If you intend to apply Smart Filters before you even get a graphic into Photoshop, If you placed or opened a graphic as a Smart That, it’s nice to have Smart Filters as an option when you need them.īefore you can apply a Smart Filter to a layer, the layer must be a Smart Object. They can dramatically increase the file size and RAM requirements of a Photoshop document, and can also slow it down. We covered Smart Filters pretty extensively back in “Sharpening with Smart Filters” in Chapter 10, “Sharpness, Detail, and Noise Reduction.” As we mentioned back there, because Smart Filters are based on Smart Objects,
The same transform command, you’ll be able to edit the transformation settings you last applied to that layer. When you transform a Smart Object using the Edit menu, it doesn’t show up in the Layers panel, but the next time you choose Like many of the newer features in Photoshop, Smartįilters help you keep your options open, because they make it possible for you to change filter settings at any time in theįuture, even if you close and reopen the document. Smart Filters represent a powerful, nondestructive way to use filters.
You can combine this technique with layer masks, depending on the effect you need. You can also try out different filters by running them on your neutral-colored layer, and again, the original For example, you could paint the neutral color with a brush set to 10 percent to gradually fade a texture in someĪreas of a image. Gray, anywhere you paint using that color will remove the texture. To make a texture less prominent, paint with the neutral color on the neutral-colored layer. You can now play with the filter without affecting the actual image by taking advantage of the neutral color. For instance, if you set the layer to Screen mode, the check box says “Fill with Screen-neutralĬolor (black).” The exact wording of that check box changes depending on the mode you select.įigure 11-34 Filtering a neutral-colored layer (Mac OS X) or Alt-click (Windows) the Create a New Layer button in the Layers panel, many blending modes enable the “Fill When you choose Layer > New Layer or Option-click With neutral layers gives you much more freedom to change your mind later. Instead of burning filter effects directly into an image, you can filter a neutral-colored layer. However, we use this technique much less than we used to, because adjustment layers are more powerful (seeīuild Textures on Neutral Layers. For example, you can run Hue/Saturation on an image, then reduce the intensity of theĮffect with Fade. The Fade feature works not only with filters, but also with any of the features in the Adjustments submenu (under the Image Get to the Fade dialog quickly by pressing Command-Shift-F (Mac OS X) or Ctrl-Shift-F (Windows). (As soon as you do anything else-even make a selection-the Fade feature is no longer available.) You can The Edit menu) allows you to take a middle path by reducing the opacity of a filter, or even changing the blending mode, immediatelyĪfter running it. Most folks figure that once they run a filter, the choice is to either move forward or select Undo. PressingĬommand-Option-F (Mac OS X) or Ctrl-Alt-F (Windows) opens the dialog for the last filter you ran so you can change the settings.įading Filter Effects. However, this doesn’t let you change the dialog settings. You can tell Photoshop to run a filterĪgain by pressing Command-F (Mac OS X) or Ctrl-F (Windows). Like many other features of Photoshop, you can speed your work with keyboard shortcuts. It’s safer and much more flexible.įilter Shortcuts. Similarly, if you’re going to run a filter on a whole layer, considerĭuplicating the layer first. If you don’t like what you’veĭone, you can undo, or just delete the entire layer. Best ofĪll, you don’t damage your original pixels until you’re sure you’ve got the effect exactly right. For instance, once the filter is applied on the new layer, you can move it,Ĭhange its blending mode, run an additional filter, soften the effect by lowering the layer’s opacity, and so on.
More flexibility in how the filter is applied.
CTRL U PHOTOSHOP MAC OS X
We suggest addingĪ step: copy the selection to a new layer first (press Command-J in Mac OS X or Ctrl-J in Windows).
One’s natural inclination is to make a selection, then choose a filter from one of the Filter submenus. Here are some techniques we’ve found to be useful.įloat Before Filtering. When you’re up against a deadline for a picky client, however, productivity with filters becomes more Sure, you can paint and retouch and composite within Photoshop, but you know as well as we do that the most fun comes from Real World Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers