Let’s use Photoshop’s Levels to make a photo purtier!

Wait! Don’t run away! It’s not as scary as it sounds!

This Photoshop tutorial (and I use the term “tutorial” as loosely as a low self-esteemed JV cheerleader on prom night) assumes you’ve opened Photoshop once or twice and are brave enough to hear frightening terms such as “layer” and “channel” and/or love me enough to stick around and listen to me babble.

What is a Photoshop Level?

Let me explain what levels actually means.

It won’t hurt much. You won’t even need an epidural. Though it might help.

The levels box shows you the levels of light and dark pixels appearing in the image.

The graphy-looking thingy is called a histogram.

If the image is darker, when you look at the histogram you’ll see more black on the left side. That’s because there’s more occurrences of dark pixels in this image than light pixels.

If the image is lighter, you’ll see more black on the right side. That’s because there’s more occurrences of light pixels than dark pixels.

Ok, so far so good. Everyone with me? Excellent. Moving on.

How to Apply a Photoshop Levels Adjustment

I’ve opened the image to which I want to apply a Levels adjustment. As I’m making these adjustments, I want to have the original in front of me to compare and make sure that I’m actually making the image better instead of worse. Click Image –> Duplicate…

(zoom)

Now we have the two images next to each other, ready to start the surgery.

Scalpal, please, nurse. Or rather, levels box, please, nurse.

Making an Adjustment Layer

I want to make a special kind of layer called an “adjustment layer.” No, it doesn’t ride a short bus; that just means you can change it later, like using a dry erase marker vs. a permanent marker. It’s a non-destructive way of working with your image so you can tinker with that adjustment layer later. Just take my word for it.

Don’t worry; we’ll get there. We’re gun. nah. make it. after alllllllll. (That was a Laverne & Shirley reference.)

Ok, let’s go. Let’s make the adjustment layer.

(zoom)

This is the layers palette. See the bottom of the palette with all the little doodads there? See that ying-yang-lookin’ thingy? The circle that’s half black half white? This menu pops up for you to choose what kind of adjustment layer you want. We want Levels so click that.

Congratulations! You just made a Levels adjustment layer! Look at you go!

As if t’were by magic, the Levels box pops up ready to do your bidding. Use your powers for the forces of Good.

Using the Levels Box to Edit Your Photo

By default, the Levels box opens up and shows you RGB. That means it’s showing you the complete histogram with all colors considered; Red, Green, and Blue all mixed together, kind of like mixing three paints in one jar.

(zoom)

Now, you can look at R, G, and B separately. When you separate them, they each get their own channel. A channel is like separate jars for the paint before they’re mixed. There’s a Red channel, a Blue channel, and a Green channel. They should’ve just called it a jar instead of a channel, but did they consult me? Noooooo.

Why would you want to see R, G, and B separately? It gives you more control over each channel. You can adjust the R channel a lot, and the G channel a little, and leave the B channel alone.

We’re going to use that drop-down menu to adjust each channel separately. That’s not near as hard as it sounds. Just click “Red.”

Now we’re going to tell Photoshop to redistribute all the Red pixels.

What do the numbers mean? 0 is the darkest, pure dark. 255 is the lightest, pure light. Since we’re in the Red channel, that means 0 is the darkest Red pixel and 255 is the lightest Red pixel.

We’re going to skootch that tiny little arrow from the far left over to where the graph picks up and starts moving higher. We’re telling Photoshop that we’re changing the rules. (Yes, big surprise; I we have a bossy streak.) I’m saying, ok, before we agreed that 0 is the darkest? Well, now I want 36 to be the darkest instead and then redistribute all those pixels accordingly.

Just take my word for it. Your computer won’t blow up as a result of skootching that arrow, I pinky swear. The picture will look a little goofy right now; but I promise you, after all the adjustments are done, it’ll look groovy instead of goofy.

Next, we’ll choose the Green channel and do the same exact thing. Skootch it over to the point the pixels start building higher.

Finally, we’ll do the exact same thing with the Blue channel. Then click OK.

See?! Didn’t I tell ya?!

Groovy, not goofy!

See how the histogram in the upper right corner of the image above shows the pixels now all across the box instead of scrunched up in a ball on one side? That’s a good thing!

Final Touches to Edit Your Pictures in Photoshop

(I’m gonna do a quick crop job in the background here. We can talk later about how to crop and maintain proportion. I just don’t want to throw too much at you in this particular article. Hear me now and believe me later.)

The picture is definitely showing improvement, but it can be even better. Kinda like everyone halfway through The Biggest Loser.

We’re going to make another adjustment layer. Remember how we made a levels layer? No? That’s ok, I’ll explain it again. See the bottom of the palette with all the little doodads there? Click on the circle that’s half black half white. This menu pops up for you to choose what kind of adjustment layer you want. This time, instead of levels, choose “Hue/Saturation.”

And the Hue/Saturation box obediently pops up; unless your computer is possessed, which mine has been prone to in the past. Nothing a nice little exorcism can’t fix.

I played with the Saturation until I found a nice boost of color without taking it too far.

And viola! Here’s our before and after. We adjusted the Levels channels separately, and boosted the Saturation a tad.

Yeah, baby! That’s the way uh huh uh huh I like it uh huh uh huh

Dang, that man’s a handsome devil, ain’t he?!

By the way, if you’re in a big hurry, you can do this to the RGB channel in one adjustment and call it good, instead of each channel separately. I just have the (unsolicited) opinion that adjusting the channels separately can correct a nasty color cast better.

We got a lot done today, folks! You were fabulous! Extra 20 minutes at recess for you!

Extra Credit Points opportunity!

Going back to the adjustment part of adjustment layer, the neat thing about that is if you wanted to go back and adjust your levels just a little tweak, you can easily double click on the little teeny tiny histogram icon on the Layers level and tinker to your heart’s content. If you had simply went Image -> Adjustments -> Levels… then you wouldn’t be able to do that. You would have to make another adjustment on top of an adjustment which is kind of, sort of like making a copy of a copy. An adjustment layer is non-destructive, which is what we graphic artists like to call it when we want to pretend we’re very clever and busy and important.

Next time, we’ll talk about cropping and maintaining proportion!

Well, thanks, folks… I’ve been great. Be sure to tip your waitstaff. They’re not above giving Sneezer Cocktails if you’re the tightfisted type.

And a good time was had by all.

Right?

Just say Right.

Then I’ll shut up and let you get back to what you were doing before I kidnapped you for this little sideshow.