> PHOTOSHOP USER>^ OCTOBER 2020[ 54 ]
- SMART OBJECTS WITH TRANSFORMATIONS
OR WARPS
When using any sort of Transform or Warp under the Edit menu,
remember to make your layer a smart object first by Right-clicking
on the layer in the Layers panel and choosing Convert to Smart
Object. If you transform a regular layer, it resamples the pixel infor-
mation and softens the detail. And if you transform it multiple times,
it gets even softer. A smart object keeps the detail intact and allows
you to undo the transformation via a reset. To reset a transformed
smart object back to its original state, Right-click on the layer and
choose Convert to Layer. When the dialog appears asking if you want
to retain the transformations, click No. Note the layer is no longer a
smart object, so convert it back to a smart object if needed. - USE STYLES IN ACTIONS
If you’re recording an action that uses several layer styles (e.g.,
a Drop Shadow, Gradient Overlay, and Stroke), instead of record-
ing each individual layer style in the action, create a Style instead.
Before you start recording your action, double-click on the layer to
open the Layer Style dialog, apply all the layer styles you need, and
then click on the New Style button. Give your style a name and click
OK. It will now appear in the Styles panel, which allows you to apply
all those layer styles in a single click. (I talk more about how this is
done in my first KelbyOne course, Photoshop for Business: Pro
Techniques for Working Faster, Smarter, and Maximizing
Your Output) Now when you record an action, the only step you
need to record to apply all those layer styles is to click on that style
that you just saved in the Styles panel. This cuts out all settings and
intermediary steps making your action run a lot faster. - THE BLEND-IF SLIDERS FOR
REFINING ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
The Blend-If Sliders in the Blending Options section of the Layer Style
dialog can make a specific range of values invisible on a targeted layer
using the This Layer slider. So instead of using layer Opacity to reduce
the overall effect of a Levels or Curves adjustment layer, you can use
Blend-If to reduce the opacity of only the dark or bright range of the
pixels on that layer. Double-click to the right of the adjustment layer’s
name in the Layers panel to open the Blending Options. As you drag the
shadows slider under This Layer, you’ll see the dark tones of the image
layer below start to show through the adjustment layer; if you drag the
highlights slider, you’ll see the brighter tones come through. Hold the
Option (PC: Alt) key, and click on a slider to split it, which allows you to
create a feathered range for those tones.
24. USE TEXTURE SLIDER IN CAMERA RAW
FOR SMOOTHING SKIN
A recent addition to Adobe Camera Raw was the Texture slider, which
appears with the Clarity and Dehaze sliders. If you reduce the Texture
value instead of raising it to enhance detail, you can actually smooth
out unwanted detail, which is great for editing skin in portraits.
25. HIGH PASS FOR SHARPENING (OLD SCHOOL )
There are lots of options for sharpening and enhancing detail in
images but many professionals still really love using High Pass.
Simply create a duplicate of your image (Command-J [PC: Ctrl-J]),
or use it on a smart object, and go to Filter>Other>High Pass. Set
the Radius to a low value where you’re just barely seeing detail from
edges, usually around 2–4 px for modern cameras. Click OK. Set the
blend mode of your High Pass layer to Overlay in the Layers panel.
This hides all gray pixels and only leaves pixels that are dark and
bright in tone. This accents any edges, enhancing visual sharpen-
ing. The advantage? Now you can use a layer mask on that layer to
selectively sharpen specific parts. Pro Tip: Press Shift-Command-U
(PC: Shift-Ctrl-U) to desaturate your High Pass layer to remove any
color artifacts!
26. NESTING MASKS IN LAYER GROUPS
If you need to modify a layer mask but are worried that you’ll lose
the mask you’ve already spent a lot of time making, put your layer
along with its layer mask into a layer group (with the layer active,
press Command-G [PC: Ctrl-G]). Now click on the Add Layer Mask
icon (circle in a square) at the bottom of the Layers panel to add
a mask to the layer group. Now you can paint with black on that
mask to hide more pixels of the layer inside the group. Need to do
OriginalOriginalSharpened +150
Te x tu re +50High Pass 3.5 pxSharpened +150
Te x tu re –50Blended with Overlay