1. “Adjustment Layers”
The Problem With Photoshop’s Image Adjustments
Unfortunately, as powerful as these image adjustments
are, they all suffer from one serious problem – they all
cause permanent damage to our images. By that, I don’t
mean you’ll get error messages telling you that your
files are suddenly corrupt and won’t open. I mean that
image adjustments make permanent changes to the
pixels and level of detail in our photos.
 damage caused by using the
IMAGE ADJUSTMENTS
commands
Adjustment Layers Correct This:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Open a Photo in Photoshop
Choose a NEW ADJUSTMENT LAYER
Choose BLACK AND WHITE
Edit using BLACK AND WHITE
Choose a NEW ADJUSTMENT LAYER
Choose LEVELS
Edit using LEVELS
Repeat  Choose a NEW ADJUSTMENT LAYER
•
Choose CURVES
•
Choose BRIGHTNESS AND CONTRAST
•
Choose CHANNEL MIXER
•
Choose GRADIENT MAP
•
Choose EXPOSURE
Experiment by turning ADJUSTMENT LAYERS ON/OFF
using the 
BEFORE
AFTER

2. “Adjustment Layers + Masking”
1.
2.
3.
Open a photo in Photoshop
Use only ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
Complete the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Adjustment layers
create a “layer
mask” similar to
quick mask
Edit the image BLACK AND WHITE
Edit for CONTRAST, LEVELS, EXPOSURE, CURVES
Hit “D” on your keyboard
Using the BRUSH TOOL, “erase” areas on the
ADJUSTMENT LAYER
If you paint Black on the Layer Mask, it will mask
the effect of the adjustment in the Adjustment
Layer. Likewise if you paint White on the Layer
Mask it will cause the adjustment to take full
effect. Grays in between will cause the
adjustment to be only partially applied in that
area.
Note: the BRUSH will only affect the AD LAYER, not the
original image/Background
BEFORE
AFTER

3. “Adjustment Layers + Masking + Blending Modes”
Combine the first tutorials in this packet
1.
Edit an image using LAYER ADJUSMENTS
•
Choose BLACK AND WHITE
•
Choose LEVELS
•
Choose CURVES
•
Choose BRIGHTNESS AND CONTRAST
•
Choose CHANNEL MIXER
•
Choose GRADIENT MAP
•
Choose EXPOSURE
2.
Edit each of the LAYER ADJUSMENT MASKS
•
Hit “D” on your keyboard
•
If you paint Black on the Layer Mask, it will mask
the effect of the adjustment in the Adjustment
Layer. Likewise if you paint White on the Layer
Mask it will cause the adjustment to take full
effect. Grays in between will cause the
adjustment to be only partially applied in that
area.
3.
Change the LAYERS by using the LAYER BLENDING
MODES
•
Darken Modes (see the chart to the right)
•
Lighten Modes (see the chart to the right)
•
Contrast Modes (see the chart to the right)
•
Comparative Modes (see the chart to the right)
•
Composite Modes (see the chart to the right)
Adjustment layers
create a “layer
mask” similar to
quick mask