- Open an image file from a digital camera or scanned image. Size it first. If you are going to use the image for the Web, 72 dots-per-inch resolution is good. If you intend to print the image, use at least 300 dpi. Go to Image>Image Size. In the bottom half of the popup, change width to 8.5 inches for a vertical image or 11 inches for a horizontal image. Beneath these two measurements, change the dpi to 300. Then save the image as a copy in TIFF or JPEG format. Now you are ready to work with the image.
- While most digital cameras shoot images that are relatively color balanced, that doesn't always work, especially under adverse lighting conditions. There are a number of ways to tone digital images. The first is the built-in automatics. In older versions of Photoshop, go to Image>Adjustments. There you will find Auto Levels, Auto Color and Auto Contrast. In newer versions of Photoshop, these are in the Image menu and Auto Levels is called Auto Tone. Most often, Auto Levels/Tone will fix any problems, but try the others to see what you like. Another way to tone more directly is to go to Image>Adjustments>Levels. This popup will give you a bar graph of the whites, blacks and mid-tones of the image. On the lower right are three buttons with eyedropper icons. The one on the left is for blacks, the center for mid-tones and the right for white. Go to Window>Info to pull up the Info box. Select the left eyedropper button in the Levels popup and move it around the image to find the blackest portion. As you pass over the dark areas, watch the Info box "K." The higher the number, the blacker the area. When you find the area closest to 100, click. Then select the right eyedropper and find the whitest area by moving the cursor over white areas and watching the "K." The lower the number, the whiter the area. Click when you get to the lowest number you can find. An alternative to this is to use the sliders under the bar graph. They correspond to the eyedroppers with the left being black, center mid-tones and right white. When you get the tone you want, click OK.
- You have the basics down once you can size and tone your image. From there, try special effects such as Photo Filters (Image>Adjustments>Photo Filter, or go to Filters>Filter Gallery). Photo Filters work just like the filters once used on camera lenses. You can warm the scene with red or orange, or cool it down with blue or green. The Filter Gallery has a wide range of special effects from Painting effects such as Dry Brush and Palette Knife, to Sketch effects such as Charcoal or Bas Relief. For example, if you have a portrait of someone, go to Filter Gallery>Distort> Diffuse Glow. This will create a soft-focus, dream-like effect.
