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bartonlew
bartonlew
Legend
March 14, 2019
Answered

matching colors using adjustment layers

  • March 14, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 1528 views

I need to learn how to blend and match colors in an image.  In the below screen shot, I tiled several raw files together to create a single image which will be assembled into a still larger image.  For now, I want to make the color cast of the 2 bottom posters match.  The upper poster has a green cast that I want to alter to match the more neutral, slightly warmer cast of the poster below it.  I tried adding a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer but that did not work well.  Does anyone have suggestions on how to achieve this goal?  Thank you.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Randy Hufford

Check out this video by COlin Smith.

MATCHING COLORS when COMBINING PHOTOS in PHOTOSHOP - YouTube

3 replies

Trevor.Dennis
Community Expert
Trevor.DennisCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 14, 2019

I like to use the numbers because it takes the guesswork out of it.

So I select the colour sampler tool, and add sample points in the required locations

Drag the Info  panel close so you can see what is going on.

Select one of the comic strip windows, and with that select active, add a Curves layer

You'll need to select the colour sampler tool again to be able to see the numbers in the Info panel.

In the curves properties, use the RGB drop down and chose the first channel.   In the screen shot below, I have the  reds  selected.  You can see a spike which represents the large area of the same tone, so add a point there.

Then adjust the Output value to match the other location.  So in my example, I matched the values for point #3 with point #1.

Repeat that for Green and blue.  I was easily able to get them identical, and the numbers don't lie.

Then do the other locations with a new curves layer, but remember to select the window  first so that the curve's mask restricts the adjustment to just that area.

    bartonlew
    bartonlewAuthor
    Legend
    March 15, 2019

    Hi Trevor this looks really cool and I started fiddling with it.  But I have a question:  it looks like you merged the 3 layers in my example into one layer (per the screen shot of your Layers panel).  Do I need to do that before proceeding?  In my screen shots below I am up to the step where I add the Curves Layer (screen shot #1) and then find a point which makes the color better (screen shot #2).  This was purely a guess by me moving the curve to where I thought it looked good.  Is this the idea?  I didn't really understand your criteria for selecting a point - perhaps because I don't understand the Curves graph and what it represents.  I probably need to find a tutorial or explanation of the graph so I can fully understand what I'm doing here.

    Randy Hufford
    Community Expert
    Randy HuffordCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    March 14, 2019

    Check out this video by COlin Smith.

    MATCHING COLORS when COMBINING PHOTOS in PHOTOSHOP - YouTube

    bartonlew
    bartonlewAuthor
    Legend
    March 16, 2019

    This worked fairly well, thank you.  Before and after shots below.  Instead of making the upper poster more like the bottom though, I did the reverse.

    JJMack
    Community Expert
    JJMackCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 14, 2019

    Color cast or different exopsures?   You may be able to use Auto blend layers if they not smart object layers. If the are smar object layers perhaps stack mode blebding.    You can also try to match colors before creating your composite. Match color between documents using menu Image>Adjustments>Match Color... .

    JJMack
    bartonlew
    bartonlewAuthor
    Legend
    March 16, 2019

    Thanks JJMack.  I found instructions on how to use Auto Blend.  It said first create a new document and then open all your layers, and bring them into the new document as separate layers.  For the blank document, I chose Custom and made the Image Size equivalent to one of the 3 layers (30" x 50").  When I brought the layer into the new document, it appears very large.  See screen shots.  Why is this?  Thanks.

    My original document before creating new one for auto blend.  Dimensions is 35" x 55".

    New document for auto blend with 1 of the 3 layers brought into it.  The new document also has dimensions of 35 x 55.  Why does the layer appear so big in the new document?

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