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Perfecttheresultwithfineadjustments
Thenewly-creatednamedgroupwill includeseveral
di fferent individual layers. These are largely made upof
Adjustment Layers, and each will apply a different effect, building
up to the final overall look. Play around with the elements to
fine-tune the look, starting by lowering the overall group Opacity
to 75, 50 or even 25%. If it’s not quite perfect, expand the group
by clicking on the arrow next to its layer thumbnail. Now you
can explore the individual components and hide their effect,
by clicking the eye icon, or alter them by adjusting the Opacity.
In the case of black & white actions, lowering the global Opacity
wi ll result in adding colour. To avoid this, open the group, as
above, and find the Gradient Map Adjustment Layer. This will
control the black & white effect. Leave this as it is to maintain the
mono look, and alter the rest of the Adjustment Layers to suit.
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FREE PHOTOSHOP ACTIONS
EXPERT ADVICE CR E AT E
YOUR OWN SET OF ACTIONS
If you have a series of edits or adjustments you make often,
you can easily turn them into an automated action. To start,
go to Window>Actions to open the Actions panel. Then
create a new set (or folder) of actions by clicking on the
Create new set icon. Put the name you want to give this
group in the pop-up panel, and click OK. Click on the
Create new action icon and enter the Set and Name you
want to use. You can take it a step further by assigning a
Function Key shortcut. When you click Record, Photoshop
will remember the next steps you take, and record them to
your new action. This includes applying Adjustment Layers,
Blending Modes and Layer Styles. When you’ve finished,
simply hit Stop to save it, and it will be ready for use.