Controlling Tonal Range
The Levels adjustment lets you adjust the tonal range of an image by giving you three slidersshadows, midtones, and highlights. Dragging the sliders precisely adjusts the tonal ranges of an image. In addition, the Output sliders lets you adjust the ink percentages used for the output to print. By adjusting the output ink levels, you avoid the overly black images that sometimes accompany printing images using high dot-gain papers.

Control Tonal Range
Open a document in which you want to change the tonal range.
Select the Layers palette, and then select the layer in which you want to apply the Levels adjustment.
Click the Create New Fill Or Adjustment Layer button, and then click Levels .
Select the Preview check box to view the adjustments directly in the active document window.
Click the Channel list arrow to select whether to work on the entire image, or just one of the images default color channels (useful for color correction).
Drag the Shadow input slider to the right to adjust the balance of black in the image.
Drag the Midtone input slider left or right to lighten or darken the midtones of the image.
Drag the Highlight input slider to the left to adjust the balance of white in the image.
Drag the Black and White Output Levels sliders left and right to adjust the percentage of ink used in printing the image.[View full size image]
To load a previously saved Levels adjustment, click Load , and then select and load the file.
Click Save to save the current Levels adjustment.
Use the eyedropper tools to select black, white, and midtone points directly within the active image.
Click OK .Photoshop uses the Levels adjustment layer to apply the tonal changes to the image.
[View full size image]
Did You Know?You can apply the same Levels adjustments to an image without an adjustment layer. Click the Image menu, point to Adjustments, and then click Levels. Make your adjustments using the Levels options, and then click OK.You can view the Levels Histogram anytime. Click the Window menu, and then click Histogram. Photoshop opens a Histogram palette that lets you view tonal changes to the image as you make them. |