Quick Fixes for Photoshop Resize, Deskew, and Brighten Hues in a Hurry Helen Bradley
Wed 6/19/02 -- Graphics pros love the power of Adobe Photoshop, but the legendary image editor's sheer weight of features sometimes leaves you feeling like you're cracking a very small nut with a very large hammer. For those times when you just want to get a job done quickly and efficiently, here are nine paths to fast satisfaction: From color fixes to contact sheets, you'll find plenty of ways to speed up your day's work.
Quick color fix 1. An image with dull or muddy colors, or a scan of an older photo that's has lost some of its color depth, can be given a color makeover by taking a copy of it, then pasting the copy back into the image as a new layer (use Select/All, then Edit/Copy, then Edit/Paste). In the Layers palette, locate the new layer and change its mode to Multiply. You can fine-tune the results using the new layer's opacity slider.
Quick color fix 2. Muddy images and dull colors can also be brightened by adjusting levels within the image to make blacks blacker and whites whiter. Choose Image/Adjustments/Levels; click the leftmost Eyedropper icon, then click on the darkest point of your image to select it. Repeat and click on the rightmost Eyedropper icon, then on the lightest point in your image. If you make a mistake, hold down the Alt key and the Cancel button becomes a Reset button -- click it and start over. Use the Preview option to check the results and click OK to confirm your settings.
Quick image resizing. When you need to resize the current image, try these quick key combinations: Ctrl and Plus (the one on the numeric keypad) and Ctrl and Minus leave the current window size constant while increasing or decreasing the size of the image inside the window. You can use them as quick zoom-in and -out tools. Try Ctrl-Alt-Plus and Ctrl-Alt-Minus to resize both the image and the current window at the same time.
Quick measurement metrics. Most of Photoshop's measurement dialogs will take any one of a range of units of measure, so if you normally work in inches but need to whip out a 5cm-square Web image for the London office, never fear. Or if you want inch-high type, don't stop to think of the point size -- just type 1 in into a font-size dialog and Photoshop will handle the conversion. Units you can use include in (inches), cm (centimeters), mm (millimeters), px (pixels), and pt (points).
Quick experimentation. Instead of wasting time while Photoshop applies complex effects to a full-size, high-resolution version of your image, use a smaller version instead. Save a copy of your image at a small size and low resolution and practice applying various effects to it. Take note of what you did that you like, and then modify your full-size image.
Quick undo/revert. Use the Snapshot feature to take a snapshot of your image before you apply a series of effects to it. If you don't get the results you want, you can load the snapshot again and start over. To ensure the Snapshot feature records the information you want (the full document, merged layers, current layer, or what have you), Alt-click the Snapshot icon at the bottom of the History palette and adjust its settings.
Quick deskew. When you have a scanned image that's out of alignment, save yourself the trouble of having to rescan it -- rotate or deskew it instead. Use the measure tool (press Shift-I until you have it selected) and draw along the top edge of the image so the line is along what should be the horizontal edge of the scan. Choose Image/Rotate Canvas/Arbitrary, and the correct angle and direction of the rotation required to deskew the image will be entered for you. Simply click OK to apply it.
Quick visual check. If you're working on a small area of your image, keep an eye on your changes' effect on the entire image by having two windows open at once. Open the second using Window/Document/New Window, then keep each at the required size -- one zoomed in for working and one zoomed out for viewing the results.
(Pretty) quick contact sheets. Not sure which images you have in which folders? Create printable contact sheets by choosing File/Automate/Contact Sheet II and selecting the folder containing your images. You can include subfolders if you choose; enable the "Use filename as caption" checkbox so you can find the original files by reading their captions, and click OK to start the process. Take a short coffee break, and the sheets will be ready for printing when you return.
