Enhancing and retouching images typically involves a sequence of global and then local image adjustments. Global enhancements may include brightness, contrast, and color balance corrections. Local retouching adjustments can include the covering up or removal of elements in an image, or perhaps more subtle alteration or de-emphasizing of elements. Both types are often applied as part of an integrated image adjustment workflow. All enhancements and retouching must be accomplished with final print output in mind, because poorly executed adjustments may leave telltale signs or artifacts that become apparent when output at high resolution.
Global enhancements for print include image-wide corrections of brightness and contrast, color correction, and sharpening that focus on print-specific adjustments such as setting minimum printable highlights and maximum printable shadows. These adjustments should usually precede local image enhancements. There are many tools designed for local enhancements or retouching, including the Clone Stamp, Patch, Healing Brush, Spot Healing Brush, and the Red Eye Removal tools. In addition, other more-generic tools such as the marquee selection and even the blurring tools can be wielded quite effectively as retouching tools. Some retouching actually repairs an element that should not be there, such as the removal of a scratch or scan line. Other retouching merely mitigates or enhances features or characteristics that are there, such as the removal of a skin blemish or the reduction of some wrinkles. Your speed and success will be determined by your proper evaluation of your retouching challenge and your choice of tool or tools best suited to meet that challenge.
For our exploration, let’s divide our image enhancing and retouching techniques into three main (and not entirely exclusive) categories: cloning image elements, retouching people, and geometric enhancements. As you will see, there is no hard dividing line between cloning and retouching. And along the way we will integrate these local adjustments into global corrections, including geometric enhancements, that usually should be applied prior to cloning or retouching.
Repairing Image Elements
Image repair techniques are used when some of the contents of an image need to be altered from their original condition to repair or improve the image. Techniques and tools include the use of cloning, patching, healing, and even copying and pasting. One of the most common uses of these tools and techniques is for the repair of damaged images. Although most often these tools and techniques simply involve copying (cloning) elements, these tools and techniques can also be used with greater subtlety when carefully configured and applied. Photoshop’s Clone Stamp, Patch, and Healing brush tools are very useful for these kinds of projects. In addition, Photoshop CS3 has added a Refine Edge adjustment, which in combination with the simple Lasso and marquee selection tools can be used as an effective repair device as well.
Retouching People
Retouching people represents an image repair specialty subset, so we cover it as a specific topic here. Entire books have been written on the subject, and rightly so, but we cover here some common and useful techniques. Most retouching tools and techniques involve more subtle adjustments than straight cloning. Very often subtle tonal variations need to be maintained while blemishes are removed or features altered. These subtleties require more-sophisticated tools than a straight copy/clone technique can provide. Retouching can also include some forms of color correction. Sometimes retouching requires multiple corrections with several tools. Tools such as the Healing Brush, Spot Healing Brush, and Patch tools are your prime weapons here—although when subtly applied, the Clone Stamp tool can be used effectively as well.
Geometric Enhancements
This category changes the physical characteristics of an image to improve its appearance. Changes such as straightening, cropping, and distorting fall into this category. Often simple and seemingly subtle changes to an image’s geometry can have a powerful impact on its overall appearance. Photoshop’s Crop tool, Info palette, Ruler tool, canvas rotation controls, and distortion filters are some of your prime weapons in these imageenhancement endeavors.
Print-Specific Quality Issues
When you intend to output for print at a high line screen (≥ 150lpi) or stochastically, attention to detail is especially important. Poorly applied retouching that contains artifacts that may not be apparent on forgiving low-resolution monitors or proof printers may become obvious when output on less-forgiving higher-resolution devices.
Global enhancements for print include image-wide corrections of brightness and contrast, color correction, and sharpening that focus on print-specific adjustments such as setting minimum printable highlights and maximum printable shadows. These adjustments should usually precede local image enhancements. There are many tools designed for local enhancements or retouching, including the Clone Stamp, Patch, Healing Brush, Spot Healing Brush, and the Red Eye Removal tools. In addition, other more-generic tools such as the marquee selection and even the blurring tools can be wielded quite effectively as retouching tools. Some retouching actually repairs an element that should not be there, such as the removal of a scratch or scan line. Other retouching merely mitigates or enhances features or characteristics that are there, such as the removal of a skin blemish or the reduction of some wrinkles. Your speed and success will be determined by your proper evaluation of your retouching challenge and your choice of tool or tools best suited to meet that challenge.
For our exploration, let’s divide our image enhancing and retouching techniques into three main (and not entirely exclusive) categories: cloning image elements, retouching people, and geometric enhancements. As you will see, there is no hard dividing line between cloning and retouching. And along the way we will integrate these local adjustments into global corrections, including geometric enhancements, that usually should be applied prior to cloning or retouching.
Repairing Image Elements
Image repair techniques are used when some of the contents of an image need to be altered from their original condition to repair or improve the image. Techniques and tools include the use of cloning, patching, healing, and even copying and pasting. One of the most common uses of these tools and techniques is for the repair of damaged images. Although most often these tools and techniques simply involve copying (cloning) elements, these tools and techniques can also be used with greater subtlety when carefully configured and applied. Photoshop’s Clone Stamp, Patch, and Healing brush tools are very useful for these kinds of projects. In addition, Photoshop CS3 has added a Refine Edge adjustment, which in combination with the simple Lasso and marquee selection tools can be used as an effective repair device as well.
Retouching People
Retouching people represents an image repair specialty subset, so we cover it as a specific topic here. Entire books have been written on the subject, and rightly so, but we cover here some common and useful techniques. Most retouching tools and techniques involve more subtle adjustments than straight cloning. Very often subtle tonal variations need to be maintained while blemishes are removed or features altered. These subtleties require more-sophisticated tools than a straight copy/clone technique can provide. Retouching can also include some forms of color correction. Sometimes retouching requires multiple corrections with several tools. Tools such as the Healing Brush, Spot Healing Brush, and Patch tools are your prime weapons here—although when subtly applied, the Clone Stamp tool can be used effectively as well.
Geometric Enhancements
This category changes the physical characteristics of an image to improve its appearance. Changes such as straightening, cropping, and distorting fall into this category. Often simple and seemingly subtle changes to an image’s geometry can have a powerful impact on its overall appearance. Photoshop’s Crop tool, Info palette, Ruler tool, canvas rotation controls, and distortion filters are some of your prime weapons in these imageenhancement endeavors.
Print-Specific Quality Issues
When you intend to output for print at a high line screen (≥ 150lpi) or stochastically, attention to detail is especially important. Poorly applied retouching that contains artifacts that may not be apparent on forgiving low-resolution monitors or proof printers may become obvious when output on less-forgiving higher-resolution devices.
Enhancing Images for Print
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