strategy for retouching
How much retouching you do depends on the image you’re working on and your
goals for it. For many images, you can achieve your desired outcome with just a few
clicks in Adobe Camera Raw, which is installed with Adobe Photoshop. For others,
you may start in Camera Raw to adjust the white point, for example, and then move
on to Photoshop for more advanced retouching, such as applying filters to selected
parts of an image.
Organizing an efficient sequence of tasks
Most retouching procedures follow these general steps:
• Duplicating the original image or scan; working in a copy of the image file makes
it easy to recover the original later if necessary
• Ensuring that the resolution is appropriate for the way you’ll use the image
• Cropping the image to final size and orientation
• Repairing flaws in scans of damaged photographs (such as rips, dust, or stains)
• Adjusting the overall contrast or tonal range of the image
• Removing any color casts
• Adjusting the color and tone in specific parts of the image to bring out
highlights, midtones, shadows, and desaturated colors
• Sharpening the overall focus of the image
Usually, you should complete these processes in the order listed. Otherwise, the
results of one process may cause unintended changes to other aspects of the image,
making it necessary for you to redo some of your work.
adjusting your process for different intended uses
The retouching techniques you apply to an image depend in part on how you’ll
use the image. Whether an image is intended for black-and-white publication on
newsprint or for full-color online distribution affects everything from the resolution
of the initial scan to the type of tonal range and color correction that the image
requires. Photoshop supports the CMYK color mode for preparing an image to be
printed using process colors, as well as RGB and other color modes for web and
mobile authoring.
To illustrate one application of retouching techniques, this lesson takes you
through the steps of correcting a photograph intended for four-color print
publication.
For more information about CMYK and RGB color modes, see Lesson 14,
“Producing and Printing Consistent Color.”
