PSD – Exercise – 4 | University of Colorado Denver Digital Design Program

Download and unzip the file Exercise 4 to your desktop. Place it in a folder with your name followed by “_exercise #4”.

In order to complete this exercise you will need to know the techniques you have learned in the prior exercises as well as the ones listed below.

Though color balancing and restoration are somewhat subjective technique is not. Poor or rushed technique will result in subpar results. Also keep in mind the age and time period of these images. The objective is not to make them look like digital images but to make them look like perfect images from the time they were taken.

Color.psd

Open the image “color.psd”. Take a good look at the image to ascertain what trouble areas you might encounter, areas that will need to be cleaned/restored, and ares that will need independent adjustment.
Open the info pallet. Open pallet options and set it up so the first readout is grayscale and the second is RGB. Scroll over the image to find exactly where detail lies and in what channels you will find it..
Open Levels. Through the channels red, green and blue hold down the option key and move the value keys in from the side to see where value in each channels lies. However, do not make any actual adjustments at this time because you will lose to much detail and information.
Open Curves. Pick what should be a neutral color in the image – through the channels in curves make slight adjustments as necessary to get the neutral color to look correct.
Look at the image and ascertain which areas still need the most work. Select them as necessary and adjust through color channels in curves. Be careful not to over-adjust because you are throwing away information which may result in the image becoming posterized or in the addition of noise or banding.
USE SELECTIONS AND WORK ON AREAS INDEPENDENTLY.
Once you have the image properly color-balanced go through and clean and shapen it as necessary.
Save your document.

Baby.psd

Open the image “baby.psd”. Take a good look at the image to ascertain what trouble areas you might encounter, areas that will need to be cleaned/restored, and ares that will need independent adjustment.
Open the info pallet. Scroll over the image to find exactly where detail lies and in what channels you will find it..
Open Levels. Through the channels red, green and blue hold down the option key and move the value keys in from the side to see where value in each channels lies. However, do not make any actual adjustments at this time because you will lose to much detail and information.
Open Curves. Pick what should be a neutral color in the image – through the channels in curves make slight adjustments as necessary to get the neutral color to look correct.
Look at the image and ascertain which areas still need the most work. Select them as necessary and adjust through color channels in curves. Be careful not to over-adjust because you are throwing away information which may result in the image becoming posterized or in the addition of noise or banding.
Using the cloning, the patch, the healing brush, paint brush, pencil, dust and scratches filter, image adjustment layers and all means of selections clean and restore the image until it without any faults. Remember to always try to retain as much of the original image as possible – USE SELECTIONS AND WORK ON AREAS INDEPENDENTLY.
Save the image

When you have completed the exercise please turn it in a copy on Canvas under the appropriate exercise as a COMPRESSED TIF that is 72 dpi, approximately 928px X 928px square. Other formats will not be accepted.

Some of the Modules that you will need to watch to learn how to complete this exercise are: