Skip to main content
Participating Frequently
August 7, 2021
Question

What is clipping here?

  • August 7, 2021
  • 8 replies
  • 3519 views

Hi. I was never into preparing photos for printing. First time I take care of clipping areas I get warning that light magenta is somehow clipping. Is it something with color profiles? I totally can't find the reason. Even when I reduce magenta luminance dramaticly LR keeps telling me it's clipping.  

This topic has been closed for replies.

8 replies

kuba15B9Author
Participating Frequently
August 7, 2021

Gents, I really apprieciate your help but main problem is alredy solved thanks to @Per Berntsen.

Remaining thing is, how, image that appears perfect on screen but whith some clipping colors/channels would appear on print. Eg. nice looking petal details whith one(red) channel clipping.  

GoldingD
Legend
August 7, 2021

Another way would to be to use an adjustment brush, select a range mask, base that on color, and alter the highlight slider (or other). THis would allow you to just adjust the one color (or close to one color) in a particular area of the photo. Say you did not want blue that bright in that area, but you did not want to darker all blue areas.

 

 

kuba15B9Author
Participating Frequently
August 7, 2021

I tried your thing and gotta admit, it does the job I didn't know it. Thank you. 

GoldingD
Legend
August 7, 2021

In this example, and I think I now understand the questions. I have international gone into HSL/COLOR, selected Color, selected Blue, and increased luminance. Hence clipping the blue. Histogram Clipping warning is in Blue, Overlay on loupe still red.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For your highlight clipping of a particular color, you could do the opposite, on the right, select the HSL/Color panel, select color, and modify as you see fit. One way to do it, not the only.

 

 

GoldingD
Legend
August 7, 2021

 

But then, there's also a blue/yellow/green/red areas. Red stayed the same like first pic.

 

I think I lost the train of thought on that, or I am confused. Yes confused, so, some images to help inquire for a bit of clarity on that.

 

Here are a few examples from a absolutely hideous photo I took looking into the sky. Self inflicted error. And what the heck, some bad edits to help make the examples more visually helpful.

 

 

 

Bad day at Zion, right into sun (unavoidable was just bee bopping in route) and filthy multiple square filters (I have sense replaced with easier to clean glass)

 Naturally the sun is clipped. Is the red in the overlay the color you are referring to?

 

An the Histogram shows R, G, B channels as well as brightness (overall)

 

 

And clipping indicator, hmm used to show different colors for different clipping amounts (although this one is ballistic bad)

GoldingD
Legend
August 7, 2021

So, on WIndows, and I am currently on a Windows computer, as to test my words out.

 

Press down  on the ALT key, and move either Whites or Highlights slider. This will display where the clipping in a way you can pinpoint  where those clipping are. Easier to see than the default method you are using (I often have problems seeing thru the overlay what is what). Works with Shadows and Blacks as well.

 

Tip: Altering the Highlites and/or Whites in that way, can allow you to attemt to move the white point to just before clipping occurs, this is useful if you plan on printing your photo, as pure white is not an ink in printers and resultas as a unprinted area (using paper stock white color to display as pure white)

 

kuba15B9Author
Participating Frequently
August 7, 2021

That was quite helpful. So when I'm moving sliders while alt key is pressed I get something like gradient of clipinng. As shown on pic below, white overlay is truely pure white so no ink on a print. But then, there's also a blue/yellow/green/red areas. Red stayed the same like first pic. Also, while cliking histogram triangle, there's only red overlay. Can you tell me what do this colors mean?  

Per Berntsen
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 7, 2021

Here's a post on the Lightroom Queen forum by Conrad Chavez that explains these colors in detail.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/community/threads/lightroom-mobile-clipping-indicators.41036/#post-1272287

GoldingD
Legend
August 7, 2021
Clipping area is area with too bright/dark color, so it will be presented as 100% white(blank) or black spot on a print. Wright? So again, if I'm not mistaken, why magenta/pink(if you like) area is shown as clipping? 

On those leafs, bits may be clipped enough to be white, it dowes not take much for the clipping alert to show up. And clipping can show up before pure white.

Per Berntsen
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 7, 2021

Highlight clipping is controlled by dragging the Highlights and/or Whites slider to the left.

You have Highlights set to +2 and Whites set to +63.

Try setting Highlights to 0, and then dragging Whites to the left until there is no clipping.

Alternatively, leave Whites at 63, and drag Highlights to the left until there is no clipping.

Without seeing the whole (unedited) image, it's difficult to give specific advice.

It could be that leaving Whites at 0, and increasing Exposure instead would be better.

If the image is just dark, try increasing Exposure. If it lacks contrast, try increasing Whites.

 

kuba15B9Author
Participating Frequently
August 7, 2021

I'm sorry but you really don't get my point. I'm asking for help, yes. But I'm not asking how to move 2/3 sliders to don't get warnings. I'm asking why am I getting warning signs when accordeing to my best knowledge there's shoudl be none. Can you explain it please? 

Per Berntsen
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 7, 2021

All three channels are clipped in a small area, which is pure white.

So the clipping indicator triangle top right in the histogram is white.

Had it not been for this white area, the triangle would have been magenta, indicating clipping of the red and blue channels.

 

GoldingD
Legend
August 7, 2021

As you are showing the clipping, LrC is using a color overlay to show where it is occurring, one color for hilites (by default red, not really magenta) clipping, a different color for shadow clipping. 

 

see:

https://digital-photography-school.com/understand-lightroom-histogram/

https://www.creative-photographer.com/lightroom-classic-histogram/

 

actualy this video would be more helpfull:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQBzixj1CGY

 

In your photo, the hilites on the leafs are clipping.

 

 

 

 

kuba15B9Author
Participating Frequently
August 7, 2021

I've seen this video prior posting here. I know that RED overlay indicates clipping area. What I'm asking is, why light magenta area is shown as clipping while it's not white a bit? Let's start from the beginning cause perhaps I missunderstood something. Clipping area is area with too bright/dark color, so it will be presented as 100% white(blank) or black spot on a print. Wright? So again, if I'm not mistaken, why magenta/pink(if you like) area is shown as clipping? 

Per Berntsen
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 7, 2021
quote

What I'm asking is, why light magenta area is shown as clipping while it's not white a bit? Let's start from the beginning cause perhaps I missunderstood something. Clipping area is area with too bright/dark color, so it will be presented as 100% white(blank) or black spot on a print. Wright? So again, if I'm not mistaken, why magenta/pink(if you like) area is shown as clipping? 


By @kuba15B9

 

You will get the clipped highlight warning even if only one channel is clipped.

If you mouse over the bright magenta areas of the image and watch the numbers below the histogram, you will find areas that are 100% red as well as 100% blue.