Adjustments and Retouching

Tonal Adjustment and color Adjustment

Step 1: Set Up The Levels Defaults

With our image open in Photoshop, let's first take a moment to set up our Levels command
properly. Go up to the Image menu at the top of the screen, choose Adjustments, and then
choose Levels, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+L (Win) / Command+L (Mac). Either way
brings up Photoshop's Levels dialog box. In the bottom right corner, you'll see three eyedropper
icons. Double-click on the one on the left, which is the white point eyedropper:

Double-click on the white point eyedropper.

This brings up Photoshop's Color Picker. If you look on the right side of the Color Picker, down
near the bottom, you'll see the letters R, G and B, which stand for "Red", "Green", and "Blue",
along with an input box to the right of each one. Type the value 245 into each of the three input
boxes:
Enter "245" into each of the "R", "G" and "B" input boxes.
By default, the white point value is set to 255 for each of the "R", "G" and "B" options, which in
Photoshop's world means pure white. By lowering the values a little to 245, this will help us
maintain detail in the lightest parts of the image by preventing them from becoming 100% white
and being printed as paper white. Click OK to exit out of the Color Picker when you're done,
although we'll be seeing it again in a moment.

Now, back in the Levels dialog box, double-click on the eyedropper icon on the left, which is
the black point eyedropper:

Double-click on the black point eyedropper.

Once again, Photoshop's Color Picker will pop back up. This time, enter a value of 10 into the
"R", "G", and "B" boxes:

Enter "10" into the "R", "G" and "B" input boxes.
By setting this value to 10 rather than its default of 0, we'll prevent the darkest parts of our image
from becoming pure black, allowing us to maintain detail in the shadows and also save us a little
black ink when we go to print the image. Click OK to exit out of the Color Picker.

Now click OK to exit out of the Levels dialog box. Photoshop will ask you if you want to save
the changes you just made as the new defaults. Click Yes, and you won't have to make these
changes the next time you edit an image because they've been saved as the default values:

Photoshop asks if you want to save the changes as the new default white and black point values.
Click "Yes".
Now that we've set up our white and black point values to something a bit more useful to us, let's
fix the global tonal and color problems in the image.

Step 2: Add A "Threshold" Adjustment Layer And Use It To Find The Lightest Areas In
The Image

We're going to begin our tonal and color correction with the highlights (the lightest areas in the
image). Before we can correct them though, we first need to find them. Fortunately, finding them
is easy thanks to Photoshop's Threshold adjustment. Click on the New Adjustment Layer icon
at the bottom of the Layers palette:

Click the "New Adjustment Layer" icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.
Then choose Threshold from the list of adjustment layers:
Select "Threshold" from the list.
This brings up the Threshold dialog box. Click on the slider at the bottom of the dialog box and
drag it all the way to the right. You'll see your image turn completely black. Then, begin slowly
dragging the slider back towards the left until you start to see white areas appear in your image.
Stop dragging once the white areas appear. These areas are the lightest areas in your image:

Drag the slider at the bottom of the Threshold dialog box all the way to the right, which will turn
your image completely black, then begin dragging back towards the left until you see white areas
appearing in your image
.
Stop dragging the slider when you see the white areas appearing. These are the lightest areas (the
highlights) in the image.

Step 3: Place A Target Marker Inside A White Area

Move your mouse into one of the white areas in the image. As soon as you move your mouse
over any part of the image, you'll see your mouse cursor turn into the Eyedropper icon. Once you
have your cursor over a white area, hold down your Shift key and the Eyedropper icon will turn
into the Color Sampler icon. Click inside the white area to place a target marker at that
location. You'll see a tiny number 1 in the bottom right of the marker:

Hold down "Shift" and click inside a white area to place a target marker at that location.
We're going to be using this target marker to correct the highlights in the image in just a moment.

Step 4: Find the Darkest Part Of The Image With The Same Threshold Adjustment Layer

We've found the lightest area in the image and marked it. Now we need to find the darkest area,
and it's just as easy as finding the lightest area. Back in the Threshold dialog box, click once
again on the slider at the bottom and this time, drag it all the way to the left. You'll see your
image turn completely white. Then, begin slowly dragging it back towards the right until you
start seeing black areas in your image. Stop dragging once you see the black areas appear. These
are the darkest parts of the image (the shadows):
Drag the slider at the bottom of the Threshold dialog box all the way to the left, which will turn
your image completely white, then slowly begin dragging back towards the right until black
areas appear. These are the darkest parts of the image.

Dark areas now appearing near the bottom of the image, indicating the darkest parts in the photo.

Step 5: Place A Target Marker Inside A Black Area

Just as we did with the white areas, move your mouse into one of the black areas in the image.
Then, once you have your cursor over a black area, hold down your Shift key and click inside
the black area to place a target marker at that location. You'll see a tiny number 2 in the bottom
right of the marker:

Hold down "Shift" and click inside a black area to place a target marker at that location.

Step 6: Remove The Threshold Adjustment Layer

We now have two target markers placed in our image. The first one, labeled "1" in its bottom
right corner, is marking the lightest spot (or at least, one of the lightest spots) in the image, and
the second one, labeled "2", is marking the darkest spot (or again, one of the darkest spots). We
don't need our Threshold adjustment layer any longer, so click Cancel in the top right corner of
the dialog box to cancel out of it. You'll see your two target markers disappear as well, but don't
worry, they're just hiding. We're going to see them again as soon as we add our Levels
adjustment layer, which we'll be doing next.
Step 7: Add A "Levels" Adjustment Layer

Click on the New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette once again:

Click the "New Adjustment Layer" icon once again.

This time, choose Levels from the list:

Select "Levels" from the list.

This brings up the Levels dialog box, just like we saw at the beginning of the tutorial when we
made changes to the white and black point default values. Even though we're using an
adjustment layer this time rather than selecting Levels from the Image menu, the dialog box is
exactly the same:

Photoshop's "Levels" adjustment layer dialog box.

If you look at your image, you'll see that your two target markers have come out of hiding now
that we have our Levels dialog box on the screen:

The two target markers have re-appeared in the image.

Step 8: Click On The First Target Marker With The White Point Eyedropper

At this point, fixing the overall (global) tonal and color problems in the image is a snap. First,
click on the white point eyedropper in the bottom right of the Levels dialog box to select it:

Click on the white point eyedropper icon in the bottom right corner of the Levels dialog box to
select it.
With the white point eyedropper selected, all we need to to in order to fix any tonal and color
problems in the highlights is click on the first target marker (the one labeled "1"):

Click on the first target marker with the white point eyedropper to fix any tonal and color
problems in the highlights.
If you're having trouble lining up the eyedropper icon with the center of the target marker, press
the Caps Lock key on your keyboard, which will turn the eyedropper icon into a target marker
icon itself. You'll know you have the two target markers lined up perfectly when they both
disappear from the screen, at which point you can click your mouse to correct the highlights.
Step 9: Click On The Second Target Marker With The Black Point Eyedropper

We've corrected the highlights, now we just have to correct the shadows (the dark areas). Click
on the black point eyedropper in the Levels dialog box to select it:

Click on the black point eyedropper icon in the bottom right corner of the Levels dialog box to
select it.
Then, with the black point eyedropper selected, simply click on the second target marker to
correct any tonal and color problems in the shadows:

Correct any tonal and color problems in the dark areas of the image by clicking on the second
target marker with the black point eyedropper.
And with just two clicks of the mouse, we've managed to fix any overall tonal and color
problems in the highlight and shadow areas of the image. Here's a "before and after" comparison
to see how much the image has improved already. The original, uncorrected version is on the
left, and the corrected version is on the right. I've temporarily hidden the target markers using the
keyboard shortcut Ctrl+H (Win) / Command+H (Mac). I can bring them back again using the
same keyboard shortcut:
A comparison of how the image looked originally (left) and how it looks after correcting the
tonal and color problems in the highlights and shadows (right).

Step 10: Adjust The Center Slider To Brighten The Midtones If Needed

Often times, after you've corrected the highlights and shadows, you'll find that your image is
looking a bit too dark. To brighten it up, in the Levels dialog box, click on the Midtone slider
(circled in red below) and drag it a little to the left:

Click on the Midtone slider and drag it a little to the left to lighten the midtones in the image.
Dragging to the right will darken the midtones.
Keep an eye on your image as you drag the Midtone slider. The further you drag to the left, the
more you'll brighten the midtones (dragging to the right darkens the midtones), but you usually
don't need to drag the slider very far in order to get good results. If you do drag it too far, your
image will start to look washed out. How far you drag the midtone slider is strictly a visual call
on your part and depends entirely on your image.

Once you've brightened your image with the Midtone slider (if your image needed it), click OK
in the Levels dialog box to exit out of it and accept all the corrections you've made.
To cycle between the corrected and uncorrected versions of your image to see how much of an
improvement you've made, simply click on the Layer Visibility icon (also known as the "eyeball
icon") to the left of the Levels adjustment layer in the Layers palette to turn the layer on and off:

Click on the Layer Visibility icon (the "eyeball icon") to the left of the Levels adjustment layer in
the Layers palette to turn the layer on and off and cycle between the corrected and uncorrected
versions of your image.

Step 11: Remove The Target Markers

Finally, now that we're done with our target markers, we can remove them. To do that, select
the Color Sampler Tool from the Tools palette. It's hiding by default behind the Eyedropper
Tool, so click and hold your mouse down on the Eyedropper Tool for a second or two and then
select the Color Sampler Tool from the fly-out menu that appears:

Select the Color Sampler tool from the Tools palette, which is located behind the Eyedropper
tool.
With the Color Sampler Tool selected, if you look up in the Options Bar at the top of the screen,
you'll see a button that says Clear on it. Click on the button to clear the target markers from the
image:

With the Color Sampler tool selected, click on the "Clear" button in the Options Bar to remove
the target markers from the image.
It's not vitally important that you remove the target markers, since they won't print if you forget
to remove them, but they do get saved along with the image so it's a good idea to remove them
once you no longer need them.

And with that, the overall tonal and color correction on the image is done! Don't worry if the first
couple of times you go through these steps, you feel like you're stumbling through them and it
seems to be taking longer than it should. Once you've gone through this process a few times with
different images, it will start to seem like second nature to you and the whole thing shouldn't take
you more than a minute.

Here's my original, uncorrected image once again for comparison:

The original, uncorrected image.

And here is the image after completing the overall tonal and color correction using the Levels
adjustment layer:

The final result.

The only thing we didn't look at in this tutorial was color correcting the midtones. We brightened
them using the Midtone slider, but we could have also tried to color correct them using the gray
point eyedropper in the Levels dialog box (the eyedropper between the white and black point
eyedroppers). There's a couple of reason why we didn't. The first reason is because often times,
 color correcting the highlights and shadows takes care of any color problems in the midtones as
well. The second reason is because it's not as straightforward as correcting the highlights and
shadows. In fact, it usually involves simply guessing where the neutral gray point in the image is
supposed to be, and several "trial and error" attempts at it usually follow. Plus, not every image
even has an area that's supposed to be gray, so trying to find what's not there is a bit pointless.

Retouching by hand
Retouch images
Learn how to remove unwanted objects, add objects by cloning, and fix other imperfections in
your images with retouching tools in Adobe Photoshop.

1.Remove small objects

Use the Spot Healing Brush tool to remove objects

What you learned: To remove objects

1. In the Layers panel, select the layer that contains spots or small objects you want to remove.

2. In the Tools panel, select the Spot Healing Brush tool.

3. In the options bar, adjust the size and hardness of the Spot Healing Brush tool to fit the item
you’re trying to remove.

4. Click on a spot or drag over an object you want to remove.

2.Add objects by cloning

Use the Clone Stamp tool to add objects

What you learned: To add objects with the Clone Stamp tool

1. In the Layers panel, select the layer that contains content you want to copy and use elsewhere in
the image.

2. In the Tools panel, select the Clone Stamp tool.

3. In the options bar, adjust the size and hardness of the Clone Stamp tool to fit the object you’re
cloning.
4. Press the Alt key (Windows) or the Option key (macOS) and click an area of the image from
which you want to copy content.

5. Release the Alt (Option) key and drag over a new area to which you want to copy content. As
you drag, the Clone Stamp tool copies content from the source and paints it into the new area.

3.Remove a large object

Use the Content-Aware fill command to remove an object

What you learned: To remove objects with Content-Aware fill

1. In the Layers panel, select the layer that contains a large object or person you want to remove.

2. Use a selection tool to select the object. Make sure to include a little of the background all the
way around the object.

3. In the menu bar, choose Edit > Fill.

4. In the Fill dialog box, choose Content-Aware in the Contents menu and then click OK. Your
selection will fill with content that matches the background, hiding the unwanted content from
view.

5. If you don’t like the result, try applying Content-Aware fill again. You may get a different result
with each try.

Blurring and Sharpening

How to Fix Blurry Pictures in Photoshop

Written by Austin James Jackson

TAGS: photo editing, photoshop

In a perfect world, every photo we take would be perfectly sharp coming right out the camera.
Most photographers strive to take high-quality, in-focus images. However, even photographers
make mistakes sometimes. Nothing is worse than returning home to see that your favorite photo
from your recent photoshoot turned out blurry. Luckily, you can still fix blurry pictures using the
latest software.

With today’s technology, a slightly blurry photo isn’t necessarily an end-all. If you’ve just
slightly missed the focal point and have a photo with a small amount of blur, it may still be
salvageable. In this post, you’ll learn how to fix a blurry photo using Photoshop. Let’s jump right
in.
How to Fix Blurry Pictures

Step 1: Open in Photoshop

Open your blurry photo in Photoshop. Unlock the background layer by clicking on the lock
button next to your photo layer in the Layers panel.

Photo by Austin
James Jackson

Step 2: Duplicate the Background Layer

With the photo layer selected, use Command + J (Mac) or Control + J (PC) to duplicate the
layer. This will make an identical layer that we can use to apply the sharpening. This way, we
can easily toggle between before and after, or adjust the opacity to perfectly blend the
sharpening. After duplicating your background layer, the Layers panel should look like this:
Step 3: Use the Unsharp Mask

The Unsharp Mask is a way of sharpening in Photoshop that happens to work quite well for
sharpening blurry pictures to help remove blur. To use the Unsharp Mask, go to Filter >
Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.

Once you select Unsharp Mask, this box will appear. Change the amount to 150% and threshold
to 0. Then, adjust the radius. Start at one pixel, and bring the radius up. Continue to increase the
radius until the amount of sharpening feels right for the image. Depending on the size of the
photo and how blurry it is, the radius may need to be anywhere between one pixel and 25 pixels.
Step 4: Click OK, and Make Final Adjustments

Select OK once you’ve dialed in the settings for your Unsharp Mask, and let it load out. Once
loaded, you can adjust the settings and make final adjustments on your photo. Click on the eye
symbol in the Layers panel. Toggle the layer on and off to see the difference that the Unsharp
Mask is making. If you wish, adjust the opacity slider within the Layers panel to reduce the
effect if it appears too strong.

Note: You can’t fix incredibly blurry pictures. The unsharp mask takes and adds contrast to the
edges of objects in your photo. If your picture is so blurry that you can’t even make out the
edges, this tool won’t help you too much. The unsharp mask is perfect for shots where you’ve
just slightly missed the focal point and want to return your photo to a high-enough quality to still
be usable. Of course, getting a sharp image correct in the field will yield a better result, but this is
an option for times where you have a blurry photo that you want to try and fix.
Additional Tips for Fixing Blurry Pictures

Use Layer Masking to Sharpen Only Parts of the Image

If you’re familiar with layer masking, you can use masks to help restrict the unsharp mask. Using
the unsharp mask on the whole image can create some unneeded sharpening on soft spots in the
image, so using a layer mask can help you to restrict that sharpening. Ideally, you can just
sharpen the subject while leaving the background alone.

Don’t Get Too Caught Up Zooming In

Know the intended use of your photo. If you just hope to have a photo that you can post on
Instagram or Facebook, it probably isn’t as important that you get rid of so much blur. For this
reason, you don’t need to zoom in, or pixel peep, to see the finest details. However, if you hope
to print a photo, you may need to be more aggressive about your unsharp mask.
Adjust the Unsharp Mask Settings Carefully on Each Photo

There isn’t a one size-fits-all solution for the unsharp mask settings. Each and every photo will
require different settings. Once you set the amount and threshold, adjust the radius. Once you set
up the radius, feel free to go back and adjust the amount to make the sharpening perfectly fit
your photo. The only way to make a blurry image even worse is by oversharpening. Remember
that the unsharp mask is increasing the contrast of the edges in your photo, so you must be
careful not to overdo it.

For Very Low Quality/High Blur Images, Try a Photoshop Plugin

The unsharp mask can only get you so far in the process to fix blurry pictures. If you are editing
a seriously blurry image, you may need to use a third party software to try and recover your
image. Topaz Sharpen AI is a popular third party software that uses the power of AI to sharpen
your blurry images. Once inside, you have the option to choose how blurry your photo is and
adjust a few settings. This software may be overkill for slightly blurry photos, but if you have a
serious blur issue that Photoshop can’t seem to fix, the power of AI may be able to help you out.
 Special effects and distortion

Creating filters and special effects in Photoshop.

Learn how to alter shades and colors. Create the perfect filter to increase the brightness, improve
the contrast, and lots more for your creative project.
The dozens of filters available in Photoshop can be used to clean up, retouch, or express your
creativity by applying special effects to your photos. You can adjust color, change lighting, or
enhance details with just a few clicks for quick touch-ups. For more advanced special effects,
you can blend and fade filters.

How to apply filters from the gallery.

Filters that are included with Photoshop can be accessed from the filter gallery. Additional filters
from third-party providers can be added to the program, too. Actually, any number of filters can
be used with your image and will be applied in the order they are selected. Dramatic effects can
be achieved by altering the order you apply them in.
To apply filters from the gallery, simply select the image or image layer, choose a filter from the
gallery, and apply it to the selection.

Tips for creating special effects in Photoshop.

For more creative solutions, use these tips to start experimenting with advanced techniques:
● Treat edges: Edges of subjects or objects often need to be treated to create a specific effect. You
can apply a filter to create a distinct edge, or feather the edge before applying the filter for a
softer look.
● Filter each layer: You can build special effects by applying different filters to the various layers
of an image.
● Create backgrounds: Filters applied to solid-color or grayscale shapes can generate custom
backgrounds and textures.
● Combine effects: The most advanced transformations can be achieved by combining multiple
effects on layers or duplicate images. These can then be blended to create an art project with no
limits.
Learn more about photo editing tips and tricks.

Correct lens distortion and adjust perspective

The Lens Correction filter fixes common lens flaws such as barrel and pincushion distortion,
vignetting, and chromatic aberration. The filter works only with 8- and 16-bit-per-channel
images in RGB or Grayscale mode.
You can also use the filter to rotate an image or fix image perspective caused by vertical or
horizontal camera tilt. The filter’s image grid makes these adjustments easier and more accurate
than using the Transform command.
Automatically correct image perspective and lens flaws
Using lens profiles, the default Auto Correction option quickly and accurately fixes distortion.
For proper automatic correction, Photoshop requires Exif metadata that identifies the camera and
lens that created the image, and a matching lens profile on your system.
1. Choose Filter > Lens Correction.
2. Set the following options:
Correction
Select the problems you want to fix. If corrections undesirably extend or contract the
image beyond original dimensions, select Auto Scale Image.
The Edge menu specifies how to handle blank areas that result from pincushion, rotation,
or perspective corrections. You can fill blank areas with transparency or a color, or you
can extend the edge pixels of the image.
Search Criteria

Filters the Lens Profiles list. By default, profiles based on image sensor size appear first.
To list RAW profiles first, click the pop-up menu , and select Prefer RAW Profiles.
Lens Profiles
 Select a matching profile. By default, Photoshop displays only profiles that match the
camera and lens used to create the image. (The camera model does not have to match
perfectly.) Photoshop also automatically selects a matching sub-profile for the selected
lens based on focal length, f-stop and focus distance. To change the automatic selection,
right-click the current lens profile, and select a different sub-profile.
If you find no matching lens profile, click Search Online to acquire additional profiles
created by the Photoshop community. To store online profiles for future use, click the
pop-up menu , and choose Save Online Profile Locally.
Manually correct image perspective and lens flaws
You can apply manual correction alone or use it to refine automatic lens correction.
1. Choose Filter > Lens Correction.
2. In the upper-right corner of the dialog box, click the Custom tab.
3. (Optional) Choose a preset list of settings from the Settings menu. Lens Default uses
settings that you previously saved for the camera, lens, focal length, f-stop, and focus
distance used to create the image. Previous Conversion uses the settings used in your last
lens correction. Any group of custom settings you saved are listed at the bottom of the
menu. (See Save settings and set camera and lens defaults.)
4. Set any of the following options to correct your image.
Remove Distortion
Corrects lens barrel or pincushion distortion. Move the slider to straighten horizontal and
vertical lines that bend either away from or toward the center of the image. You can also
use the Remove Distortion tool to make this correction. Drag toward the center of the
image to correct for barrel distortion and toward the edge of the image to correct for
pincushion distortion. To compensate for any blank image edges that result, adjust the
Edge option on the Auto Correction tab.
Fix Fringe settings

Compensate for fringing by adjusting the size of one color channel relative to another.

Vignette Amount
Sets the amount of lightening or darkening along the edges of an image. Corrects images
that have darkened corners caused by lens faults or improper lens shading.
Vignette Midpoint

Specifies the width of area affected by the Amount slider. Specify a lower number to
affect more of the image. Specify a higher number to restrict the effect to the edges of the
image.
Vertical Perspective
 Corrects image perspective caused by tilting the camera up or down. Makes vertical lines
in an image parallel.
Horizontal Perspective

Corrects image perspective, making horizontal lines parallel.

Angle

Rotates the image to correct for camera tilt or to make adjustments after correcting
perspective. You can also use the Straighten tool to make this correction. Drag along a
line in the image that you want to make vertical or horizontal.
Scale
Adjusts the image scale up or down. The image pixel dimensions aren’t changed. The
main use is to remove blank areas of the image caused by pincushion, rotation, or
perspective corrections. Scaling up effectively results in cropping the image and
interpolating up to the original pixel dimensions.
Adjust the Lens Correction preview and grid
Adjust the preview magnification and grid lines to better judge the necessary amount of
correction.
● To change the image preview magnification, use the Zoom tool or the zoom controls in the lower
left side of the preview image.
● To move the image in the preview window, select the Hand tool and drag in the image preview.
● To use the grid, select Show Grid at the bottom of the dialog box. Use the Size control to adjust
the grid spacing and the Color control to change the color of the grid. You can move the grid to
line it up with your image using the Move Grid tool .
Save settings and set camera and lens defaults
You can save the settings in the Lens Correction dialog box to reuse with other images made
with the same camera, lens, and focal length. Photoshop saves both Auto Correction settings and
Custom settings for distortion, chromatic aberration, and vignetting. Perspective correction
settings are not saved because they typically vary from one image to another.
You can save and reuse settings in two ways:
● Manually save and load settings. Set options in the dialog box, and then choose Save
Settings from the Settings menu . To use the saved settings, choose them from the Settings
menu. (If you save settings outside the default folder, they don’t appear in the menu; use
the Load Settings command to access them.)
● Set a lens default. If your image has EXIF metadata for the camera, lens, focal length, and f-stop,
you can save the current settings as a lens default. To save the settings, click the Set Lens Default
button. When you correct an image that matches the camera, lens, focal length, and f-stop, the
Lens Default option becomes available in the Settings menu. This option is not available if your
image doesn’t have EXIF metadata.
Reduce image noise and JPEG artifacts

Image noise appears as random extraneous pixels that aren’t part of the image detail. Noise can
be caused by photographing with a high ISO setting on a digital camera, underexposure, or
shooting in a dark area with a long shutter speed. Low-end consumer cameras usually exhibit
more image noise than high-end cameras. Scanned images may have image noise caused by the
scanning sensor. Often, the film’s grain pattern appears in the scanned image.
Image noise can appear in two forms: luminance (grayscale) noise, which makes an image look
grainy or patchy, and color noise, which is usually visible as colored artifacts in the image.
Luminance noise may be more pronounced in one channel of the image, usually the blue
channel. You can adjust the noise for each channel separately in Advanced mode. Before
opening the filter, examine each channel in your image separately to see if noise is prevalent in
one channel. You preserve more image detail by correcting one channel rather than making an
overall correction to all channels.
1. Choose Filter > Noise > Reduce Noise.
2. Zoom in on the preview image to get a better view of image noise.
3. Set options:
Strength
Controls the amount of luminance noise reduction applied to all image channels.
Preserve Details

Preserves edges and image details such as hair or texture objects. A value of 100
preserves the most image detail, but reduces luminance noise the least. Balance the
Strength and Preserve Details controls to fine-tune noise reduction.
Reduce Color Noise

Removes random color pixels. A higher value reduces more color noise.
Sharpen Details

Sharpens the image. Removing noise reduces image sharpness. Use the sharpening
control in the dialog box or use one of the other Photoshop sharpening filters later to
restore sharpness.
Remove JPEG Artifacts

Removes blocky image artifacts and halos caused by saving a image using a low JPEG
quality setting.
4. If luminance noise is more prevalent in one or two color channels, click the Advanced
button and then choose the color channel from the Channel menu. Use the Strength and
Preserve Details controls to reduce noise in that channel.
 Layer effects and Layer style
Layer Effects and Styles in Photoshop
In the previous section, we have discussed the Layers in Photoshop. We can style our layers and
apply several effects to make our work attractive. We can apply different types of the effects
such as shadows, glows, and bevels that will completely change the appearance of the image's
content in a non-destructive way. Non-destructive means it will not affect the original image
content.
The layer effects will be linked with the layer content. When we edit or move the layer's content,
the same applied effect will be work on the modified content. For example, if we add a drop
shadow to the text and then add new text or edit the text, the shadow will be automatically
applied to the updated content.
In this section, we will discuss the layer styles and effects. We have included:
o How to Apply Layer Effects and Styles in Photoshop
o Display/Hide Layer Effects & Styles
o Copy Layer Styles
o Remove a Layer Effect & Style
o Layer Style Options

A layer style is one or more than one effect applied to a layer or layer group. Photoshop also
provides some preset styles, or we can create a customized style using the layer style option. The
layer effects icon (Fx) is available at the right of the layer name in the panel. We can expand the
layer style by clicking on it and can view or edit it by applying or removing effects. We can
apply several effects on a single-layer style.
The layer style will be displayed as follows:
We can click on the layer style icon (fx) given right on the layer. It will show and hide the layer
style. When we save a custom style, it will be saved in preset styles and displayed in the Style
panel. We can apply this style to a layer or layer group with just a single click.
Let's understand how to apply effects and style to a layer:
How to Apply Layer Effects and Styles in Photoshop
Applying a layer effect is a straightforward process. Follow the below steps to apply a layer
effect:
Step 1: Open or Create a Document
To apply a layer style, we need a document having layers. If you open an image, you can add
different layers such as text, images, styles, etc., to it. To open an image, stroke the Ctrl + O
keys, and to create an image, stroke the Ctrl + N keys.
Step 2: Add Layers
When we select a new tool and start drawing something on our image, it will automatically start
drawing in a new layer. But, we can specifically create a new layer by stroking the Ctrl + Shift +
N keys and start drawing something on it.
Step 3: Add Content to Style
For example, we are adding the text on our image to style it by selecting the text tool.
Step 4: Add Effects
Now add effects to the created layer. To add effects, select the layer and navigate to the Layer->
Layer Style menu. There are several effects such as Drop Shadow, Inner Shadow, Outer Glow,
Inner Glow, Bevels & Emboss, Gradient Overlay, Pattern Overlay, etc., available to apply. We
can choose any of them.
We can also apply effects by clicking on the layer style icon available at the layer. In case it is
not displayed, open it by double-clicking in the layer (Just next to layer name). Don't double
click on the layer name; it will open the renaming the layer option. It will open the style options
as follows:
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We can also apply the effects from the above window. Both the ways of applying effects are the
same. They will give the same result. Hence we can apply any of the available effects to our
layer's content.
Consider the below image:

In the above image, we have applied different effects such as Drop Shadow, Inner Glow, Color
Overlay to our text layer. Similarly, we can add style to any layer.
Display/Hide Layer Effects & Styles
Just like layers, we can display or hide layer effects and styles too. To hide layer style, click on
the layer style icon (fx) and to hide a specific effect, just click on the eye icon available on the
layer effect.
This will hide the applied style and effect on the layer. Remember hiding the layer style will not
change the appearance of the image; instead, it will hide the applied effects options. If you want
to hide the complete applied style, click on the eye icon available on the effects.
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Alternatively, we can do the same by navigating to the Layer > Layer Style > Hide All Effects
or Show All Effects menu.
Copy Layer Styles
We can copy-paste the layer styles to a layer. It is an easy way to apply the same style to other
layers or layer groups.
To copy a layer style, right-click on the layer and select the copy layer style option.

Similarly, we can paste the Layer Style by right-clicking on the layer on which we want to apply
the same style.
Alternatively, we can copy-paste the layer style by navigating to the Layer > Layer Style >
Copy Layer Style and Layer > Layer Style > Paste Layer Style menu.
Copy Layer Style by Dragging
We can also copy the layer style to another layer by dragging. To copy a layer style by dragging,
press the Alt-drag shortcut key (Option-drag for Mac) and drop it to the desired layer. It will
create a duplicate layer having the same style. If you want to just apply a single effect, then apply
it to the individual effect.
Remove a Layer Effect & Style
To remove a layer effect, drag the layer effect to the delete icon given at the bottom-right of the
layer panel. It will instantly remove the selected effect. However, we can undo that by using the
Ctrl + Alt + Z keys.
To remove an entire style from a layer, drag the layer style icon (fx) to the delete icon given at
the bottom-right of the layer panel. Alternatively, we can also do the same by navigating to
the Layer > Layer Style > Clear Layer Style menu.
Layer Style Options
Photoshop provides several layer style options to style the content of the layer. For example, we
can apply an effect and set its orientation such as angle, size, altitude, etc.
Let's see some useful layer style options:
Altitude: It is used to set the height of the light source in the Bevel and Emboss effect. The value
0 is equivalent to the ground level, and the value 90 is straight above the layer.
Angle: The Angle value specify the lighting angle for the applied effect to the layer. We can also
drag in the document to adjust the angle of an effect such as drop shadow, inner shadow, pattern
overlay, or satin effect.
Anti-alias: The anti-alias is used to blend the edge pixels of a contour or gloss contour.
Generally, it is used on small shadows with complex contours.
Blend Mode: The blending mode specifies the layer style blending with the underlying layers.
These layers may or may not include the active layer. For example, the inner shadow filter
blends with the currently active layer because the effect is applied on top of the active layer, but
the drop shadow filter blends with the below layer of the active layer. It is recommended to leave
the blend mode as default because, in most cases, it will produce the best result.
Choke: The choke option is used to shrink the boundaries of the matte of inner glow or shadow
prior to blurring.
Color: The color options lets choose the colors from a wide range for shadow, glow, or
highlight. To choose a color, click on the color box and select it.
Contour: The counter option is also a very useful style option. It is used for the following
purposes:
o The contour option allows us to create rings of transparency with solid color glows.
o It also allows making the variations in the gradient color and opacity's repetition.
o The counter option can also be used for sculpting the ridges, valleys, and bumps in the
bevelling and embossing.
o It also allows us to specify the fade.

Distance: The distance option defines the offset distance for a shadow or satin effect. We can
also adjust the offset option by dragging in the document window.
Depth: The depth option defines the depth of the bevel and pattern.
Use Global Light: The global light option allows us to set the one master lighting angle, which
is then available in all the layer effects that have shading.
Gloss Contour: This option is used to create a glossy, metallic appearance. Gloss Contour is
applied after shading a bevel or emboss.
Gradient: The gradient option is used to apply the gradient effect. To apply the gradient filter,
click on the Gradient options to open the gradient options.
Highlight or Shadow mode: The highlight or shadow effect is used to highlight or apply a
shadow on the layer.
Jitter: It is used to vary the applications of the color and opacity of a gradient.
Noise: The noise option is used to specify the number of random elements in the glow or shadow
opacity.
Opacity: The opacity option is used to set the opacity of the layer effect. The opacity defines the
transparency of an object or color. To set the opacity, enter the value or drag the slider.
Position: The position option is used to define the stroke effect as outside, inside, or center.
Range: The range option is used to specify the range of the glow.
Size: The size option specifies the radius and size of the blur or the size of the shadow.
Besides the above options, there are several other options available that are used to style the
layer.