Channel

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• Click to select the desired layer• Click Select on the Application bar, and then click

Load Selection to display the Load Selection dialog box

• From the Channel menu, select the desired channel• Click the OK button to load the alpha channel as a

selection• Click the ‘Add layer mask’ button on the Layers

panel status bar to turn the selection into a mask

Masking using an Existing Alpha Channel

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Masking using an Existing Alpha Channel

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• Click the Brush Tool button to select it• Set the desired brush size• Press the D key to reset the colors to the default setting• Press the X key to reverse the colors so that white is the

foreground color• Click the ‘Lock transparent pixels’ button at the top of

the Layers panel so that the transparency of the layer is protected

• Click the Mode button on the options bar to display the brush modes

Decontaminating Colors

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• Click Color at the bottom of the Mode menu to set the brush mode

• Drag back and forth across the desired area of the image until the unwanted color is removed

Decontaminating Colors

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• Type and format the desired text• On the options bar, click the ‘Create warped text’ button

to display the Warp Text dialog box• Click the Style box arrow, and then click the desired style• Set the desired bend, Horizontal Distortion, and Vertical

Distortion• Click the OK button• Press CTRL+T to freely transform the text• Drag the bounding box to move the text into position• Press the ENTER key to apply the transformation

Warping Text

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Warping Text

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The Actions Panel

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• Click Window on the Application bar and then click Actions to display the Actions panel

Displaying the Actions Panel

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• Click the Actions panel menu button to display the Actions panel menu

• Click the desired action set• Click the desired action

Appending Action Sets

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Appending Action Sets

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• Click the Play selection button to play the action• Click the Continue button to apply the action

Playing an Action

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• On the Actions panel status bar, click the ‘Create new set’ button to display the New Set dialog box

• Click the desired action set name in the Name text box

• Click the OK button to create the action and add it to the Actions panel

Creating a New Action Set

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Creating a New Action Set

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• On the Actions panel status bar, click the ‘Create new action’ button to display the New Action dialog box

• Type the desired action name in the Name text box

• Click the Function Key box arrow and then click the desired function key

• Click the Color box arrow and then click the desired color

Creating a New Action

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Creating a New Action

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• In the New Action dialog box, click the Record button to close the dialog box and begin recording keystrokes

• Perform the steps to include in the action• Click the ‘Stop playing/recording’ button to stop

the recording

Recording an Action

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Recording an Action

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• Press the F11 key to play the action

Testing the Action

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• On the Actions panel, click the desired action set• Click the Actions panel menu button to display the

menu• Click Save Actions to display the Save dialog box• Navigate to the desired save location• Click the Save button to save the Action Set

Saving an Action Set

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Saving an Action Set

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• Desaturate• Equalize• Match Color• Replace Color• Shadows/Highlights• Variations

Color Toning and Conversions

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• On the Application bar, click Image and then point to Adjustments to display the submenu

• Click Desaturate to produce a grayscale image

Desaturating

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• Click the Adjustments tab to display the Adjustments panel• Click the Black & White icon on the Adjustments panel to display

the settings• On the Adjustments panel status bar, click the ‘Clip to layer’

button to create an adjustments layer• Click the ‘Modify a slider’ button to enable color changes in the

document itself, and then move the mouse pointer into the document window and position it over the desired area

• In the document window, drag to the desired location• At the top of the Adjustments panel, click the Collapse Panel

button to close the Black & White settings on the Adjustments panel

Creating a Black-and-White Adjustment

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Creating a Black-and-White Adjustment

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• On the Adjustments panel, click the Selective Color icon to display its settings

• Click the ‘Clip to layer’ button on the status bar to create an adjustment layer

• Click the Colors box arrow to display its list• Click Neutrals to adjust the neutral colors in the image• Drag the Cyan slider to –53, drag the Magenta slider to –31,

drag the Yellow slider to –18, and drag the Black slider to 49 until a warm brown color is attained

• At the top of the Adjustments panel, click the Collapse to Panel button

Creating a Sepia Image Using Selective Color

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Creating a Sepia Image Using Selective Color

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• On the Image menu, point to Mode and then click Grayscale

• When Photoshop asks to discard adjustment layers, click the OK button

• When Photoshop asks to discard color information, click the Discard button to accept the change

• On the Image menu, point to Mode and then click Duotone to display the Duotone Options dialog box. Click the Preview check box to preview the image, if necessary

• Click the Type box arrow to display its list

Converting an Image to Duotone

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• Click Duotone to add one color to the original black

• To specify the second color, click the Preset box arrow to display its list

• Scroll as necessary and then click the desired color

• Click the OK button

Converting an Image to Duotone

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Converting an Image to Duotone

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• LAB Color is an internationally accepted color mode that defines colors mathematically using a lightness or luminance setting, and two color or chromatic channels

Using LAB Color

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• Click Image on the Application bar, point to Mode, and then click Lab Color to begin the conversion

• When Photoshop displays a message about merging layers, click the Merge button

Converting to LAB Color

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Converting to LAB Color

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• Click Image on the Application bar, and then click Image Size to display the Image Size dialog box

• Click the Resample Image check box to select it, if necessary• Click the Constrain Proportions check box to select it, if

necessary• Click the Resample Image box arrow to display the

interpolation methods• Click the desired method• Enter the desired width, height, and resolution• Click the OK button to close the dialog box and apply the

settings

Resizing a File with Resampling

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Resizing a File with Resampling

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• Click File on the Application bar, and then click Print to display the Photoshop Print Settings dialog box

• Click the Color Handling box arrow to display its list• Click Separations in the list• Click the Print button to display your printer-

dependent Print dialog box• Click the Print button or the appropriate button for

your printer to print the image

Printing Color Separations

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Printing Color Separations

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• Create a master image• View channel color separations• Use the Channels panel to create alpha channels• Use a brush in overlay mode to help define a

selection• Convert an image to black and white using

different methods• Create black-and-white, sepia, and duotone

versions of an image

Chapter Summary

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• Create an advertisement with warped text• Create a new action set• Record, save, edit, and play back an action• Convert an RGB image to LAB color and then to

CMYK• List prepress activities• Resize and resample images• Print color separations

Chapter Summary

Chapter 7 Complete

Adobe® Photoshop® CS6