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Computers and Software => Raster and Vector Manipulation Programs, and How to Do Stuff in Them. => Topic started by: Rockers on May 03, 2015, 09:22:52 PM
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As Photoshop is not really my choice of software for seps I really have no idea about how to do certain things that are essential for sim process jobs for example.
For example I would be at loss if I had to make adjustments to my greyscale or sim process files so that we don`t print the kind of halftones we can`t hold anyway onto film.
And this might sound now like wishful thinking by me, maybe someone could give me some detailed instructions on how to do this, ideally with some screen grabs so I know what tools to use and how to use them?
Would be a real big help.
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adjust the levels. it's up under adjustments in PS, the slider all the way to the left, move it to the right a few clicks...should knock out the lower %..
buy Mitch Different's book on seps, you'll really like PS after, tones of great info.
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Go to the curves, make adjustment layer (Never adjust directly on the file because you can not reverse it if saved) and move the bottom of the curve from 0 to 5.
That will make all the dots smaller than 5 to be at least 5%.
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Go to the curves, make adjustment layer (Never adjust directly on the file because you can not reverse it if saved) and move the bottom of the curve from 0 to 5.
That will make all the dots smaller than 5 to be at least 5%.
However, this means that the 2% or so is raised to 5%, instead of being removed. It's a scrunching of the range. Some may find it too dark... Where's Dan on this topic?
Steve
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also be careful with 100% pure white sections that aren't transparent... sometimes (and not really sure when, but it's happened to me) when you do the adjustment the 0% will get raised to 5% as well, which is probably not what you're looking for.
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Go to the curves, make adjustment layer (Never adjust directly on the file because you can not reverse it if saved) and move the bottom of the curve from 0 to 5.
That will make all the dots smaller than 5 to be at least 5%.
Nevermind this. I understood the question the wrong way. You have to move the curve horizontally from 0 to 5.
See attached
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Actually, you need two points--one at the 5% in, 0% out point, and one at the 5% in, 5% out point--otherwise, you're just starting 5% @ 0%, which will still result in 1-5% tones...
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Another way would be to use the levels and adjust your output then mid point, like so.
I pulled up a gradient and played with it to try and keep the over all feel the same... I'd suggest you do the same so you know what is going to happen to the overall tonality of the image when you do this.
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If you simply move the bottom left point to the right, all other tones are also lightened. Draw a set of boxes in 5% increments (say, 5% to 20%). Move the slider as suggested, then measure the boxes; you'll find the the 10% is now 5%, the 15% is 10%, and the 20% is now 15%... I believe you need to lock the diagonal line in the Curves pallet by placing points along the diagonal line before you move the bottom left to the 5% mark, this keeps the others from moving, and they should stay the same or very close.
Steve
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UPDATE: OK, this is cool, try it. Open the Curves dialog, we are going to use the "pencil". In the bottom left of the curve box, hover your mouse over the diagonal line, it will tell you what percentage you're on. Click and hold at 5%, drag straight down, and then all the way to the left. All tones 5% and below are gone, and nothing else is affected. Obviously, you can choose any tone as your starting point. I tested with a 0% - 100% grayscale bar in 5% increments, and when I did it, the 5% box just disappeared. Hope this helps...
Steve
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UPDATE: OK, this is cool, try it. Open the Curves dialog, we are going to use the "pencil". In the bottom left of the curve box, hover your mouse over the diagonal line, it will tell you what percentage you're on. Click and hold at 5%, drag straight down, and then all the way to the left. All tones 5% and below are gone, and nothing else is affected. Obviously, you can choose any tone as your starting point. I tested with a 0% - 100% grayscale bar in 5% increments, and when I did it, the 5% box just disappeared. Hope this helps...
Steve
Yep This.
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Nice.. I thought this had to be possible!
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Great thread. It made me dig down and learn curves a little better. High time considering I use it every day.
What about curving out those 85-99% values on the other end? I know this is where a good rip really kicks in but for those without or using Accurip where the linearization does not function correctly it'd be nice to pull back that area to comp for the gain.
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Chris,
Do you need to compensate for gain through the rest of the tonal area?
Or are you JUST looking to open up your shadow areas?
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Personally if we can't expose/develop/print them, I don't wanna see them on film.
Great info Steve.
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Chris,
Do you need to compensate for gain through the rest of the tonal area?
Or are you JUST looking to open up your shadow areas?
Little Column A, little Column B. I do use curves and/or levels for gain comp across the image but I find that most of the art needs some more specific adjustment than a nice "S" curve:
- Values below a certain % cut, as in under 5%, etc.
- 100% values left alone.
- high 80%s to 99% pulled back harder than values from 5%-80%
What I've been doing is a series of curves adjustments where I put stops to keep ranges I don't want to adjust out of the curves adjustment. Works OK.
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- high 80%s to 99% pulled back harder than values from 5%-80%
Can you provide a bit more on how this is accomplished?
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Sure thing. The screen shots aren't showing my eye dropper for some reason but 3 pics attached.
5% knockout shows what Sbrem was talking about in case anyone was wondering. It's pretty dang cool except you know how you get that "ragged edge" on screens where they stop holding the dots below a certain percent? Well it turns out that's inherent to a lot of art. When you cut out 5% and down it has the same effect. At least you know what you are getting into before press.
99% point shows how I set a point at 99%. I marquee a quick box on the channel I'm working in, fill it at 99%, select the black point dropper in the curves dialog and click the 99% box. I find it annoying to try and click the 99% spot in the curve panel.
80-99 curve shows a curve that allows you to pull back that range without effecting the other areas. You simply add points along the way to control what the curve is impacting. It has some limitations and is obviously a little bit laborious. I feel like each section of an image's range has it's own special needs regarding inkjet output and on press behavior.
Hope that's helpful.
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Thanks
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Excellent Zoo! By the way, in the Curves dialog, double click the Black Eyedropper, it opens up the picker, set K to 99%...
Steve
On second thought, that's not quite right. If you click on the 100% point, you can move it with the arrow keys, and I'll use the info pallet for a guide...
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Actually, you need two points--one at the 5% in, 0% out point, and one at the 5% in, 5% out point--otherwise, you're just starting 5% @ 0%, which will still result in 1-5% tones...
Should have mentioned the silly caveats to this... since no one tried it. :)
For instance, you can put 4in at 0 out, and then 5 in at 5 out, but then need 7 in 7 out and 9 in 9 out to 'straighten' the curve again.
When I tried to go from 6 in 0 out to 7 in 7 out it moved the point out. Weird.
Seems unusual there's no way of entering accurate single percentage values instead of having to 'draw' them in such a powerful/expensive program, but I suppose, it's actually a piece of crap compared to the real sepping software...
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Excellent Zoo! By the way, in the Curves dialog, double click the Black Eyedropper, it opens up the picker, set K to 99%...
Steve
On second thought, that's not quite right. If you click on the 100% point, you can move it with the arrow keys, and I'll use the info pallet for a guide...
Oh man, thank you for the tip on the arrow keys. Way less time involved that way. Anyone know where to get to the view options for curves in CC? They refer to it in the help documentation but no idea where that actually is.
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Excellent Zoo! By the way, in the Curves dialog, double click the Black Eyedropper, it opens up the picker, set K to 99%...
Steve
On second thought, that's not quite right. If you click on the 100% point, you can move it with the arrow keys, and I'll use the info pallet for a guide...
Oh man, thank you for the tip on the arrow keys. Way less time involved that way. Anyone know where to get to the view options for curves in CC? They refer to it in the help documentation but no idea where that actually is.
All panels in photoshop have a fly out options menu in the top right corner so that will be the best place too look when you're in the curves panel.
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