Create a custom brush

Create a custom brush from an image or portion of an image.

You can create a new brush tip based on a selection in an image. Photoshop adds the tip to the Brushes palette.

In the Layers palette, select the layer containing the image you want to use for your brush.

Using a selection tool, select the area of the image that you want to use as a brush tip.

Choose Edit > Define Brush Preset.

In the Brush Name dialog box, type a name for the brush, and then click OK. Photoshop adds the new brush preset to the Brushes palette, using the selection for the brush tip.

Touch up spots, scratches, and wrinkles

Touch up dust spots, scratches, wrinkles, and blemishes using the Healing Brush tool.

Select the Healing Brush tool in the toolbox. It may be hidden by the Color Replacement tool or Patch tool .

In the options bar at the top of the work area, click the current brush to open the Brush pop-up palette. Move the Diameter slider to make the brush tip about the size of the spot, scratch, or wrinkle.

Set the other controls in the options bar as follows:

• Mode: Normal
• Source: Sampled
• Aligned: selected
• Use All Layers: not selected

Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) an area of the image that you want to use as a touch up sample. Photoshop uses this target area as a model for the area you want to repair. Release the Alt or Option key.

Drag across the area you want to touch up. A plus sign appears over the area Photoshop is using as the touch up sample. When you finish dragging, Photoshop calculates the correct amount of healing.

Note: If you don't get the results you want with the healing brush, try the Clone Stamp tool or the Patch tool.

If you are retouching a portrait, your corrections will seem more realistic if you duplicate the original image layer and make all adjustments on the new layer. Gradually reduce the opacity of the touch-up layer until some of the subject's character lines and wrinkles show through. 

Sharpen a photo

Sharpen a photo using the Unsharp Mask filter.

In the Layers palette, select the layer containing the image you want to change.

If you want to sharpen only a specific element or area in the image, create a selection marquee around the area you want to sharpen using the selection tools. The selection marquee limits the changes to that area. To soften the edge of the selection so the changes blend in more naturally with the unselected areas, use the Feather command (Select > Feather).

Choose Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.

In the Unsharp Mask dialog box, make sure Preview is selected. Then position the Unsharp Mask dialog box so that you can see most of the image.

Drag the Amount slider to the right to increase the contrast of the edge. For high-resolution printed images, an amount between 150% and 200% is usually satisfactory. Grainy images usually require a lower setting.

Drag the Radius slider to the right to increase the width of the edge created by sharpening. If you set this too high, the edges will acquire obvious halos. A setting between 1 and 2 is often adequate.

Drag the Threshold slider to the right to increase the difference needed between shades before the filter sharpens the edge between them. A threshold of zero sharpens all pixels in the image. A high threshold number sharpens the edges only between significantly different shades. Values between 2 and 20 are usually acceptable.

Experiment with these three controls until you are satisfied with the results, and then click OK.

You can let Photoshop sharpen the image for you using the three other Sharpen filters. Choose Filter > Sharpen, and then choose one of these filters from the submenu: Sharpen, Sharpen Edges, or Sharpen More. 

Remove an object from a photo

Remove an object from a photo using the Quick Mask Mode to refine the selection.

The key to removing an object from a photo is drawing a selection around it. Photoshop includes several tools to help you select an object. The tool you use depends upon the shape and color of the object and the characteristics of what surrounds it. However, some objects are difficult to select, even for experienced designers. The Quick Mask mode can help you refine a selection.

In the Layers palette, select the layer containing the object you want to remove.

Using a selection tool, select the object in the image that you want to remove. (Alternatively, you can select the area surrounding the object, and choose Select > Inverse to reverse the selection.) The selection need not be perfect. You will refine it in the next steps.

Click the Quick Mask Mode button in the toolbox. Photoshop masks or covers the nonselected areas of the image in a translucent color. While not a true mask, this mode makes it easy to see and edit the selection boundary.

Note: If Photoshop is hiding the selected areas of the image, double-click the Quick Mask Mode button. Select Masked Areas, and click OK.

If you need to refine the selection boundary, select a brush and appropriate brush size in the options bar at the top of the work area. Paint with black to add to the mask; paint with white to reveal more of the image. The brush takes on the foreground color. Use the Switch Foreground and Background Colors button to toggle the brush from black to white, depending whether you want to add or subtract from the mask.

When you're satisfied with the selection, click the Standard Mode button to once again see your selection.

Do one of the following:

• To remove the selected object, choose Edit > Cut.
• To delete the areas outside the selection, choose Select > Inverse, and then Edit > Cut.
• To copy the selected object, choose Edit > Copy.
• To move it to a new location, select the Move tool in the toolbox, and drag the object. 

Remove a color cast

Remove a color cast from an image using the Auto Color command.

Sometimes great photos are ruined by an unwanted wash of color, called a color cast. A color cast may occur at any phase in creating the photo, be it shooting, developing, enlarging, or scanning the image. Regardless of the source of the color cast, you can quickly correct the color imbalance using the Auto Color command.

In the Layers palette, select the layer containing the image you want to change.

Choose Image > Adjustments > Auto Color. Photoshop adjusts the contrast and color of the image automatically.

If Auto Color did not produce the results you want, try adjusting the color cast yourself. Choose Image > Adjustments > Levels. Select the Set Grey Point eyedropper and click an area that represents the midtone of the dominant color (the color cast). If you are still dissatisfied, also try adjusting the lightness and darkness of the image using the input level sliders in the Levels dialog box. 

Make a photo frame

Make a photo frame by increasing the canvas size and filling it with a color.

Open the photo to which you want to add a frame.

Choose Image > Canvas Size.

In the Canvas Size dialog box, do one of the following:

• Make sure Relative is not selected and enter new values for Width and Height. These values represent the new size for your image's canvas.
• Select Relative and enter only the amount you want to increase the width and height of your canvas. For example, for a .5 inch frame, type 1 inch for Width and 1 inch for Height.

For Anchor setting, make sure the white box is in the middle of the square. The white box represents the placement of the current image within the canvas.

Choose Other from the Canvas Extension Color menu at the bottom of the dialog box.

Note: If Canvas Extension Color is grayed out, you have converted the background layer to a regular layer. Click OK to increase the canvas size. Then, using a selection tool, select the new frame and fill it with the Paint Bucket tool .

In the Color Picker dialog box, locate the color range you want using the triangle sliders on the color spectrum bar, then click the desired color for the frame in the color field. The color you select appears in the top half of the color swatch. The original color remains in the bottom half. Click OK.

In the Canvas Size dialog box, click OK. Photoshop increases the size of the canvas and places a frame around the image using the color you selected.

Lighten or darken an area in a photo (dodge or burn)

Lighten or darken an area in a photo using the Dodge or the Burn tool.

In the Layers palette, select the layer containing the image you want to change.

To protect other areas of the image from change, you can create a selection marquee around the area you want to lighten or darken. The Dodge and Burn tools will affect only the area within the selection marquee. To soften the edge of the selection so the changes you apply blend in more naturally with the unselected areas, use the Feather command (Select > Feather).

To lighten an area and bring out the highlights, select the Dodge tool in the toolbox. To darken an area, select the Burn tool in the toolbox.

In the options bar at the top of the work area, open the Brush pop-up palette by clicking the arrow next to the current brush. Choose a soft-edged brush preset from the palette. Make sure the brush diameter is smaller than the area you want to change.

Set Range in the options bar to control the focus of the tool: Midtones to change the middle range of grays (the standard choice), Shadows to change the dark areas, and Highlights to change the light areas.

Set Exposure to around 50%.

Drag over the area you want to change.

Lighten or darken a photo

Lighten or darken a photo using the Levels dialog box.

You can lighten or darken a photo using the Levels dialog box. The Levels dialog box displays a graph, called a histogram, which depicts the tonal range of an image. Images with poor tonal ranges, such as underexposed and overexposed images, result in fairly low and flat histograms. On the other hand, an image with a good range of darks and lights generates a deeper, more varied histogram. Using the histogram as a guide, you can adjust the tonal balance of an image.

In the Layers palette, select the layer containing the image you want to change.

Choose Image > Adjustments > Levels. Arrange the Levels dialog box so that the you can see as much of the image as possible.

In the Levels dialog box, drag the black Input Level slider (on the left of the histogram) so that it aligns with the leftmost cluster of pixels in the histogram. This maps the darkest pixels in the image to black. (If the pixels are clustered on the left edge of the histogram, you don't need to move the black Input Level slider.)

Drag the white Input Level slider so that it aligns with the last cluster of pixels on the right end of the histogram. This maps the lightest pixels in the image to white. (If the pixels are clustered on the right edge of the histogram, you don't need to move the white Input Level slider.)

Drag the gray Input Level slider either to the left to lighten the image or to the right to darken the image. Although this seems counterintuitive, by moving the gray slider to the left, for example, you map the midtones of the image to a darker shade while increasing the range of the light tones.

When you are satisfied with the image, click OK.

You can make all color adjustments on an adjustment layer, rather than directly to the image. Isolating your adjustments on a separate layer lets you experiment with the image without altering its actual pixels. Because the settings are on a separate layer, you can view the image with and without the adjustment by clicking the adjustment layer's eye icon . To create an adjustment layer, choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels. 

Fix red eyes

Fix red eyes in photos using the Color Replacement tool.

In the Layers palette, select the layer containing the image you want to change.

Select the Zoom tool in the toolbox, and click the eyes you want to fix to zoom in closer.

Select the Color Replacement tool in the toolbox. It may be hidden by the Healing Brush tool or Patch tool .

In the options bar at the top of the work area, click the current brush to open the Brush pop-up palette. Move the Diameter slider to make the brush tip smaller than the area you are fixing.

Make sure the other controls in the options bar are set as follows:

• Mode: Color
• Sampling: Once
• Limits: Discontiguous
• Tolerance: 30%
• Anti-aliased selected

Click the Swatches tab to bring the Swatches palette to the front or, if the palette isn't open, choose Window > Swatches.

In the Swatches palette, click the black color swatch to use as your replacement color. Replacing red eyes with black, the color of the pupil, works well for most photos. However, close-ups of light-colored eyes may require additional touching up to reduce the size of the pupil.

In the document window, click once on the red eye to set the target color you want to replace. Drag the brush over the red area until you have fixed the eye. If some areas remain red, click the red area again to reset the target replacement color, and drag over the remaining red areas. 

Crop, straighten, or rotate a photo

Crop, straighten, or rotate a photo using the Crop tool.

Increase the size of the document window so that you have some space around the photo. (Position the pointer on the bottom right corner of the document window. When the pointer changes to a double-headed arrow, drag.)

Select the Crop tool in the toolbox.

In the options bar at the top of the work area, make sure Width, Height, and Resolution contain no values. These settings constrain the dimensions of the crop rectangle. If necessary, click the Clear button to clear them.

Drag over the part of the photo that you want to keep. To straighten or rotate the photo, drag the cropping rectangle over the entire photo.

If necessary, adjust the cropping rectangle as follows:

• To adjust the size of the cropping rectangle, drag a corner or side handle.
• To nudge the cropping rectangle slightly, press an arrow key.
• To move the cropping rectangle to a new location, place the cursor inside the cropping rectangle and drag it to the new location.
• To rotate or straighten the area, move the pointer outside the cropping rectangle (the pointer becomes a curved double-arrow) and drag. The cropping rectangle rotates, but the image remains stationary until you crop it. You may need to reposition and resize the selection box.

Note: If the cropping rectangle is hard to adjust because it sticks or seems to jump to set locations, make sure the Snap option on the View menu is not enabled. A check mark indicates the option is on. Choose View > Snap to turn off the option.

When you are satisfied with the size and location of the cropping rectangle, press Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS) to crop the photo. If you rotated or straightened the cropping rectangle in the previous step, the photo will adjust to the angle you selected.

Photoshop can automatically crop and straighten a photo for you. Choose File > Automate > Crop and Straighten.