PS feature request: set white point

[coolseattledude]

Hi guys, 25-year PS user here with a feature request that's so obvious that I've always wondered why it isn't already part of PS. It is a white point function, to automatically pull the white point for all three channels up to 254 without blowing any pixels. It would do exactly the same as auto-curves in "maximize contrast" mode, but without touching the midtones or black point, just setting a white point and letting everything else fall where it may. I like setting the white point independently of anything else, so I have to use "maximize contrast" and then manually delete all the points for midtone and black point correction. A separate white point function would be easy to add to the curves dialogue, so how about it? Or maybe this feature already exists in some other form and I'm just the biggest noob ever? Please enlighten.

[D Fosse]

There isn't a white point tool in any software that I know of - the closest you can get to that is the Auto functions in Photoshop.

What you find is a white balance tool. If I need to do that I use the eyedropper in a Levels layer in Color blend mode.

The problem with a white point function as you describe it, is the inherent lack of precision and control. It cannot work without a tolerance/threshold parameter - and then, what you effectively have is Photoshop Auto Color.

In other words, this already exists.

[Stephen Marsh]

I like setting the white point independently of anything else, so I have to use "maximize contrast" and then manually delete all the points for midtone and black point correction

By @coolseattledude

If I understand you correctly, why don't you just setup options and save as defaults so that you can use Auto?

[coolseattledude]

Hi guys, thank you for your replies. I understand the difference between white point and white balance; I like to set a white point in luminosity mode independently of color, especially in B&W images. And yes I could use auto enhance monochromatic contrast, but that function also sets a black point at the same time. That's the annoying part: dragging the black point and mid-tone settings back off the curve every time I ever want to set a white point. Does this make sense? The same function as "enhance monochromatic contrast" but without it also setting black point and mid point-- only setting a nice clean white point. It would be so easy and fast to program! And it would avoid errors using the eyedropper tool on a randon white patch. 

[Stephen Marsh]

@coolseattledude 

I have always set colour samplers and manually adjusted the curves as required using the info panel for feedback.

By using an adjustment layer, it can be set to luminosity blend mode and one can use split blend if sliders to taper/ramp-off the effect in the midtones and shadows, independently of the global curves affecting the rest of the tonal range. This is easily recorded into an action.