Digital Image Improvement Tips

By Nancy Cheng:  Dec. 1, 2004

 

Only edit strong images with flattering lighting and viewpoint, uncluttered background.

Scanning produces much better images than digital cameras. Central Reprographics on 5th street can scan large rolled drawings in black and white quickly and cheaply.

(Use Irfanview for Windows freeware or Graphic Converter for Mac shareware to quickly delete, rotate and Batch rename files)

 

Save all images as TIFF or top quality JPG.  Images with few colors, such as computer renderings, can also be saved as GIF without degrading color.

 

See video on how to adjust photos!

 

1.  Rotate image to align horizontal lines.

Use Measure tool (under Eyedropper) to drag out a orthogonal line in the image

 

Crop if necessary

 

2.  Improve perspective geometry,

View menu, Rulers

Drag blue guidelines from Rulers to vertical edges

Select menu > All, then Edit menu > distort.  Pull on corners of photo to make vertical lines straight.

 

3.  Even out lighting with an adjustment layer

 

a.  In Photoshop's Layer palette, drag on the black arrow in the upper right corner,     select New Layer, Mode:  Linear Dodge, check "Group with Previous Layer"

b. Set the background color to black

c. Set the foreground color to dark grey

d. Use the gradient tool to fill from the dark areas to light areas, adjusting the direction of the fill, selection area and type of gradient.

 

For further layer adjustments, save the image as PSD, otherwise save as a different filename.jpg

 

4. Improve contrast:

 

Image menu > Adjustments > Levels

          For color images, individually choose each channel, starting with Red

          For each color, move black point and light point to beginning and end of distribution curve

          For overall contrast adjustment, select RGB and adjust arrows.

 

5.  Correct minor blurriness:

Filter menu > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask

Keep small Radius (.5 to 3 pixels) and Threshold (1 to 5 levels)