http://www.digitalcameraworld.com APRIL 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA^75
TOOL SCHOOL1
Filter
thumbnails
Go to Filter > Filter
Gallery to start. The
column here lists all the filters
available to you, divided into sets.
Several filters here will sample
from your current foreground and
background colours to create an
effect, including all the Sketch
filters (except Chrome) and the
Diffuse Glow filter. As such, for
these you’d need to choose
the colours beforehand.3
Combine filters
This box lets you
combine several filters
into one effect. After
applying your first filter, click the
plus icon at the bottom to add a
second, then choose another filter.
You can add multiple filters to craft
a unique look for your image. The
order of the filters in the list is
important. The top filter is applied
first, then the one below and so on.
You can drag the filters up or down
the list to change the position.2
Filter Settings
After choosing a filter,
the next step is to use
the context-sensitive
settings to fine-tune parameters
and control the strength of the
effect. With Diffuse Glow here,
you can set the strength of the
glow and the amount of grain. To
reset the sliders to their starting
values hold Alt/Option and the
Cancel button switches to Reset.
(This handy shortcut works for
all dialog boxes in Photoshop.)4
Preview box
The Preview box gives
you a chance to assess
the effect as you work
through the filters and settings to
fine-tune the image. You can press
Ctrl/Cmd and plus or minus to
zoom in or out, or press Ctrl/
Cmd+0 to fit the image to the
preview box. A progress bar in
the bottom-left corner tells you
how long the command needs
to process a change. High-res
images or involved effects
can be slow to update.6
My favourite
filters
There are lots of filters
to play with, and we all
have our favourites. One of the best
is the Diffuse Glow filter, which
blows out highlights and lets you
add a grainy finish. It’s great for
black and whites. Texturizer lets
you add different textures, control
the strength and even change the
angle of light falling on the texture.
Halftone Pattern is another fun
one to try, as are Graphic Pen
and Glowing Edges.5
Convert for
Smart Filters
Before you enter the
Filter Gallery it’s worth
going to the Filter menu at the top
here to choose Convert To Smart
Filters (or right-click your layer
in the Layers Panel and choose
Convert To Smart Object). By
making the layer a smart object,
any filters you add to it will show
as Smart Filters beneath the layer
name. You can double-click the
filters to change the settings at
any time, so nothing is set in stone.