..: Imaging and Photoshop Tips for Brokies! :..

[Br. Patrick]

I write a nice answer and he deletes his question...  okaaay...   

<violins playing for me>   

Sorry about that, I THOUGHT that I had it figured out.  THAT is why I deleted the question.  I have color correction turned off.  (I color correct in Photoshop.)  The next scan that I made I didn't use the whole scan of the top image.  I figured that if pasted less of it, the 'problem area' would be out of the picture and the problem solved.   And that is exactly what I did on my next attempt.   It turned out PERFECTLY and you couldn't see ANY line between the two pastes and the colors matched up perfectly.  SO, not wanting to waste Phillip's website with superfluous material, I deleted it and was grateful that I had solved.   But on my next attempt there it was back again.  This time it was so bad the colors looked like they were from two separate pictures!

Here's my procedure:  I scan top of image.  I scan bottom of image.  I rotate each 90 degrees.  I use the Recticular Marquee Tool to 'capture' all of the bottom image.   I then create a 'new' image and, of course, it thinks that I want the same dimensions of the bottom scan.  I change the height to match the width and then Paste it into the 'new image' with the Move Tool.  I capture less of the top of the image and again align it with the paste tool  (BTW I just remembered that I made the combo that WORKED on a 'new' image with TRANSPARENT contents.   The combo that didn't work was made with WHITE contents...   Hmmmm...)   All that I really know about layers is doing the kinds of procedures that I have described.  When I have a completed image I "flatten" it and save it as a .jpg.   Since I'm writing this I will read what you wrote before about another layer as soon as I finish.   I really wonder if just using the TRANSPARENT contents solved the problem.   What do you think about that?

And really, really, really THANK YOU for responding!!!   So very,  very sorry!

[Br. Patrick]

It sounds like your scanner is automatically adjusting/calibrating for each image it scans.  In other words, it's taking an average color density of the top of the page, and doing the same with the bottom — therefore giving each one a slightly different output.  You may be able to turn off "automatic color-correction" (or whatever your scanner interface calls that function). Then if any color-correction is needed, import both images into the same Photoshop file and correct them simutaneously.

From looking at that image, it looks as if the colors are very similar, but there is a "shadow" along the edge of the top image that is making them look mismatched. 

If you were to make your two scans with some "overlap" (a common area scanned on both), you could layer one over the other and nudge until that area is covered.  That might help with that shadow and make them match better.

Do you know about adjustment layers? If mismatch is still a problem, have each scan on a seperate layer and give one of them an adjustment layer. This allows you to keep working over and over in the correction interface without commiting the correction until you choose to flatten it (or save a flattened copy).

Let me know if that helps . . .   -L.

Now that I've read your original reply I can respond to it!   I have auto color correction turned off.   I will have to study this aspect of my scanner rmanual to make it stop making decisions like this.   I DO scan with LOTS OF OVERLAP!   The calendar is 12"x12" and 8.5"x12" are being scanned as the top and bottom.   That's why I thought about using another overlap area which I did and it worked - that time - . 

I know NOTHING about adjustment layers.   Each Scan remains on it's own layer throughout the whole process; i.e., Background, Layer 1, Layer 2 (after I have erased the original scans).  I tried color correcting the bottom layer in Photoshop and while I was able to make SOME colors match, it made others look WORSE.   Teach me how to give one (which?) of my layers an adjustment layer.  That sounds promising!

And Again THANK YOU for your expert advice!

[LauraGigs]

When I have a completed image I "flatten" it and save it as a .jpg.

You ARE keeping a copy of the image in PSD or TIF format, right? Jpegs lose data (see the first post).

I can't picture the white contents having anything to do with it. You're pasting the images over it (in Normal mode, right?) so the background is covered.

From the look of the image you posted earlier, both halves have good color quality and are not that different from each other. What you might try if you have a lot of overlap space is a layer mask with a gradient, so that one layer will blend gradually into the other. Totally solves the problem of a line or seam between your images.

This time it was so bad the colors looked like they were from two separate pictures!

Was one image good (needing NO correction), the other having a strong color cast? In this case, you want the adjustment layer over the image with the color cast. In your layers palette, float your mouse over the line between the problem image layer and its adjustment layer. A symbol that looks like 00 will pop up; click it. The adjustment layer will now only affect the image immediately below it.

[Br. Patrick]

I can't picture the white contents having anything to do with it. You're pasting the images over it (in Normal mode, right?) so the background is covered.

From the look of the image you posted earlier, both halves have good color quality and are not that different from each other.

Again, THANK YOU for your input.  I found the culprit in my scanner settings.  AUTO EXPOSURE!  Also, other than turning off color correction, the only options the Epson Scanner offers for manipulating colors are much like those in Photoshop and seemingly would be a waste of time for a project such as this.  I would much rather use the same type of controls in Photoshop.  And I do have to color correct in Photoshop to get the scan to look like the orginal; i.e., face too red, reflected sun on the fake fur of Jack's coat not yelllow enough.  But that's FUN kind of work to do.   It is also neat to use the Rubber Stamp to get rid of the hole to hang the calendar up with.

Another question, unrelated is...  How do I make the BLUR Tool work.  I can change brush size, change it into a finger, etc. but it has absolutely NO EFFECT on the pic?  Very confused???   On other projects I have had to use another program, Sierra's Print Artist 4.0 to blur properly.  The Rubber Stamp (called Clone) in this program is easier to manipulate than the one in Photoshop.   But talk to me about Lossy Jpegs.   Only can use this prog with REALLY good quality pics because they save at about half of their original size.

Thanks Again for your help!

[coffeecat33]

Thanks for this thread. I just acquired photo explosion and am making my first attempt to alter photos. (It is so much fun!) Anyway most of this shop talk is over my head at the moment but I will keep checking back for ideas, and post any questions I have. Thanks again.

cc33 / Leslie K.

[LauraGigs]

How do I make the BLUR Tool work.  I can change brush size, change it into a finger, etc. but it has absolutely NO EFFECT on the pic?

What are your options set at for the blur tool? There should be a setting called "strength". I always have it set at 100%. (If it still has no effect, make sure you're using it on the proper layer.)

If you change the icon to a finger, it becomes the smudge tool — not what you want. Go into Preferences and make sure "Show Tool Tips" is checked.

But talk to me about Lossy Jpegs. Only can use this prog with REALLY good quality pics because they save at about half of their original size.

Patrick, like I emphasized before, jpeg is great for emailing & posting on the web, but you lose quality. If you're going to do all this work, it's worth it to have a backup copy saved as PSD or TIF in case you ever want to print it.

(If I only had $1 for every time I had to tell folks that no, that gorgeous RGB 72 dpi jpeg will not print well!!)

[LauraGigs]

=aside=  Thanks Geri!  Coffeecat, good to see ya!

[Br. Patrick]

What are your options set at for the blur tool? There should be a setting called "strength". I always have it set at 100%. (If it still has no effect, make sure you're using it on the proper layer.)

If you change the icon to a finger, it becomes the smudge tool — not what you want. Go into Preferences and make sure "Show Tool Tips" is checked.

Patrick, like I emphasized before, jpeg is great for emailing & posting on the web, but you lose quality. If you're going to do all this work, it's worth it to have a backup copy saved as PSD or TIF in case you ever want to print it.

(If I only had $1 for every time I had to tell folks that no, that gorgeous RGB 72 dpi jpeg will not print well!!)

Thanks!  This prg has SO much capability that it's learning curve is STEEP!  And I have been using it for about 5 years, once or twice a month.  The setting for the blur tool is called "Pressure" and it was 50% and the drop down box choice was set to "Color."   When I made it 100%, like you said, and changed the drop down box to say "Normal" - BEHOLD!  I now have a blur tool and undestand the settings.   Tool tips are on like you suggested.  The only thing that I DON'T use Photoshop for is PRINTING.  I have a REAL HARD TIME getting the margins set AND the COLOR to look like it does on screen.   So, for all of my printing, I use a prg that came with my WIN95 computer.   Microsoft Picture It 2.0.  It does things really well like removing scratches from old photos and it's manipulation of layers is much more intuititive than Photoshop.  The worst part of it is it complains about saving in anything other than it's native file type.  But what I always use it for is PRINTING.  Because it will print whatever you send it perfectly centered in perfect color - this is the third machine I've used it with.   So, in Photoshop, I usually save as .jpgs with a quality of 10 and a 3 progressive scans.  I ONLY do this if I am absolutely SURE that I won't need anything better.   But MS has BOUGHT (they don't do it themselves) some really good image enhancement / enlargement subroutines or libraries because the results are simply stunning.   My new computer has MEDIA CENTER 2005 and I have a 20" widescreen monitor.  It's slideshows with  tiny oversaved .jpgs as bad as you showed above blows me away!   Plus, it gives you two levels of ZOOM to enlarge even bigger!   Everything is Full Screen and looks Great.  I often enlarge pictures this way and Ctrl-PrtScr them into Photoshop.  Then whatever the original size was, I have a beautiful 1680 x 1050 pixel enlargement to do whatever I want to; mainly color correct, levels, curves, etc.

Sorry to go on and on.  REALLLLLLY thanks for your help.  You have taught me more about Photoshop than I could have hoped for.   I hope you plan on sticking around!!!!

[LauraGigs]

I have thousands of images and in about 75% of the old ones, fleshtones are yellow instead of pink.  Now, I can change that but it changes the entire image to a degree that makes it look unreal.  So, my question would be, is there a way to CHOOSE the color that one wishes to modify and then modify ONLY that color?

I recommend either the Selective Color or the Hue/Saturation tool. Go under Image —> Adjust —> and choose one or the other.

Selective Color is pretty self-explanatory: Choose a color in the top field, then add (or subtract) desired amounts of any of the 4 colors shown until the preview looks like you want. ("Relative" is more natural-looking; "Absolute" is more precise.)

Hue/Saturation: The dialog box will have several fields: Edit (a drop-down menu with a choice of color channels), Hue (literally, what color something is), Saturation (how vivid or subdued it is, like the "Color" setting on your TV), and Lightness (Don't use this too much; it will "grey out" your shadows).

Under Edit, choose "Yellows". (To see whether you and Photoshop agree on which pixels are yellow, grab the Saturation bar and drag it way to the right — those pixels should brighten way up. Then return that slider to "0".)

Move the Hue slider slightly to the left. It will make the yellows in your image lean a little toward red. If Photoshop thinks the pixels in question are more red, then choose "Reds" under Edit, move the Hue slider to the left, which will make your reds lean toward Magenta.


Both of the above methods will correct only the chosen colors in your image.

[Br. Patrick]

I recommend either the Selective Color or the Hue/Saturation tool. Go under Image —> Adjust —> and choose one or the other.

Selective Color is pretty self-explanatory: Choose a color in the top field, then add the desired amounts of the 4 colors shown until the preview looks like you want. ("Relative" is more natural-looking; "Absolute" is more precise.)

Hue/Saturation: The dialog box will have several fields: Edit (a drop-down menu with a choice of color channels), Hue (literally, what color something is), Saturation (how vivid or subdued it is, like the "Color" setting on your TV), and Lightness (Don't use this too much; it will "grey out" your shadows).

Under Edit, choose "Yellows". (To see whether you and Photoshop agree on which pixels are yellow, grab the Saturation bar and drag it way to the right — those pixels should brighten way up. Then return that slider to "0".)

Move the Hue slider slightly to the left. It will make the yellows in your image lean a little toward red. If Photoshop thinks the pixels in question are more red, then choose "Reds" under Edit, move the Hue slider to the left, which will make your reds lean toward Magenta.


Both of the above methods will correct only the chosen colors in your image.

That pretty much says what I a currently doing.  I thought that the prg might have had the ability to let me 'point' to an area of consistent color and then adjust ONLY that color.  OH WELL.  It STILL gives me the most control over what I am seeing than any other program that I have used... And since Brokeback came out, I've been using it a lot.  Thanks for moving the personal post HERE where it belongs!  FWIW, I use lightness to restore the flesh color UNDERNEATH the yellow after doing the adjustments.  Then it's back to Levels....   Thanks a lot for your help!!