DESIGN PRACTICE: PHOTOSHOP TUTORIAL - COLOUR MODES

Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign are the three programs that are essential in becoming a graphic designer.

To begin the Photoshop tutorial we explored the way in which we could lighten a darkened image.

We used the pre set tools sharpen, levels and lighting and contrast. However the effects are irreversible, harming the original photo creating destructive editing.

Editing suites work with different types of format

Illustrator: vector graphics
Photoshop: bitmap graphics - made out of tiny sqaures called pixels. Sometime when an image in increased beyond it's original size it's called pixilation and effects the quality of the image.

Size

Size is imperative when considering a design especially when considering it's output.

Output: screen, print, the display.

Resolution

Resolution - quality of the image - 300 pix per inch - smooth, crisp, no indication of grid - larger resolution for billboards and multiple sheet design e.g billboards

Colour Mode

RGB - Red, Green, Blue - Colour is made out of light

CMYK - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black - Colour is made out of ink/toner

A lot of the colours on the screen can not be reproduced by a printer due to working on a screen which is working with RGB.

When taking an image the camera works in RGB as it is collecting light.

By turning a RGB image to CMYK setting it creates destructs the image

Proof Setup

The proof setup mode allows you to look at the possible effects without deffinatley changing which could effect the quality and aesthetic of the image.

A practice of design where you can test out colours before making a firm effect.

Before

After

Colour modes

Gamut: a range of colours

Using the gamut tool shows specifically which colours are out of gamut which will be highlight grey.

We editied the image using the hue and saturation layer mask to expriement with the tones

Then we changed the colour of the original image to see how it varied, which made it look more successful.

Finally we played with the saturation levels to make the colours more stronger.

Adjustment layer
Hue / saturation
Saturation - 56

There was much more detail, vivid and vibrant compared to the original image.

Adjustments

For the next task we revisited the issue of how to prevent no destructive editing and how to lighten a dark image with out destroying the original.

To begin we added a layer mask to the image by clicking on the black and white circle on the bottom of the tool bar. This would allow us to edit the image and remove it at anytime to reveal the original.

Using the levels bar we dragged the slidders in order to brighten the image. However some areas were to bright.

Then using the brush tool and setting the default colour on the pallet to black we began shading in the areas that were overcast.

The layer mask on the tool bar then began to present what areas we shaded in and could remove for a non destrucive editing ethic.

We again look at lightening an image which a specific subject.

The satue in the image was very dark and the intricate details were very hard to see.

To begin we used the quick selection tool and copied the subjects whole surrounding.

Then going back to the levels bar we moveD the scrollers until we could see the definition in the image.

We then discovered there were areas in the image that hadn't seen highlighted, so going back to the quick selection tool we selected the armpit area and the creases in the arm and filled it.

Before

After

Then for further experimentation we created another layer mask and using the quick selection tool we highlighted the background and changed the sky colour using the hue and saturation tools.