Ever since Photoshop 5 debuted Color Management has become an essential part of any digital workflow. Back then, in the dark old days of Color Management, it was a challenge just to find any good info on what we needed to do to get our color under control.
And the tools for profiling printers and monitors were difficult to work with as well. The first printer profiling package I used, ColorBlind, required a two day training session just to learn the basics.
We've come a long way since then and the latest offerings from X-Rite have taken the ease of use even higher while also delivering some very powerful tools that allow you to get your color under control like never before!
I recently upgraded my profiling package to X-Rite's i1 Profiler and I have to say I'm very impressed. This software is easier to use than any I've used before and yet it also gives me some very advanced options that make it easy to get everything dialed in whether it's calibrating and profiling my monitor, or it's creating a profile for that new paper I've been looking to try in my Epson printer.
As I've explored this new tool I came across a great resource for information from X-Rite and my friends at the Color Management Group. If you're looking for tips on how to make great printer profiles, or how to produce Contract Level Proofs on your inkjet printer these folks have the info for you.
You can read some great tips on the cool new features in i1 Profiler in the Tech Corner section of their site as well as find links to downloads and more info here: http://www.i1upgrades.com/category/tech-corner/
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Adusting a Layer Mask with the Dodge-Burn and Blur Tools
Here's a technique I developed for quickly finessing a Layer Mask using the Dodge/Burn & Blur tools. The idea is to use the Burn Tool to bring the mask in tighter to the object and the Blur Tool to give the edge just the right amount of softness.
With a little practice you'll find this method works very quickly because it does not require you to be as careful as you would need to be with the Brush Tool.
Take a look at the video and let me know what you think.
With a little practice you'll find this method works very quickly because it does not require you to be as careful as you would need to be with the Brush Tool.
Take a look at the video and let me know what you think.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
3 Steps to Optimize Your Brush Settings for Wacom Tablets
As an experienced retoucher one of the most valuable tools available to me is my trusty Wacom Tablet. The ability to use hold the Stylus in my hand as I would a paint brush or a pencil makes the whole work of retouching and masking so much easier.
For me using a mouse for painting feels like I'm using a brick. I simply can't imagine how it would be possible to get my work done that way. Yet I am constantly surprised by the number of Photoshop users I meet who just can't seem to get the hang of working with the Wacom Stylus.
After speaking with several folks like this I realized that often times there are just too many variables happening at the same time when they try to use a Wacom or other pressure sensitive tablet. And in many regards this makes a lot of sense to me.
The default Brushes in Photoshop have a lot of power behind them and it seems like Adobe keeps adding in more power with every update. But these many of these default Brushes have overlapping controls that can make working with them very difficult, especially for users who are not used to being able to control so many factors at once.
For instance many of the default Brushes use the pressure sensitivity of the tablet to control the opacity of the Brush, but it controls the sizing of the Brush as well. In other words pressing harder or softer affects how much paint you're adding as well as how big the Brush is. Here is an example of the kind of effect this can create:
As I painted with this Brush I started out in the middle with a very light pressure and gradually used a harder pressure and then a lighter pressure as I finished the stroke. You can see how the size of the Brush and the hardness of the edge changes as I varied the pressure.
For many users this can make for some unpredictable effects that are harder to control. No wonder many of them want to just keep painting with their brick, er Mouse!
As I said in the beginning of this article Photoshop gives you a lot of control over the way the Brushes work. Let's take a look at our example again, but this time we'll also take a look at the Brush Setting as well.
Looking at the Brush palette you can see there are several controls available. Right now we're only going to be concerned with 2 of them.
Step 1) Just below the "Brush Tip Shape" name is a control labeled "Shape Dynamics". This setting is where you can control the shape and size of the Brush. Turning that control off (by un-clicking) allows you to keep the size of the Brush constant no matter how much pressure you apply. Now your Brush will act exactly the same way when you use the Stylus or the Mouse.
Step 2) Now go to the control labeled "Transfer" (In Photoshop CS4 and before this is called "Other Dynamics"). Clicking on that control will show you a few more options. The one we're concerned with here is called "Opacity Jitter". Click on the Control button right below that and you'll see a pop up menu like the one shown below:
Setting this control to "Pen Pressure" will allow you to control the opacity of your brush by changing the pressure you apply with your Stylus. The harder you press the more paint the Brush will apply. And the softer you press means the more transparent your paint stroke will be.
This control gives you a lot of power that can be pretty easy to master. With just a little practice now you should be able to easily control how much paint you're applying. If you want a softer, more transparent effect just use a lighter pressure. If you want more paint to be applied just press harder. It's really that simple.
Step 3) Once you have set your Brush up as you like it be sure to click on the "Brush Presets" button, then click on the "Create New Brush" button to save your brush as shown below:
Since many of Photoshop's tools, like the Rubber Stamp Tool, make use of Brushes you'll find it's now easier than ever to get just the effects you want. Many Photoshop Pros make a variety of Brush Presets with different sizes and hardnesses so they have a wide range of handy settings available to them. To make these various Brushes just go back to your Brushes palette and click on the "Brush Tip Shape" control shown below:
Here by changing the Size and the Hardness options and then saving each Brush you can create your own variety of Brush Presets that will be easily available to you whenever you work in Photoshop.
For me using a mouse for painting feels like I'm using a brick. I simply can't imagine how it would be possible to get my work done that way. Yet I am constantly surprised by the number of Photoshop users I meet who just can't seem to get the hang of working with the Wacom Stylus.
After speaking with several folks like this I realized that often times there are just too many variables happening at the same time when they try to use a Wacom or other pressure sensitive tablet. And in many regards this makes a lot of sense to me.
The default Brushes in Photoshop have a lot of power behind them and it seems like Adobe keeps adding in more power with every update. But these many of these default Brushes have overlapping controls that can make working with them very difficult, especially for users who are not used to being able to control so many factors at once.
For instance many of the default Brushes use the pressure sensitivity of the tablet to control the opacity of the Brush, but it controls the sizing of the Brush as well. In other words pressing harder or softer affects how much paint you're adding as well as how big the Brush is. Here is an example of the kind of effect this can create:
As I painted with this Brush I started out in the middle with a very light pressure and gradually used a harder pressure and then a lighter pressure as I finished the stroke. You can see how the size of the Brush and the hardness of the edge changes as I varied the pressure.
For many users this can make for some unpredictable effects that are harder to control. No wonder many of them want to just keep painting with their brick, er Mouse!
As I said in the beginning of this article Photoshop gives you a lot of control over the way the Brushes work. Let's take a look at our example again, but this time we'll also take a look at the Brush Setting as well.
Looking at the Brush palette you can see there are several controls available. Right now we're only going to be concerned with 2 of them.
Step 1) Just below the "Brush Tip Shape" name is a control labeled "Shape Dynamics". This setting is where you can control the shape and size of the Brush. Turning that control off (by un-clicking) allows you to keep the size of the Brush constant no matter how much pressure you apply. Now your Brush will act exactly the same way when you use the Stylus or the Mouse.
Step 2) Now go to the control labeled "Transfer" (In Photoshop CS4 and before this is called "Other Dynamics"). Clicking on that control will show you a few more options. The one we're concerned with here is called "Opacity Jitter". Click on the Control button right below that and you'll see a pop up menu like the one shown below:
Setting this control to "Pen Pressure" will allow you to control the opacity of your brush by changing the pressure you apply with your Stylus. The harder you press the more paint the Brush will apply. And the softer you press means the more transparent your paint stroke will be.
This control gives you a lot of power that can be pretty easy to master. With just a little practice now you should be able to easily control how much paint you're applying. If you want a softer, more transparent effect just use a lighter pressure. If you want more paint to be applied just press harder. It's really that simple.
Step 3) Once you have set your Brush up as you like it be sure to click on the "Brush Presets" button, then click on the "Create New Brush" button to save your brush as shown below:
Since many of Photoshop's tools, like the Rubber Stamp Tool, make use of Brushes you'll find it's now easier than ever to get just the effects you want. Many Photoshop Pros make a variety of Brush Presets with different sizes and hardnesses so they have a wide range of handy settings available to them. To make these various Brushes just go back to your Brushes palette and click on the "Brush Tip Shape" control shown below:
Here by changing the Size and the Hardness options and then saving each Brush you can create your own variety of Brush Presets that will be easily available to you whenever you work in Photoshop.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Choking a Path with Photoshop and Illustrator
Every now and then a project will involve creating a Clipping Path which the client will then use in a layout program such as Quark Xpress or InDesign to make sure the background drops out completely.
Now creating a Clipping Path is simple enough, but what happens if the client needs the path to come in a little bit tighter, commonly called "choking"? Moving each point on the path in a few pixels can be very time consuming especially when you have a complex path.
Here is a video tutorial I created showing you how to easily accomplish this using Photoshop and Illustrator together.
Now creating a Clipping Path is simple enough, but what happens if the client needs the path to come in a little bit tighter, commonly called "choking"? Moving each point on the path in a few pixels can be very time consuming especially when you have a complex path.
Here is a video tutorial I created showing you how to easily accomplish this using Photoshop and Illustrator together.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Guess Mailer
This past Spring I was called by photographer Emilie Harris who asked me to handle the retouching for a Guess ad campaign she had just shot.
The job involved working on 9 images that were to be part of their Spring Mailer. In addition to the usual retouching, color correction and cleanup this project involved an added twist. All of the images were shot using a cool idea, projecting an image onto the background over the models. In the end we wound up using a combination of 'Old School' and 'New School' techniques to create the finished images.
When the background images were projected over the models it created a very cool muted, slightly distorted image that spilled over the models tying them nicely into the scene. By combining the approved shots with the images that were projected onto the backgrounds I was able to bring a level of control to the project that could not be achieved 'in camera'.
Of course this meant laying the background images over the approved shot, matching the distortion and color then carefully masking out the models. For the image above this meant painstakingly masking out the spokes on the wheels as well. Now that's true masking fun!
Here are the Before and After shots:
The job involved working on 9 images that were to be part of their Spring Mailer. In addition to the usual retouching, color correction and cleanup this project involved an added twist. All of the images were shot using a cool idea, projecting an image onto the background over the models. In the end we wound up using a combination of 'Old School' and 'New School' techniques to create the finished images.
When the background images were projected over the models it created a very cool muted, slightly distorted image that spilled over the models tying them nicely into the scene. By combining the approved shots with the images that were projected onto the backgrounds I was able to bring a level of control to the project that could not be achieved 'in camera'.
Of course this meant laying the background images over the approved shot, matching the distortion and color then carefully masking out the models. For the image above this meant painstakingly masking out the spokes on the wheels as well. Now that's true masking fun!
Here are the Before and After shots:
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A Really Cool Script
Naming your Layers has always been one of my pet peeves when it comes to retouching. When working on a multi-layered image there is nothing quite so confusing as trying to figure out what "Layer 39" is for.
And "Naming your Layers" starts with the Background Layer. A great deal of the images I work on involve compositing several images together. Whether it's adding a new cherry to the top of a tasty milk shake, or it's replacing someone's head it always helps to know where each part came from. By putting the original file name in the Layer Name of each Layer I can easily keep track of where that cherry or head came from.
This way when my client asks "What shot did that head come from?" I can just look in my Layer's Palette and see right away giving me an easy way to confirm I used the right shot.
In the workshops I teach I make a point of this and I've written about an easy way to put the name of the source image in the Layer's name in a previous blog post, Workflow Tip #1. In short that post described a method for copying the original file's name and then turning the background into a Layer and pasting the name into the Layer Properties dialogue for that Layer.
It sounds a little complicated but once you get used to it it's possible to do this in 3 or 4 mouse clicks so it's actually pretty easy.
At least I thought it was pretty easy until a reader, Jim Koch, turned me on to something really cool that automatically does this for you by using a little script you can load into Photoshop. Very Cool!
This script was created by one of the propeller heads from Adobe's Photoshop engineering team, Thomas Ruark. If you're a big user of Photoshop as I am these guys are among your heros. And Thomas just rocketed to the top of the list in my book!
For those of you who aren't familiar with the use of Java Scripts in Photoshop rest assured these can be very cool little items. A script is basically a set of commands that can automate various actions within Photoshop. They are similar to the more familiar Actions that so many people use constantly, (I have one friend that regularly uses something like 150 Actions in his daily work.)
But unlike Actions which require you to click on something, or invoke some key commands scripts can be set up to run automatically. I've not experimented too extensively with scripts before (though I plan to play with them more in near future), but I understand scripts can even do things not possible with Actions. All in they're promising to be pretty handy tools for any busy retoucher.
The script Thomas wrote is called "OpenAsLayer.jsx" and once loaded into Photoshop it completely automates the process of adding the file's name to the Background Layer when you open the file. After installing this and working with it for a few days I've come to really love this cool little script.
You can find the script here on Julieanne Kost's blog, This link will take you to the blog post where she explains how to download, install and use the script.
Now after waxing so enthusiastically about this cool script I do want to mention one thing, once you've installed the script it will automatically name any Background Layer with the file's name so if you regularly use any Actions etc that look for a Layer named "Background" you'll need to remember to re-convert that Layer back into a Background Layer before using the Action.
To restore your Background Layer all you have to do is go to the PS menu bar and click on Layer>New>Background from Layer. Come to think of it you could even create an Action to do this, or modify the Actions that need a Background Layer to make this even easier.
For now my thanks go out to Jim Koch and Thomas Ruark for making my work just a little bit easier.
And "Naming your Layers" starts with the Background Layer. A great deal of the images I work on involve compositing several images together. Whether it's adding a new cherry to the top of a tasty milk shake, or it's replacing someone's head it always helps to know where each part came from. By putting the original file name in the Layer Name of each Layer I can easily keep track of where that cherry or head came from.
This way when my client asks "What shot did that head come from?" I can just look in my Layer's Palette and see right away giving me an easy way to confirm I used the right shot.
In the workshops I teach I make a point of this and I've written about an easy way to put the name of the source image in the Layer's name in a previous blog post, Workflow Tip #1. In short that post described a method for copying the original file's name and then turning the background into a Layer and pasting the name into the Layer Properties dialogue for that Layer.
It sounds a little complicated but once you get used to it it's possible to do this in 3 or 4 mouse clicks so it's actually pretty easy.
At least I thought it was pretty easy until a reader, Jim Koch, turned me on to something really cool that automatically does this for you by using a little script you can load into Photoshop. Very Cool!
This script was created by one of the propeller heads from Adobe's Photoshop engineering team, Thomas Ruark. If you're a big user of Photoshop as I am these guys are among your heros. And Thomas just rocketed to the top of the list in my book!
For those of you who aren't familiar with the use of Java Scripts in Photoshop rest assured these can be very cool little items. A script is basically a set of commands that can automate various actions within Photoshop. They are similar to the more familiar Actions that so many people use constantly, (I have one friend that regularly uses something like 150 Actions in his daily work.)
But unlike Actions which require you to click on something, or invoke some key commands scripts can be set up to run automatically. I've not experimented too extensively with scripts before (though I plan to play with them more in near future), but I understand scripts can even do things not possible with Actions. All in they're promising to be pretty handy tools for any busy retoucher.
The script Thomas wrote is called "OpenAsLayer.jsx" and once loaded into Photoshop it completely automates the process of adding the file's name to the Background Layer when you open the file. After installing this and working with it for a few days I've come to really love this cool little script.
You can find the script here on Julieanne Kost's blog, This link will take you to the blog post where she explains how to download, install and use the script.
Now after waxing so enthusiastically about this cool script I do want to mention one thing, once you've installed the script it will automatically name any Background Layer with the file's name so if you regularly use any Actions etc that look for a Layer named "Background" you'll need to remember to re-convert that Layer back into a Background Layer before using the Action.
To restore your Background Layer all you have to do is go to the PS menu bar and click on Layer>New>Background from Layer. Come to think of it you could even create an Action to do this, or modify the Actions that need a Background Layer to make this even easier.
For now my thanks go out to Jim Koch and Thomas Ruark for making my work just a little bit easier.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Beauty by Layers
This Saturday I'll be teaching a workshop on retouching for the APA Chapter in Denver, Colorado.
| Beauty Retouching with Dennis Dunbar |
May 14, 2011
Beauty by Layers with Dennis Dunbar
Join us on Saturday, May 14th when Dennis Dunbar will be teaching a workshop on High End Beauty Retouching. In this workshop Dennis will cover his Beauty Retouching Workflow, and will go into detail describing his techniques for getting perfect skin, as well as Color Correcting, and Sharpening. He’ll also discuss working on hair, enhancing makeup, adding a “Healthy Skin Glow” and using Adjustment Layers to augment the lighting.
Users of all levels are welcome as this workshop promises to be an informative and interesting event where Dennis will share tips and tricks that will help both the beginner as well as the advanced user.
APA Member $25
Non members $50
9:30 Doors Open
10am-2pm Presentation
lunch included
at Denver Pro Photo
235 S Cherokee St
Denver CO 80223
Door Prizes and Sponsored by:
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