The layers are currently the most powerful tool for working with the photographic image. When you edit a photo, whether in Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, without a set of layers of the image can not do. Sometimes more complex layers are used - customizable, effects and masks based on layers. Layers everywhere. And the question of how users behaved without them before.

The answer is simple - using channels. You are easy to distinguish the photoshop veteran by the fact that it uses the channel palette as often as the palette of the layers. But it should not be regarded as old-fashioned. Rather, this is evidence of professionalism, since the use of channels opens up ample opportunities.

So what is the "channel". Standard definition - "Two-dimensional array of information, usually 8-bit" - is unlikely to clarify the situation. Therefore, let's look at two main types of channels - color information and alpha channel - from the point of view of their practical application.

Color Channels

The simplest way to see the color channels in action is to use the PHOTOSHOP channels panel. Open the usual 24-bit photographic image in RGB. On the palette of the channels you will see 4 layers, each with its icon: RGB, RED (red), Green (green) and Blue (Blue). If you click on RGB, you will see the image that usually see is composite and full-color. For each of the other channels, its halftone version is displayed. The Ctrl + 1, 2 key combinations allow you to view each of the color channels separately, and Ctrl + ~ is the usual composite image.

A full range of RGB-colors is created from the channels of red, green and blue, where they are presented in the scale of shades of gray.

To understand what information is displayed in the palette of the layers, it is necessary to watch the channels when working with the test image of a rainbow gradient (simply speaking, the image of all colors of the rainbow). On the image in the gray scale, which represents the channel, each of the pixels can display one of 256 values. You will see that the red part of the rainbow when viewing in the red canal will be white. The yellow rainbow strip will be white in red and green canals, but will be black, i.e. absent in blue. Actually, the image of the rainbow shows that a full range of 16 million colors can be obtained by a combination of values \u200b\u200bfrom 0 to 255 for red, green and blue colors (256 x 256 x 256). In our image, the yellow stripes correspond to the large values \u200b\u200bof the red and green channels and the 0 - blue canal. Photoshop works with the image not by separate pixels, but through the channels. At the same time, three eight-bit layers - red, green, blue - superimposed, and we get the final image.

Of course, not all images are created in RGB, but this is not a problem, since the channels are very easy to configure for different needs. We can convert our image to another mode using the Image\u003e Mode (Image\u003e mode) command. For Bitmap and shades of gray there is only one channel, which presents 256 values \u200b\u200bfrom black to white. In Lab mode, three channels: A (color value between green and red), in (between blue and yellow) and l (brightness value). Color separation and brightness can be very useful. Select the brightness channel and convert it to the halftone image. The result will be much better than if you convert a scanned RGB image.

The Lab color model can be very useful. But still the most important, after RGB, is CMYK. This model is focused on printing. Convert the image of the rainbow in CMYK. The first thing that rushes into the eye is a sharp change in some colors. The fact is that many pure RGB-colors are not supported in CMYK. The second difference - four color canals appeared: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black (turquoise, purple, yellow, black). Look at the yellow strip of rainbow in the yellow canal - you will see that it is represented by black.

In the CMYK palette, the channels display the ink colors with a multi-layer four-color printing.

In this mode, there are significant differences from RGB, because Photoshop has to work with ink flowers, which are combined with each other on the principle of subtraction (when you overlay all colors it turns black). In RGB, on the contrary, the principle of adding is applied, and the overlay of all colors will give white. But, by and large, all the color models are similar to each other. And Photoshop can recreate the full range of any of them using no more than four eight-sized channels, each of which has no more than 256 values \u200b\u200b(or 65536 values, if you want to select a 16-bit channel in the image\u003e Mode\u003e mode.

Channels are the main tool for working with color, and therefore it is worth viewing sometimes on the channel panel to find out how Photoshop creates various colors. This is especially true with the CMYK model, which is designed for printing. When working with RGB, what you see on the monitor does not always correspond to what will be released when printing. Although the values \u200b\u200bof each of the channels are displayed. Moreover, if you want to replicate the image, you need to take into account factors such as breaking points and replacing the gray component. And this means that the accuracy in working with color channels is very important, since the flowering depends on it.

Channels are useful not only when printing in CMYK. You will find them use in RGB. Let's say you can edit not all image, but a separate channel. When adjusting a set, you should view individual channels to identify the defects of the scanned image. For example, if you found a blurry or offset area in the Red Channel, you can eliminate this drawback using the field sharp or level settings.

And in order to create any special effect, you can apply an art filter to one of the channels. In any case, you can immediately see the result of your actions on the composite image - it is enough to make the RGB channel visible. Just do not forget then allocate the desired color channel again if you work further over it.

The channel association feature provides ample opportunities. For example, using the "Apply Image" command, you can apply information from any channel of another image of the same sizes on the RGB channel of our image and configure this effectBy changing the opacity and mixing of colors. The "Calculation" command allows you to select two layers and create a new layer, selection or document. If you use the mixture color mixing mode, the image areas that have changed compared to the original will be highlighted.

With the appearance in Photoshop 5, the "Channel Mixer" commands and the adjustable layers expanded the possibilities of combining channels. The channel mixer function is used only for individual images and allows you to configure each channel by adding information from other channels. With it, you can create special effects, change channels in places, correct color defects on scanned images. It is also ideal for creating "tinted" and high-quality halftone images (you can control the conversion of each of the color channels in the scales of shades of gray).

Mixing channels helps a lot when converting color images in halftone.

Setting up colors with the help of channels you will be undoubtedly useful. But the most common way to use their use is to work with the discharge. Often image elements are much clearer visible on a separate channel than on the composite image. For example, highlight the bear in the Bear.psd training file is much simpler easier in the blue canal.

Alpha Channels

Having created a selection, you will probably want to save it. You can do it in alpha channel. To do this, use the Selection\u003e Save Selection command or "Save Selection AS Channel" icon (Save Selection AS Channel) on the channel panel. After that, a new channel appears, in which the selected pixels are displayed in white, unproduced - black, and blurred pixels on the border of the selection - shades of gray.

By clicking on the channel icon twice, you can rename it and set the color to which it will be displayed on the composite image. You can work with alpha channel, as with any other, for example, customize levels or apply filters. Moreover, you can edit this channel with a brush - for example, sketch defects. When the result arranges you, use it. To do this, convert the alpha channel to select the Selection\u003e Load Selection command, the "Load Channel Load Channel" (Load Channel As Selection) on the channels panel or simply clicking on the channel icon while holding Ctrl. If you have several alpha channels, you can create more complex allocations. For example, you allocated and converted an image of a person and bushes into alpha channels on the background. You can select only bushes if you select them and download the channel as a selection by using the "Subtraction" option. Keyboard abbreviations will speed up this procedure: click on the icon holding SHIFT + CTRL, it will add a new area to the allocation, Alt + Ctrl + click - deduction from the selection, Alt + Shift + Ctrl + click - will give the intersection of two secretions.

Alpha channels can be saved and loaded as highlighting.

After you have converted an alpha channel to highlight, it will immediately appear on the screen and you can transform it, copy it to a new layer or edit in any way. The flickering dotted line along the edge of the selection does not accurately denote its borders - it must be taken into account. It displays only the pixels of the alpha channel, in which the intensity of the gray is below 50%. For most allocations, it makes small practical differences. But the advantage of the alpha channel is that it allows you to work with 256 levels and thus create complex changeable transparency masks.

How can I use these masks? Here are some examples (in fact it is easier to do what it seems when you read). Click on the "Create New Channel" icon and create an empty alpha channel, then apply the gradient to it and select the composite channel again. Click holding Ctrl on the alpha channel icon. Now on the created allocation, apply any art filter. Its effect will depend on the values \u200b\u200bof the gradient mask halftone. It seems that the photo is gradually turning, for example, in a picturesque canvas.

Alpha channel can be used as a variable opacity mask.

Another example: Create a copy of the alpha channel from the selection of text and apply the Blur in Gauss. After that, deduct the source channel (Alt + Ctrl + click) and you will receive a new channel in which only noise surrounding the text will be displayed. Now highlight this area in the composite or any of the color channels. You can adjust the levels in such a way that the selection will glow, or even delete the source text and the glow will seem part of the photo.

You have the basis, now experiment - you can create many effects with shadows, extrusion, vignettes, etc. Surely, if you do this seriously, you can use the ability to save alpha channels with your file. But Photoshop features in this regard are surprisingly small - the program supports saving the alpha channel in the TIFF file or in the PhotoShop itself (but the number of channels in the file, the file, including color, limited to 24). It will not create problems if you work only in Photoshop. But the presence of an alpha channel can significantly affect the export of the file into one of the standard formats. For example, when saving for the web in the dialog box that appears, you can use the alpha channel as a mask to configure the quality and, accordingly, the size of JPG and GIF files. Using the alpha channel, you can draw attention to a specific part of the image, which will be the highest quality. The quality of the remaining areas of the image will deteriorate, but due to this, the total file size will significantly decrease. Alpha channels will also be useful when working with transparency. Create an alpha channel that covers the area that should not be visible in the web version, and click holding Ctrl to highlight this area. Now call the Transparent Export Wizard and select GIF. The highlighted area will be transparent in the final file, and you will be able to avoid making irreversible changes to the original. The wizard allows you to export an image to a PNG file that supports 24-bit color and 8-bit transparency. If you create an alpha channel with a radial gradient, then get a vignette. Unfortunately, few programs support 32-bit PNG files with transparency. The exception is only perhaps Director 8.5.

Due to the ability to add color fills in CMYK, the alpha channels also come in handy with high-quality printing. Select the portion of the image you want to print as a color fill, and then use the New Spot Color command from the Channel Panel menu. When you specify the color, click "Custom" (custom) and select a color, such as the PANTONE library.

Note that the addition of color fill is not such a simple process as it seems. The image on the screen, as you know, does not always correspond to what is displayed. Ink colors are often impossible to display in RGB and Photoshop simply shows how, in his opinion, the image should look like a layer-by-layer print. If you save your DCS 2.0 file and download the composite EPS image in a professional publishing program, you can make flowers for four main colors and files of custom colors that you created.

Channel Custom color allows you to display ink colors that are not included in the CMYK palette.

Undoubtedly, the channels play a very important role in editing photo images - from setting up colors and highlights to work with images for web and high-quality printing. But time does not stand still, and layers often allow you to get better results than channels. By creating a selection, copy it into a separate layer - and you can work with it independently, and if necessary, return to the original version. The same applies to many other effects that used to be created using channels. Now with this task, customizable layers, effects and masks based on layers are better.

The channel system also improved. So, although in many areas the channels are gradually displaced from everybody, but they hardly disappear completely. At least for the simple reason that the layers are based on channels. Actually, the layer is a set of independent color information and alpha channels, one of which controls transparency, and the second acts as a layer mask. The same applies to the custom layers, which are essentially alpha channels through which color is configured.

Photoshop, as well, and any other photo editor, creates an image on the screen, processing the values \u200b\u200bfrom the color channels and the transparency of the layer. And so, alternately, all layers of the background to the foreground. Of course, in fact, working with the image is much more difficult - the program calculates the modes of mixing colors, opacity, settings, etc. But there is a step-by-step mathematical process. The program does not see the image, it works with an array of data of each channel. Any photo editor "Think" categories of channels. This is a habit that is worth a professional user.

I recently read the translation of one article on the channels in Photoshop on the "famous" site. The article focused on the fact that Photoshop does not distinguish between colors, and all images sees in black and white graduation. Shows photoshop color images because we "expect" to see them with color, and the damp itself adds some kind of tsiferki, thanks to which the magic occurs. What the logic of such reflections is not clear. Whether the old versions of photoshop showed channels like black and white prints, or something else. Not surprising and questions in the comments in the style, "Wow, so coming out of black and white photos can be made color?"

If it happens, then the photoshop does not see anything at all. Photoshop is just a program written by a person in programming language. Photoshop does not see neither gray nor white nor red neither green. Photoshop focuses in the graph, as neo in the matrix. Pixels he sees in the form of springs of zero and units, and decisions takes on the basis digital parameters. Photoshop is busy no more than changing digital values, the values \u200b\u200bare converted into colors that the human eye recognizes. Other animal eyes are arranged differently, and they apparently need some other photoshop, but until it has grown.

It is not clear where, finally, our domestic available and understandable articles about Photoshop, color, printing, where our Dane Margulix. All ruins translates western designers and graphics teachers. It seems that we have a long time there is a design and good designers, and the only well-known writer on Runet is so far Artemia Lebedev, and then, writes about something. In this article I will try to reveal the question of the channels, along the course of the case, walking on the basis of the occurrence of light and color. We will pass all the logic of the appearance of colors on the screen from the beginning and to the end and I assure you, at the end you will understand the essence of the channels in Photoshop no worse than Dena Margulis. I will start with the basics and tell you how color arises at all. What is the difference between light and color. It is very important for the correct understanding of the channels. Moreover, I will try to highlight not only RGB channels, but also channels in CMYK in Lab.

Color Space Photoshop and Channels

Let's immediately agree: the channels and the color space are not the same. If we are talking about channels, we are talking about channels. And not about RGB channels or CMYK channels. What is the color space in Photoshop? The color space is the essence, the formula for which photoshop collects an image. Channels directly depend on what color space is Photoshop. If the RGB color space is 3 channels RGB if CMYK color space, then these are other channels, CMYK color space channels. But there are many color spaces, and each canals have their own! It turns out the topic of the bottomless? Margulis only on the space Laved bukvari one by one, and we just have an article. Everything is not so scary. Understanding how the channels of one color space are arranged, the rest are easily understood. Therefore, we start with the channels in RGB, but for a start, charge the theory.

Color space in Photoshop switches to Image\u003e Mode.. If you go to this menu, you will see a series of color spaces in which Photoshop can work. it Bitmap, GrayScale, Duotone, Indexed Color, RGB, CMYK, Lab and Multichannel. Accordingly, in each of these modes some of their own channels arranged in their own way. Channels for any image can be viewed on the channel panel. Windows\u003e Channel. Opening this panel, you will see the channels themselves, and their end result. In a number of color spaces you will find only one channel. In others, such as CMYK four channels. If you do not work filters, you are not copied by the selection area, some colors do not turn on, the graphics from one window are not imported to another - urgently check the color mode. Most likely, the image does not have a typical color mode, like CMYK or Indexed Color.

I will say even more. If you opened a black white image, it is very possible that its color mode GRAYSCALE, if a GIF was opened, saved from the Internet, its color mode Indexed Color, as the GIF format is saved only in this mode. If you have a big TIFF file on your hands, check the mode, most likely it is CMYK, as TIFF-s is usually saved to print in an offset, and the color mode of printing in the offseet CMYK. And only one color mode is always in winning. All filters work in it, colors are displayed, the graphics are copied. This color mode is truly a king of modes, as Photoshop itself is sharpened to work with him. And the name of this mode is RGB. And most images, photos and other graphics with which you will work, will have exactly this color mode. And that's why.

Monitors and RGB.

RGB. (Red - Red, Green. - green, Blue - Blue) is the most common color model because the basis of any modern on-screen glowing devices contains color model RGB.. Yes, Photoshop can imitate any color spaces from CMYK to Lab, but ultimately what we see on the screen in any case is converted to RGB. We work in Photoshop, on the agenda printed Tiff Fail, CMYK color space, in the Chanel channel panel four channels with paint. But the display of the workspace monitor translates them into RGB. Why?

So the monitors are arranged, almost all the glowing on-screen devices are arranged. And then you will understand why. Ultimately, everything rests in the ability of the monitor in principle to reproduce some colors. In his hardware capabilities, in the quality of its matrix and the coverage of the color scheme. Whatever color space we have chosen to work in Photoshop, the monitor shows it using RGB. Shows the colors of the monitor as it can, so well and bright, as much as the matrix is \u200b\u200bhigh quality in it. So we all rest in our hardware on the table ultimately. You can work with excellent color profiles, in flexible color spaces with a wide coverage of color, but everything is easy if the monitor is bad.

Light and color

Inverting the statements of Locke, there is light, and there is a color. And the light has a color. This topic It is not the subject of our article, but necessary for the correct understanding of the channels in Photoshop. And especially RGB and CMYK channels. What is light? The light is part of the electromagnetic radiation. This is a phenomenon of nature, which stands in one row with other electromagnetic radiation like infrared rays, X-ray, microwaves and ultraviolet. All (electromagnetic radiation) are measured in nanometers (nm). The light is measured in 400-700 nm, and I think you have already guessed why. Why in a radius from 400 to 700. What kind of different? Exactly. And the difference is determined by its color.

The light rays of different colors are measured by a different number of nanometers, where purple pulls 400 nm, green by 550 nm, and red on 700 nm. When refracted in a prism, the light is folded into the color components: red, orange, green, blue, blue and purple. This knows every schoolboy from the lessons of physics. And on the basis of all the above, you can make simple conclusions that will help us to comprehend RGB channels:

• white "Light" is a set of all colors of the spectrum
• black "Light" is the lack of light at all.
• the gradual addition of all colors of the spectrum to each other "brightens" light until it becomes white
• the gradual removal of the spectrum parts "dims" light until it remains at all.

Surface color

The color of the surface works differently, but tied in the world. We see the color of items, because the items reflect the light falling on them. Different surfaces have different ability to reflect. If a certain surface does not reflect the light at all, and absorbs all the rays of the spectrum, then we see the black color. And what else can you see if the subject does not reflect the light? If the surface reflects all the rays of the spectrum, we see white color. For example, paper reflects all the rays of the spectrum and we see it as white. White moon, because reflects the light of the sun, and not because it listed in itself Samsung led. TV.

Further more. If, for example, a certain surface absorbs all rays of the spectrum other than blue, then this surface looks blue, as it reflects only the blue part of the spectrum. If the subject reflects only one part of the spectrum, for example, red, then we see it red. If he reflects the devils that, and absorbs the devils that, then we see the devils that. For example, the surface can reflect, a little yellow, a little blue, a little green, and absorb everything else. From this Sumbura and consist of all the others, "not clean" colors. They are formed by mixing the reflected spectrum rays. Perhaps this theory of color and light is enough. Let us turn to the channels themselves in Photoshop.

Channels in photoshop for RGB

From pure theory, go to the canals in Photoshop. When creating monitors, smart people did not invent a bike. The monitor radiates light. The developers took advantage of the fact that we were offered the mother nature, and created RGB. How is it arranged? It consists of 3 channels: red (Red), green (green) and blue (Blue). When overlaying on each other, 3 source colors create composite colors: purple, blue and yellow. Together, it turns out the usual rainbow or spectrum.

Three RGB channels act on each other as well as the rays of the spectrum act on each other. When you put on top of each other, white is achieved. In the absence of all channels, it turns out black, which is logical. Either light or darkness. In the absence of one of the channels, one of the composite colors (purple, blue or yellow) is obtained. Each RGB channel has a value scales from 0 to 255, where 0 is the absence of light, and 255 is the maximum possible light. In our case, this is not white light, but the light of one of the channels, blue, green or red. When crossing all three channels, taking into account that each channel may have color gradation, from black, to the maximum light, the entire multi-million dollar palette in RGB is obtained.

I thought for a long time, as if lucky to portray the imposition of color channels to each other, but so to take into account the gradation of each channel to black, that is, to the absence of light. After some unsuccessful experiments, I portrayed them in the form of a flower. And although this flower does not demonstrate all possible shades of RGB colors, it shows well as RGB mixes the channels.

RGB channels as an option mask in Photoshop

So, what do we know about the channels? Already quite a lot. We know that in the color space RGB three canals, blue, red and green. We know that when applied to each other, composite colors are formed and that each channel has a lightness and darkness parameter from 0 to 255. It's time to consider how the image is generated in RGB.

I open photoshop, choose a beautiful photo and turn on the channels. If you do not know where they, open Windows\u003e Channels.. I will also use the panel Info and Color. They can also be found in the menu Windows. When you turn on the channel panel, you will probably see the following picture: one color image, and 3 separate channels with black and white masks, which denote the degree of illumination of each particular portion of the photo by a specific channel. If the section is black in the image, then this channel is completely absorbed by the surface, if light, completely reflected, if gray is partially absorbed and partially reflected.

Perhaps you will also see another picture, color channels instead of black and white. This does not mean anything, and does not indicate that Photoshop sees everything with color, black and white, or brown-raspberry. Photoshop is just a program, he sees nothing. It sees the values \u200b\u200bof the channels for each pixel, and makes up the image. Accordingly, than coloring the photo, the more weighs, since there is a lot of information on the color of each pixel, and than it is homogeneous, the more one-color pixel, the one has weighs smaller. Because information on the pixel is repeated. Black and white photos weigh significantly less than color, and a white sheet, against the photo of the same size, nothing weighs anything.

Colored your channels in Photoshop either black and white depends exclusively from the version of photoshop and settings installed. If you see black and white channels, go to Edit\u003e Preferens\u003e Interface And check the tick Show Chanels. in Color. Difference it does not change any. With color channels, the black area on a specific channel is the zero value of the color intensity, and the most bright (for example, red, on the red channel) - maximum value 255 channel intensity. That's all. And also in the black and white version. Black - 0 value, white - 255.

In this sense, every channel is a kind of mask, where the black area closes the image, white shows, and gray seminders.

Consider the work of the channels with a black and white image in RGB.. For our experiments, we will need palettes COLOR, CHANNELS, INFO and Color Picker. Open Color Pickerand select Clean Gray. It is impossible not to notice that in the gray crazy color the values \u200b\u200bof the channels are equal to each other. Naturally, if R0 G0 B0 creates a black color (cm, the lack of reflection of light from the surface), and the R255 G255 B255 creates a white color (cm, the connection of the entire spectrum, school prism), it is logical that with a gradual increase in the values \u200b\u200bof each channel with Equal value we obtain clean gray without a share of the shade.

We will conduct a small experiment. I opened a photo and using Image\u003e Ajustiments\u003e Desaturate Translated it into black and white.

Now I chose the tool Color Sampler. From the Tools toolbar and made 4 color plants in different places of photography. To display the digital values \u200b\u200bof the channels, I will open the INFO panel. We see that in all 4 cases the values \u200b\u200bof the channels are equal to each other. Complete the task.

I will come again in the color correction menu and using a squeak filter Image\u003e Adjustiments\u003e Photo Filter In the filter panel, I will choose a clean blue color R0 G0 B255 and slightly select a photo.

As you can see the shade of the photo has changed, although it is still perceived as a PB. Let's look at our color samples in the Info panel. The values \u200b\u200bof the Red and Green Channel remained unchanged. And the value of the blue channel exceeded the values \u200b\u200bof red and green. Due to this, the black and white photo received its bluish shade, because the intensity of the blue channel exceeds the two remaining. I achieved pure results due to the fact that the color correction applied a clean blue color R0 G0 B255 with zero values \u200b\u200bof red and green channels. If I used the not completely clean shade, for example, R10 G15 B250, then my values \u200b\u200bwould not be even. In this case, the filter would have affected red with green channels, but the photo still received its blue tint, since the meaning of the blue channel in the stock would exceed the rest.

Channels in photoshop and sepia

How is the effect of sepia? The photo is still black and white. Just she has a yellowish tint. How does RGB creates a yellow color? It is known as, when applying red on green. That is R255 G255 B0

Open the black and white photo apply the effect Image\u003e Adjustiments\u003e Photo FilterBut this time we will apply a clean yellow color R255 G255 B0. It is not difficult to guess what we get on the info panel.

The values \u200b\u200bof the red and green channel rose evenly, and the value of the blue channel remained unchanged. Due to this, the photograph received a yellowish tint. Now that you understand the nature of the RGB channels, consider the color image.

Channels in photoshop and color image

With a black and white image, everything is simple. On each site of the image, all channels are equal to each other. Values \u200b\u200bare certainly different due to the degree of light and darkness, but all three channels are always synchronous to each other. With color images, everything else. Each color image pixel contains different information on all three channels. Due to this, it is colored. Due to this, the color image weighs more black and white. Consider our photo.

The conditions are the same. Already color photography, the former 4 color samples. 1) in heaven, 2) on the clouds, 3) on the dark part of the clouds and 4) on the tree. Let's see what happens on the sky. On the sky plot 0 in red 56 in green and 134 in blue channels. There is no red channel and we do not see it. 134 blue give pure dark blue color. A 56 green canal add brightness towards the blue. How do you remember R0 G255 B255 give bright blue color. As a result, we get a blue sky, where the blue channel creates a dark blue tone, and the green brightens towards the blue.

On the second value, a bright part of the cloud. On the Info Panel 240 for red, 243 for green and 247 for blue. The first thing is striking - values \u200b\u200bare extremely equal. So color will get close to grayscale. In our case, the values \u200b\u200bare not only equal, but also high. From 240 to 247. Virtually maximum 255, which indicates that the color will be almost white. And so it is. Clouds extremely white. Now we will analyze the shade. Values \u200b\u200bare almost equal, but not completely. Blue channel 247 above red, 7 points. Green canal is also higher at 3 points. How do you remember 255 green and 255 blue give blue. So the color will have a slightly bluish shade. And so it is.

In the third site, I highlighted the shaded part of the cloud. First, we see that the meanings are also high. 166 on red, 182 on green, 208 on blue. The meanings suggest that this color is also fairly light. But not so much bright as in the second sample. Light gray, and higher values \u200b\u200bof the blue and green channel give a light gray explicit blue shade.

On the tree section 3 for red, 23 for green, 16 for blue channels. Values \u200b\u200btend to zero, which indicates that the color is practically black. And so eat, the tree is really dark. As usual, the red canal is minimal, green and blue channels won in the whole photo. Except, of course, herbs, but about it later. On this section, the green canal is significantly higher than blue, and, accordingly, the tree gets dark greenish tone.

And a few more examples. I made two more last marks on the bright and dark pieces of grass. In this case, the blue channel loses. Its value is low. Red and green won. How to remember the red and green canal give clean yellow. In our case, the Red Channel is not enough to kill the green channel on yellow, so the color goes toward the yellow-green marsh. But the green channel is not on the full maximum of opportunities, if his meaning was played red, the grass would have a reddish shade, but the green canal is stronger, and the grass is greenish. A small tone adds a blue channel, the truth is practically imperceptible.

In our last battle, the green canal is a clear winner. Its value is 137, half of the power, so the color is not bright and quite dark. The red canal tries to lead the shade toward the orange, but unsuccessfully. The blue channel is practically disabled.

And so it consists of every section of color using RGB channels. Channel essence - light intensity mask for each image site. In the sky, the red canal is black, then the color consists of green and blue channels. In the field of grass there is no blue channel. The green looks brighter, it means the grass will be predominantly green. I hope you caught the idea.

Reading Channels on Mask

That's what I want to achieve from you. I want you to understand that the image of the channel, the essence - a mask, where dark places mean the absence of channel action, and light - the effect of the channel tone. Take for example our image. Photos color can be understood without seeing colors. It can be read based on the masks of the channels. Now we will learn to do this to deciphering color mixing logic in RGB.

On the photo sky, wood, and field. Let's see what the channels show. On the red canal sky completely black. It means the effect of red on this site is missing. Blue and green channels remain. On the blue channel, the color of the sky, obviously lighter, which means the effect of the blue channel here is higher. But the green canal makes his contribution. How to remember blue and green channels give blue. We get a light blue sky, darker to the upper right corner, since the action of green is noticeably weakened.

Consider the field. The blue canal in this area is almost black. The brightest area of \u200b\u200bthe red canal with which only green comes with. And then the field of yellow color. Graduations on the green meaning are led by the color to the side of orange and dark red.

Take a look at the tree. On all masks, his color is almost the same. So the tree is quite colorful, close to gray. But still on the Red Channel, the tree is significantly lighter, and on blue, darker. This suggests that the shade of the tree is red. In our case, the red is so strong that he reduced gray to brown.

RGB and SCREEN Mode

We can imitate RGB mixing channels yourself. So I created most of the illustrations for this article. Draw the ellipses on different layers, fasten them with clean colors. Pure blue R0 G0 B255, clean green R0 G255 B0 and pure red R255 G0 B0. In Windows\u003e Layers panel, change the layers of overlay modes on Screen. SCREEN Output Mode Cuts Dark Pixels, giving the advantage to light pixels. But besides this, he mixes various pixel tones as well as mixed up their color model RGB.

I tried to write most compressed, but the article turned out to be too voluminous. But now you fully understand how the RGB channels are arranged in the photoshop program, and not only in Photoshop. They are arranged everywhere, equally, believe me. I will develop the topic of channels in your following articles on this topic. In the following parts, I will describe the channels in CMYK and Lab, as well as proceed to their practical use in color correction and printing.

How to translate RGB in CMYK, translate RGB to CMYK, translate RGB in CMYK how to translate RGB in CMYK in Photoshop, translate color from RGB to CMYK, as in Korele Translate RGB in CMYK, translate image from RGB to CMYK, how to translate RGB to CMYK in CorelDRAW, as in the RGB illustrator to translate to CMYK, how to translate RGB to CMYK in Illustrator, Photoshop CMYK, RGB Translate.

In this lesson, we will learn to enhance the contrast and brightness of images by non-standard methods, applying overlay modes to individual color channels. If you are familiar with the photoshop program, then, of course, you know that we usually select the overlay modes on the layers panel, when we want to change the interaction or a combination of a layer with the underlying layer / layers.

I will show how to apply overlay modes not to a whole layer, but to separate color channels of the RGB model (red, green and blue channels), which photoshop uses to create a full color image.

How do we apply overlapping modes to color channels? In fact, make it easy and easily thanks to the "External Channel" command (Apply Image).
Working with color channels in Photoshop is a bit complicated for novice user theme. I am superficially touched upon it in this lesson, but for those who are just starting working with the channels in Photoshop, I strongly recommend first to get acquainted with the lesson "ModelRGB and Color Channels » . After reading the material, you will be better understood what will happen with further work with dialog box "External channel" in this lesson.

To learn more about overlay modes, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the lesson about overlay modes , where it is explained how the main modes of imposition in Photoshop work.

In this lesson, I will work in the version of Photoshop CS6, but also later versions are also suitable. Here is a picture I am in currently Opened in the program:

Source image

The first thing we need to do before proceeding to further work with the image is to create a copy of it. If we look at the layer panel, we note that the original image is placed on the background layer (Background):

Layer panel shows that the image is placed on the rear background layer

Let's quickly make a copy of the rear background layer by pressing the CTRL + ALT + J / COMMAND + Option + J keyboard keyboard on the keyboard. This action will allow not only to create a copy of the layer, but also to pre-open the new layer dialog box in which we can set the name of the layer before adding it to the panel. Name the "External Channel" layer (Apply Image), then click OK to exit the dialog box:

New layer dialog box

If we look at the layer panel again, we will see that the image copy appeared on the new layer "External Channel", located above the layer of the rear background. It is always better to assign visual layers, "speaking" names that we have done, otherwise you can easily get confused with the general names that the layers are the program, such as the "layer 1" (Layer 1), which we will not say anything about the purpose of the layer:

A copy of the image appeared on the "External Channel" layer

As I mentioned at the beginning of the lesson, we usually choose the layer overlay modes on the layers panel, because, as a rule, we use them to a whole layer. The overlay mode selection button is located in the upper left corner of the layer panel. As an example, I am now quickly modifying the external channel layer overlay mode from a normal (Normal) (default) to "Soft Light" mode (SOFT LIGHT):

Change the imposition mode for "soft light"

Changing the mode shows the interaction of two layers - the "external channel" layer and below the layer of the rear background. The "soft light" mode belongs to the contrast mode group, as it increases the contrast level of the entire image that we see in our photo. Color saturation also intensified a little:

Image after changing the imposition of the "Soft Light"

I change the overlay mode back to the "normal" to returned the original settings:

Changing the imposition mode back to "Normal"

Thus, if the change in the overlay modes on the layers panel affects the interaction of the layers as a whole, where does the work with individual color channels reflect and how to use channel overlay modes? In order to answer the first part of the question, we need to look at the layers panel more closely. We will see that it is located next to two other panels - channels and contours (Channels and Paths), each of which has its own icon. Click on the "Channels" panel icon:

Click on the channel panel icon

With this action, we switch to the channel panel, where we can see individual color channels: red (Red), green (green) and blue (Blue), which make up our image. RGB channel is at the very top - not a channel. It is the result of the merger of red, green and blue channels or, in other words, this is how we see a full-color image (each color on the image consists of a combination of red, green and blue):

On the channel panel, we can find individual color channels.

We can choose a separate channel by simply by clicking on it. I press the red channel for its choice:

Choosing a red canal

Selecting a red channel Temporarily disables green and blue channels and allows us to see only a red channel in the document window. The Photoshop program displays the color channels in the form of halftones, and each channel is an image with various shades of gray. That's what my red channel looks like in the document window. If you compare this version of the image with a full color image, then notice that areas containing a red color in the color image, when halftone transmission, are lighter, while areas that include a little red or having red color at all, look darker:

Halftone image after selecting a red canal

Choosing a green canal

In the document window, a green channel is now displayed in the form of a halftone image. Please note that it is significantly different from the Red Channel. And again, if you were compared this image with a color option, I would notice that areas containing a lot of green in gradation look lighter, and areas with a small amount of green or full of its absence - darker:

Halftone image after selecting a green canal

Finally, I will click on the blue channel on the channel panel for its choice, with the result that the red and green channels will temporarily turn off:

Choosing a blue canal

Now we have in the document window - blue channel, and again halftone is different from red and green channels. This time, the greater the blue color contains the area on the color image, the lighter it is in the image in the gradation gradation, and vice versa, the smaller the blue in the color image area, the area in the halftone image is darker. When you soon choose a separate color channel in the Outer Channel Commands dialog box, do not forget about these three versions of the color channels represented by halftone images with various grades of gray:

Halftone after selecting a blue channel

To go to the full color version of the image, click on the RGB channel at the top of the channel panel. This action will return all three color channels to work:

Selecting the Mixed RGB Channel

And we see a full color image again:

Full color image again appeared in the document window

Team "External Channel"

Now that we know that the color channels are located on a separate panel and each of them is a halftone image, let's respond to the second part of the question - how to apply overlay modes. You may notice that there is no "Blend Mode" on the channels panel, in contrast to the layers panel. In fact, we no longer need to work with the channel panel, so let's go back to the panel of the layers by clicking on its name (Layers):

Switch back to the layer panel

To apply the overlay modes to individual color channels, we use the Outer Channel command. To do this, select the "Image" menu bar (image) at the top of the screen, then from the list - "External Channel" (Apply Image):

Select "Image"\u003e "External Channel" (Image\u003eApplyImage)

This action will open the "External Channel" dialog box. If you have never worked with him before, it may seem a little frightening, but in fact everything is quite simple. In fact, we will use only two parameters - "Channel" (Channel) and "overlay" (blending):

Parameters "Channel" and "Overlay" in the "External Channel" command dialog box

The "Channel" parameter is responsible for choosing a channel that we want to use to work. By default, the RGB channel is selected, which, if you remember, is a mixed channel located at the very top of the channel panel (the result of the merge of red, green and blue channels to obtain a color image). The "Overlay" parameter is responsible for choosing the imposition mode necessary for us. If we leave the "Channel" parameter with the selected RGB channel and simply change the overlay modes, we will get the same result as when you select the overlay mode on the layers panel. For example, I will select the Soft Light overlay mode in the Outer Channel Commands dialog box (Channel parameter - RGB):

Leave the "Channel" parameter with the valueRGB and change the imposition mode on the "soft light"

It is clearly seen that my image does not differ from the one I received when choosing a soft light overlay mode on the layers panel earlier in our lesson. The same strengthening of contrast and color saturation occurred:

The "Overlay" parameter "External Channel" commands the same as the overlay modes on the layers panel when the channel is selected.RGB.

But everything becomes more interesting when instead of the RGB channel we choose any of the three separate color channels. I will leave the laying mode "Soft Light" and modify the "Channel" parameter with RGB to "Red". So I will only apply a red channel:

Choosing a red canal

This time the result is absolutely different from the previous ones. We still see the overall strengthening of the contrast because of the work of the "soft light" overlay mode, but thanks to the interaction of the halftone image of the red channel with the overlay mode, we got another effect. The girl's skin looks much lighter than before. The same thing happened with her hair, with a red top and regions of red, orange and yellow shades on a jacket. Essentially, everything that contains a lot of red on the image looks now lighter, while areas containing a little red or do not have it, for example, a blue and green area of \u200b\u200bjacket, look darker than before:

The effect of the interaction of the red canal with the laying mode "Soft Light"

Let's see what happens if I replace the "Channel" parameter value for green (overlay mode is still "soft light"):

Switching from a red canal to green

Choosing a green channel, we got another embodiment of the effect. This time, lighter steel areas containing a lot of green, while areas with lots of red or blue became darker. The most distinct change occurred with the skin of a girl who became darker and more contrast than when choosing a red canal:

The interaction of the green canal with the layout mode "Soft Light"

Now I replace the value of the "Channel" parameter on blue:

Choosing a blue canal

In this case, we received a third option of the image, when areas with blue became lighter, and the area with red or green flowers - darker. These variations of the effect would not be possible (at least without an application of great efforts), if we had not received access to work with separate colors using the External Channel command:

Each color channel gives us your own effect of applying effect.

Of course, we are not limited to using only the imposition of "soft light" when working with our color channels. We can choose any of the overlay modes, as we would do on the layers panel. I will leave the "Channel" parameter - "blue" and change the value of the "Overlay" parameter to "overlay" (Overlay):

Selecting the overlapping mode for blue channel

As well as the "Soft Light" mode, the "overlap" is a mode that enhances the contrast in the image, but to an even greater extent:

Interaction of the Blue Channel with the overlap of the overlap

But what will look like the work of the "Overlapping" mode when changing the channel to "green":

The interaction of the green channel with the overlap overlay mode

And this is how the red channel in the "Overlapping" mode looks like:

The interaction of the Red Channel with the overlap overlay mode

The image of the red canal looks too saturated when interacting with the "overlap" mode, but we can easily muffle the colors if necessary, reducing the opacity of the overlay. You will find the "Opacity" parameter (OPACITY) directly under the "Overlay" parameter (Blending) in the "External Channel" command dialog box, and it works in the same way as the "opacity" parameter on the layers panel. By default, the value of the parameter is 100%. I will reduce its value up to 60%:

Reduce the opacity to reduce the intensity of the imposition effect

By reducing opacity, we returned part of glare and shadows to the image:

Image after reducing the opacity of the overlap

If you want to compare the processed and source image, simply disconnect the "Preview » (Preview) located on the right side of the dialog box. This action will hide the use of the effect and will give you the opportunity to see the original image in the document window. Select the Preview option again to return to the effect:

Enable and disconnect the "Preview" option to compare the original and processed images

You will often notice, especially processing photos of people that the "soft light" modes and "overlapping" are most successful for processing, but other useful overlay modes are also worth trying, such as "Screen" and "Multiply" (Multiply) . The "Screen" mode brightens everything in the image, while multiplication mode - darkens. Try to apply these modes to three color channels to see the result, then adjust the effect intensity, increasing or reducing the opacity value. For example, in my case, I set the value of the "Channel" parameter - green, the imposition mode - "multiplication" and reduced the opacity level up to 40%:

"Channel" - green, "overlay" - "multiplication", "opacity" - 40%

As a result, the image has become darker and drawn in detail:

Capture Mode "Multiplication" is well suited for dimming images. Try the screen mode for lightening it.

When you are satisfied with the result, click OK to exit the Outer Channel Commands dialog box. You can then compare the processed image with the original by clicking on the layer visibility icon (in the form of the eye) located on the left of the outer channel layer name on the layers panel. Click on the icon once to make the layer temporarily invisible and view the original image. Click on the icon again to return the "External Channel" layer visibility:

Turn on and off the visibility of the layer to compare the final result and the original image

And here we did it! We learned to apply the overlay modes to individual color channels using the photoshop "External Channel" command!

To look inside the channel, you need to open its palette in the Photoshop program. It looks and works in the same way as the palette of the layers and is in the same panel, where both the layers, but in the right tab (if you do not see it, select the menu command Window \u003d\u003e Channels).

Similar to the work of the layers, when you click the mouse once to choose the channel, Photoshop allocates it, showing you that it is selected. All the operations produced from this point will only affect it.

If you need to select them several, click on each of them by holding the SHIFT key. You can use this trick to say, enhance the sharpness of the two at the same time. To enable or disable the display, click on the visibility icon to the left of the name (however it is not possible to turn them off, at least one must be visible all the time).

There are several types:

1. Composite. Technically, this is not a completely channel, it is provided only for convenience of viewing. When you use a mode containing multiple colors (for example, RGB, CMYK and LAB), it shows everything at the same time, opening the image in all its full-color glory.

Its name always depends on what mode you work. In mode RGB.For example, it will be called RGB. But no matter how Photoshop calls it, the composite is always in the upper part of the palette.

2. Color. As mentioned above, if you work in RGB mode, then it is red, green and blue. In mode CMYK. This is blue, purple, yellow and black. In Lab mode (Consider in the following articles) this brightness, and b. In all other image modes you will find only one, named as well as the mode in which you are.

3. Alpha Channels. If you ever saved the selected area to use it later, you created them. Usually, it is made in gradations of gray display of saved selected areas, which are useful when highlighting a difficult area that you may need to be used again.

4. Spades. They contain instructions on the use of special finished paints, such as Pantone colors. If, say, you are a designer developing advertising a new powerful scooter of bright red, you can create a channel containing this color to be sure that it will be printed correctly.

At the bottom of the palette are the following controls:

• Load content as selection (Load Channel AS Selection). This button, which looks like a tiny dotted circle, highlights all the contents of the active. It is convenient if you use information to highlight complex areas. You can also download the contents as a dedicated area by clicking the mouse button while holding ctrl key, thumbnail.
• Save Selection As Channel (Save Selection AS Channel). If you have an active dedicated area, you can click this button to save the area as an alpha channel for future use. To assign a name, you can select the selection menu command \u003d\u003e Save the selected area or click the button by holding the ALT key.
• Create a new (Create New Channel). This button looks like a small sheet of paper with a curved corner. When it is pressed, Photoshop creates a new empty alpha channel. The program calls the selected areas of alpha 1 created by you, alpha 2, etc. If you want to enter a more memorable name, double-click the name and replace it.
• Delete Current Channel (Delete Current Channel). When you click on this tiny basket it is removed. After you set up a duplicate to create an ideal dedicated area or a layer mask, you can throw it by pressing this button (or you can leave it to hang out, but remove it, turning it off its visibility icon).

Just like on any other palette, on this palette there is a menu in the upper right corner (its button looks like an arrow down next to four small lines). This convenient menu includes all the teams that mentioned earlier, plus a few of their own:

• New. This command creates a new alpha channel as well as clicking on the button above the button in the bottom of the palette. The difference is that by selecting this menu command, you will open a dialog box in which you want to assign a name and specify how the program should be displayed.
• Create duplicate. If you want to create a copy to edit it, select this command. At the same time, the program displays the dialog box in which you can assign a name and select its purpose (the same document or new). The destination parameter is useful when you create a shift map or use channels to create a high-contrast black and white image.
• Delete. This command deletes the current channel or all if you allocated them somewhat using the SHIFT key. However, you need to save at least one, so if you highlight them all, Photoshop will darken this command.
• New sawn canal. It is useful for the finished particular printing paint called Swear Color. Read about it in the following articles.
• Combine with basic. Only typographic printing machines can recognize spot, so if you need to print a trial print on the usual desktop printer, you first have to apply this command to combine.
• Parameters. This menu item is available only if the alpha channel is highlighted, when creating or editing which you can use the parameters to change the method of displaying the selected or hidden mask regions.
• Split. If you need to select each channel in the image in your own document, select this command. Photoshop uses each and copies it to a new document in gray grades. This method is useful when creating a black and white image.
• Combine. This team combines the maximum of four open documents In the gradation mode of gray to a single RGB document (if you have three documents) or CMYK (if you have four documents open). You can also combine channels of all open documents into a multichannel document. This command can be useful if you applied the split command to work on each of them separately, and now you want to re-connect them to one document.
• Panel Parameters. The palette automatically displays miniatures. If you want to disable this feature preview Or set another size miniature, select this menu item. If you have a fairly large monitor (17 "or more), use miniatures of the highest possible size.

In this lesson, Photoshop, I will show you how to cut the complex objects from the background using the "Channels" palette (Channels) and calculation function (Calculations). This method of extracting objects from the background is very convenient, since it saves a lot of time in contrast to the use of other allocation tools.

Let's consider the action of this technique in practice and make sure everything yourself.

Why use the image masking channels?

The Photoshop program provides different selection tools: magnetic lasso, magic wand, fast mask, etc. ... Why use channels for this purpose? The fact is that the use of canals will save a bunch of your time and makes the job more accurate.

Most users of the program that engage in retouching photos and processing their pictures and pictures of friends It is difficult to understand that the "Channels" panel can be used to create a layer mask Layer Mask)because they just do not know what it is.

I will not explain what channels are, this is the topic of a separate lesson, but I remind you that the channels share the image into three different brightness levels corresponding to the three colors of red, green and blue (Red, Green, Blue)What is RGB mode. Consider the action of the channels on the example of this lesson.

This is what the result of the selection should turn out from us:

Step 1.

Open in photoshop image of a tree branch on a blue background from lesson resources and duplicate it (Ctrl + J). Rename the duplicate layer in the "branch" layer. On this layer, we will create a layer mask Layer Mask)To hide the blue background on it, cutting out the branch from it.

Step 2.

You know that it would be possible to highlight branches on the background with a pen (Pen Tool) or magic wand (Magic Wand)But this selection takes a lot of time, forces and will lead to the formation of uneven edges of the object. Use fast masks Quick Mask) Also a rather troublesome occupation in our case.

Since we have a homogeneous background, it is appropriate to apply the method of selection using alpha channels. Even if you do not understand anything yet, just follow all the actions with me in order and everything will become clear.

On the "branch" layer, go to the "Channels" palette (Channels)which is near the "Layers" panel (Layers)By clicking on its tab.

Step 3.

You see in the opened palette three layers of channels for each of the three main colors of the image: red, green and blue (Red, Green, Blue)which is called alpha channels. The top layer of the RGB channel is a combination of all three alpha channels at the same time.

For high-quality allocation of the object, we need a channel in which there will be the best contrast between the background and the branch. Alternately go through all three channels and select the most contrast. In our case the best option There will be blue (Blue) Channel because the contrast is stronger here between the background and the branch than in the other two.

Click on the blue channel by activating it.

Step 4.

With the selected blue channel, go to the image-calculation menu. (Image\u003e Calculations). This feature will help us mix alpha channels and show a preliminary result. Using the "Calculation" tool (Calculations) We will create a new alpha channel based on three existing ones. Perform the settings from the screenshot below:

Let me explain what is happening with our new channel with such settings. For source 1. (Source 1) The blue channel of the background layer and its duplicate is taken, for the source 2 (Source 2) Only the blue channel of the layer "branches" is accepted, then they are mixed with multiplication mode. (Multiply) between themselves. As a result of mixing, it turns out a more contrast image, which is a new alpha channel. (Alpha 1). We are faced with the task of creating a sharp contrast of black and white colors in the image, otherwise, we will not be able to high quality branch from the background and hide the background on the layer mask.

Step 5.

In the previous step, we increased the contrast of the image, but this is not enough for our purpose. I will increase it even more. On the layer of the channel "Alpha 1" (Alpha 1) Go back to the image-calculation menu (Image\u003e Calculations). This time we change the mode of mixing channels to overlap (Overlay) and perform the remaining settings option from the screenshot.

As a result of mixing, another alpha channel "Alpha 2" turned out, in which the bright areas became lighter, and the dark - darker, which strengthened the contrast of the background and the object.

Step 6.

Even after two computing, we cannot highlight the branch, because the sky has a gray area, and we need only black and white colors.

On the Alpha 2 channel layer, go to the Layer Correction Menu (Image-adjustment-levels) Or press the combination of Ctrl + L. Now we will get rid of the gray shade of the background, making it completely white. In the "Levels" dialog box, move the white slider of lights (Highlight) To the left to the value of 167, while the background does not become white.

Then, slide a little right black shadow slider (Shadows) Up to 13, making a clear contrast between black and white colors.

Step 7.

Now we have done everything that they strive and ready for the allocation of the branch and creating a layer mask. Since we need to hide the background on the mask, not a branch, invert the colors on the image by pressing the Ctrl + i keyboard. Now, load the selection of the branch by pressing Ctrl and, clicking on the Alpha 2 channel icon. A running stroke appeared around the white branch, which indicates the activation of the selection.

Step 8.

With the active allocation of the channel "Alpha 2", click on the RGB channel to return the image color, and return to the "Layers" palette (Layers).

Step 9.

It remains only to hide the unnecessary background on the mask. To do this, go to the menu layers-mask layer-show selection Layer\u003e Layer Mask\u003e Reveal Selection) or click on the layer mask icon (Circle in a square) At the bottom of the layer panel. Once you create a mask, your background will be hidden on it. In order to see the result of the background removal, turn off the visibility of the background layer by clicking on the eyes of its thumbnails.

If you increase the image (Ctrl +)You will see how accurately the branches are allocated in this way.

Step 10.

Masking has been completed, and now we need to check the quality of the allocation on a homogeneous background. Create a layer (Ctrl + SHIFT + N) above the background layer and pour (Edit-Fill or SHIFT + F5) Its in any color to see the errors in the image.

The problem is tint.

If you want to use this image on a different background or in collage, then a problem arises with the presence of an unnecessary blue shade on the branches that you need to eliminate. So that you understand what you are talking about, I chose another Stock Image for background.

Removal of an unwanted shade in Photoshop.

There is a simple way to remove an unnecessary shade from an object with the correction "Color Tone / Saturation" (Hue / Saturation) and reducing the layer mask. If the shade is located along the edges of the object, it will be enough to reduce the mask on 1 Px and the problem will solve.

Since we already have a mask on the "branches" layer, we cannot create another one. But there is a way out. We will later create a mask on a layer with a group.
Select a layer of "branches" and place it in the group by pressing the Ctrl + G keyboard.

Load the mask selection on the branch layer (Ctrl + click on the mask icon)then go to the selection menu-modification-compress (SELECT\u003e modify\u003e Contract), Install the compression in 1 Px. Next, create a mask on a layer with a group and for this we go to the layer-mask layer layers in the menu. Layer\u003e Layer Mask\u003e Reveal Selection). In the "Layers" panel you can see your new mask on a layer with a group.

If your low-resolution image, compression on 1 Px can remove small object details. In this case, you need another way to remove an unwanted shade.

After we reduced our mask, the blue shade is still present on the branches. Let's get it removed by the correction "Color Tone / Saturation" (Hue / Saturation), bleaching blue and blue tone or changing this shade to another.

Create a correction layer "Color Tone / Saturation" (Hue / Saturation)By pressing the layer panel below the black and white circle and choosing from the list of layers we need. In the Options dialog box, choose blue tones (Blues) and discolor them by moving the slider saturation SATURATION) on -94. Then, choose blue (Cyans) Tone and also discolor them. Upon completion of the settings, we create a clipping mask on the adjusting layer to the "branch" layer (Alt + Click between interacting layers).

Finally, look at the result before and after applying the compression of the mask and creating the correction layer.

I hope you have found something new in this lesson for yourself and now you will be successfully used in this way of allocating complex objects.