I'm a graphic designer, currently working with an illustrator who I have no direct contact with. All of the illustrations they've sent over are slightly translucent but the opacity hasn't been lowered (not sure if this will give a clue as to how this has been done), I'm trying to add a levels layer to darken one of them slightly but it has no effect (no adjustment layers are having any effect). I've checked everywhere I could possibly think to look for anything that may be creating this effect/blocking adjustment layers but can't find anything. Has anyone got any ideas?
I can't share the work so it would need to be identified without screenshots. I was just hoping for a list of very much less obvious reasons why an adjustment layer may not be functioning as it should. It's something to do with how it's been drawn, the levels layer does seem to be applying but only to the highlights of the illustration.
If it's not possible to identify without screenshots, no problem!
If you cannot provide meaningful information you shouldn’t expect meaningful advice – no problem.
So far we cannot see where you put the Adjustment Layer relative to the Layer it is intended to affect, whether the Layer could be affected by the Adjustment in question at all (so the Properties Panel should also be included in the screenshot), what role Groups and Layer Masks might play, …
Always so much sass on the Adobe Forums when you try and request help without screenshots. I was hoping, akin to a doctor, you may be able to ask some pertinent questions in order for me to give you the "meaningful information" you require. I did try and emphasise, this is something less obvious than "the adjustment layer is below the target layer". As I said, if it's not possible without seeing a screenshot that is – no problem, I can work around. Thanks anyway!
Always so much sass on the Adobe Forums when you try and request help without screenshots. I was hoping, akin to a doctor, you may be able to ask some pertinent questions in order for me to give you the "meaningful information" you require.
The screenshot might have provided the meaningful information.
Whether blurring or painting over sensitive areas of the illustration is too much work is up to you.
Anyway, as @D Fosse mentioned, if the Layer’s pixels are black but have a reduced opacity then they cannot be darkened because they are already as dark as possible and you would need to edit the transparency.
Assuming that Photoshop users generally work in a visual medium it should not come as a surprise if they want to see something when asked for advice on a Photoshop issue.
Agreed, but as I stated in my initial response to you "if it's not possible to identify without screenshots, no problem!". I have no issue with you not helping me as I know I haven't provided enough evidence for you to diagnose the situation, what I take umbrage with is the snarkiness in response. There's no need, I'm just someone looking for a solution, you could have said "in that case, I can't help, apologies!" and we could've gone our seperate ways into the ether.
If the image has transparency, an adjustment layer won't do anything about that.
What you need to do in that case is to duplicate the layer and merge them. Depending on how transparent it is, you may need to do it several times if the aim is full opacity. But it's impossible to say without an example.
Or maybe try putting it on top of a new layer which you fill with black (or try various dark fills), then adjust the opacity of that new underlayer as needed.
11
Replies
AdChoices