Paint Shop Pro Part 3: Layers, Photographic Effects, and More

Paint Shop Pro Training Course Part 3: Section 2

In this section, you will learn about:

• Adjusting color in a photo
• Adjusting brightness and contrast
• Adjusting saturation
• Touching up photographs
• Removing camera noise
• Correcting underexposure
• Correcting overexposure
• Removing red eyes
• Applying special effects to photographs

Photographic Effects

Adjusting Color in a Photo

While Paint Shop Pro includes many advanced tools for making color corrections to photographs, the Automatic Color Balance command is often sufficient for new users to make quick and easy adjustments, particularly to old photos that have yellowed with age:

1. Open the image you want to adjust.

1. From the Adjust menu, select Automatic Color Balance.

This opens the Automatic Color Balance dialog, which shows two preview panes: on the left is the original image, and on the right is the image with the current color balance settings applied. You can use the Zoom and Navigate but
tons below the preview panes to view different parts of the image, if necessary.

1. The default strength is 30, which is often sufficient. However, you can adjust the strength up or down and see the results in the preview pane on the right.
2. A color cast is a hue that appears in all the colors. If this is present in the image, check the Remove color cast box. Keep in mind, however, that removing a color cast will result in some loss of data.

Tip:

Centering the preview panes over an area of white in the image will help you gauge the changes to the colors.

1. Temperature refers to the tones of the colors—warm or cool. Photos taken in bright sunlight tend to look bluer, while those taken indoors tend to appear warmer. Use the slider to adjust the temperature, keeping an eye on the results in the preview pane on the right.
2. Click OK to apply the changes to the image.

For more advanced color correction, use the commands found in the Color Balance submenu of the Adjust menu.

Adjusting Brightness and Contrast

To quickly adjust brightness and contrast, use the Automatic Contrast Enhancement command:

1. Open the image you want to adjust.

1. From the Adjust menu, select Automatic Contrast Enhancement.

This opens the Automatic Contrast Enhancement dialog, which shows two preview panes: on the left is the original image, and on the right is the image with the contrast settings applied. You can use the Zoom and Navigate buttons below the preview panes to view different parts of the image, if necessary.

1. Bias refers to the brightness of the image, and Appearance refers to overall contrast. Select a setting for each, as well as a strength, noting how the changes affect the image in the preview pane on the right.
2. Click OK.

If you want to manually adjust values for either brightness or contrast, you can easily accomplish this using the Brightness/Contrast command, located in the Brightness and Contrast submenu of the Adjust menu. This opens the Brightness/Contrast dialog, where you can enter individual values for both brightness and contrast:

Adjusting Saturation

Saturation refers to the vividness of the colors in an image. The Hue and Saturation submenu of the Adjust menu provides commands for adjusting saturation; however the Automatic Saturation Enhancement command is easy and effective for new users:

1. Open the image you want to adjust.

1. From the Adjust menu, select Automatic Saturation Enhancement.

This opens the Automatic Saturation Enhancement dialog, which shows two preview panes: on the left is the original image, and on the right is the image with the saturation settings applied. You can use the Zoom and Navigate buttons below the preview panes to view different parts of the image, if necessary.

1. Select a bias and a strength, watching how the settings affect the image in the preview pane on the right.
2. If skin tones are present in the image, check the Skintones present checkbox to preserve a natural appearance.
3. Click OK.