Professional Information Technology-Programming Book part 21 pdf

A System of Layers for Nondestructive Editing Table 5-1 lists the layer type for a given image's workflow if you applied everything that Photoshop can do.. Recommended layer structure fo

5.1 A System of Layers for Nondestructive Editing

Table 5-1 lists the layer type for a given image's workflow if you applied

everything that Photoshop can do Of course (and thank Heavens), very few

individual images will include each of these layer categories and even fewer could use all the processes that occur within them

Don't use any of these layers unnecessarilydoing so will give you no advantage and will cause a little more destruction and use a little more disk space The table is to

be used as a guide to let you know where the layers belong in your workflow

Table 5-1 Recommended layer structure for nondestructive editing

Background

This is either the JPEG or TIFF image as originally shot or the Camera Raw image as you've adjusted it

It could also be the result of merging several images, as done for HDR or panoramic composition

Make sure you start with the best background image possible Read the first four chapters of this book carefully and do all that it takes to get you here Never make any changes directly to this layer; instead, make them on a duplicate layer

Spot retouching

Quick retouching sufficient for client approval Usually done before the rest of this process is completed

Use only Healing Tools that have the Sample All Layers Option Always keep (or move) this layer to a position

immediately above the Background (main image) layer

Burn and dodge Modifiable layer Can be

enhanced after approval

Never use actual Burn and Dodge tools for this layer If needed, use them on an Effects layer

Levels Adjustment layer

Use this layer to set black and white point and overall dynamic range

Curves Adjustment layer Use this layer to adjust the

contrast of specific areas of

Targeted curves Masked Adjustment layer

specific portion of the image, such as a face

Color balance Adjustment layer Adjust overall color balance Regional color

balance Masked Adjustment layer

Use this layer to color balance for a specific portion of the image

Advanced

retouching

Copy of flattened version of file as adjusted up to this point

You can always return to this layer if you want to do even more

Transformation

Copy of flattened version of file as adjusted up to this point

The Lens Correction filter can perform several manipulations at once

Compositing

Copy of flattened version of file as adjusted up to this point, as well as imported layers Use Clipped

Adjustment Layer(s) if needed

Group all layers for composite

so they can be turned off/on

Effects

Highly destructive Many effects are filters that work only in 8-bit mode

Additional layer for each effect

Blending modes and Opacity is very important for mixing layers One common effect is converting the image to monochrome or duotone

Destructive

editing

New, flattened layer for each destructive editing command These include Auto Levels, Contrast and Color, Match Color, Replace Color, Exposure, and

Equalize

Effects

Sharpening[click

here]

Copy of flattened version of file as adjusted up to this point Probably masked

Could be several different masked portions of layers

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Final sharpening must be done on a flattened duplicate of the image, preferably saved as compressed LZW You should then add the color profile for the

destination printer (see Chapter 12)

filename Table 5-2 shows the abbreviations I give to the filename to show how far along the layer workflow an image has processed You could save a version of the image with each of these filenames, but that's overkill in my opinion The idea here

is that when you have to stop working to do something else, you know where you left off when you come back to the file

Table 5-2 Suggested abbreviations for layer names

You can perform different tasks within each of these layer categories However, doing so doesn't often create as many layers as you might thinkyou won't do

everything possible in Photoshop to every image you process

5.3 What the Layers Palette Looks Like for All Stages

I thought you might find it helpful to see how a fairly typical landscape image's Layers palette might look after a complete run at the nondestructive editing

workflow, which, in the end, is what this book is all about You can also download

a lower-resolution, copyrighted version of this image that is still in Photoshop format so you can experiment with turning the layers on and off, restacking them, and so forth In Figure 5-1, the untouched image is on the left The a finished version of the image is on the right In Figure 5-2, you see the Layers palette as it was when the finished image was complete

Figure 5-1 Left: the image just as it came from Camera Raw; right: the finished image

Figure 5-2 The Layers palette after processing the image in Figure 5-1 in

Photoshop CS2