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CHAPTER 4
Fixing Your Photos
For more information, see “Checking scan
quality and tonal range” in online Help.
Adjust the tonal range Begin tonal corrections by
adjusting the values of the extreme highlight and
shadow pixels in the image, setting an overall tonal
range that allows for the sharpest detail possible
throughout the image. This process is known as
setting the highlights and shadows or setting the
white and black points. (See “Adjusting the range of
dark and light tones in an image” on page 62.)
Setting the highlights and shadows typically redis-
tributes the midtone pixels appropriately. When
pixel values are concentrated at either end of the
tonal range, however, you may need to adjust your
midtones manually.
Adjust the color balance After correcting the
tonal range, you can adjust the image’s color
balance to remove unwanted color casts or to
correct oversaturated or undersaturated colors.
(To manually fix a color cast, see “Using the Color
Cast command” on page 67; or you can try the
Auto Color Correction command: See “Using the
Auto Color Correction command” on page 59.)
Make other special color adjustments Once you
have corrected the overall color balance of your
image, you can make optional adjustments to
enhance colors. For example, you can increase the
vividness of color in your image by increasing its
saturation. (See “Adjusting color” on page 65.)
Sharpen the edges of the image As a final step,
use the Unsharp Mask filter to sharpen the clarity
of edges in the image. This step helps restore detail
and sharpness that tonal adjustments may reduce.
(See “Sharpen filters” on page 179.)
For information on viewing the range of
shadows, midtones, and highlights in an
image, see “Checking scan quality and tonal range”
in online Help.
Quickly fixing your photos
Some image problems are simple enough that they
can be quickly fixed using the automated or simple
correction features in Photoshop Elements.
Using the Auto Levels command
To enhance the contrast of an image that has an
average distribution of color values, use the Auto
Levels command. Auto Levels defines the lightest
and darkest pixels in an image, and then redis-
tributes intermediate pixel values proportionately.
Note: Because Auto Levels adjusts each color channel
(red, green, and blue) individually, it may remove or
introduce color casts. If Auto Levels introduces an
undesirable color cast, undo the command, and then
try the Auto Contrast command instead. See “Using
the Auto Contrast command” on page 59.
To use the Auto Levels command:
1 Do one of the following:
• To make adjustments to your entire image,
choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is
selected. If your image has multiple layers, select
a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
• To make adjustments to a portion of your
image, make a selection in the document
window. See “Selecting pixels” on page 114.
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