Lesson 5: Color Correcting like a Pro

aps05_opener.psd

In this lesson, you’ll discover the tricks used by color professionals to correct images like magic. Discover how to use curves with confidence and how to read color values. You will also find out how to take advantage of layer features to make selective color changes throughout an image.

What you’ll learn in this lesson:

  • Color basics
  • Reading colors using the Info panel
  • Using the Curves Adjustment layer
  • Painting a curve correction
  • Painting filter effects

Starting up

Before starting, make sure that your tools and panels are consistent by resetting your preferences. See “Resetting Adobe Photoshop CC preferences” in the Starting up section of this book. You will work with several files from the advps05lessons folder in this lesson. Make sure that you have loaded the advpslessons folder onto your hard drive from www.digitalclassroombooks.com/cc/advphotoshop. For more information, see “Loading lesson files” in the Starting up section of this book.

Understanding color

Before you can become a pro at color correcting your images, you need to understand a little about color science. You will not master everything about the science of color in this lesson, but you will be exposed to some fundamentals that will help you to know why you are making the suggested adjustments. This lesson essentially provides you with rules to follow so you can ...

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