Adobe 29180155 - Photoshop Elements 4.0 User Manual page 147

You can set target values in two ways:
Using the Output sliders in the Levels dialog box is the most straightforward way; however the Output slider
•
doesn't work if you have specular highlights in the image that need to remain as pure white. Specular white has no
detail, and so no ink is printed on the paper. For example, a spot of glare is specular white, not a printable highlight.
Using the shadow and highlight eyedroppers in the Levels dialog box.
•
To set press target values for images without specular highlights
Use this press targeting method if you don't have specular highlights in your image. If you do have specular
highlights, use the Levels eyedropper method.
Do one of the following in the Editor:
1
Choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels.
•
Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels, or open an existing Levels adjustment layer.
•
Enter the press target values for the shadow in the left output box and the highlight in the right output box, or drag
2
the output sliders to set the target values.
Click OK.
3
See also
"To create adjustment layers" on page 96
To set press target values for images with specular highlights
In the Editor, select the eyedropper tool, and choose 3 by 3 Average from the Sample Size menu in the eyedropper
1
tool options. This ensures a representative sample of an area rather than the value of a single screen pixel.
Choose View > Actual Pixels to make sure you view the true color and tonal values of your image as you make
2
adjustments to it.
Do one of the following:
3
Choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels.
•
Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels, or open an existing Levels adjustment layer.
•
When you open the Levels dialog box, you still have access to the scroll controls in the document window, the View
menu, and to the Hand and Zoom tools by using keyboard shortcuts.
To identify areas of representative highlights and shadows in the image, move the pointer around the image, and
4
look at the Info palette to find the lightest and darkest areas. If the Info palette isn't open, choose Window > Info.
Double-click the Set White Point eyedropper tool in the Levels dialog box to display the Color Picker. Enter the
5
color values you want to assign to the lightest area in the image, and click OK. Follow these guidelines:
When you are printing on white paper, you can achieve a good highlight in an average-key image using RGB
•
values of 244, 244, 244. An approximate grayscale equivalent is a 4% dot.
You can approximate these target values quickly by entering 96 in the Brightness (B) text box under the HSB
•
section of the Color Picker.
With a low-key image, you might want to set the highlight to a lower value to avoid too much contrast. Experiment
•
with Brightness values between 96 and 80.
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 4.0
User Guide
142