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<ul class="navigation"><li class="prev"><a accesskey="p" class="prev" href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7672a.html" title="Adjust color using Levels"><img src="images/blank.gif" alt="Previous" width="17" height="17" /></a></li><li class="next"><a accesskey="n" class="next" href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-766fa.html" title="Adjust color and tonality with Curves"><img src="images/blank.gif" alt="Next" width="17" height="17" /></a></li></ul><div class="hierarchy" id="hierarchy"><a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7693a.html">Color and tonal adjustments</a> /
     <a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7676a.html"><b>Adjusting image color and tone</b></a> 
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                <h1>
                    Curves overview
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                <br clear="both" /><div id="minitoc"><div class="t"><div class="b"><div class="l"><div class="r"><div class="bl"><div class="br"><div class="tl"><div class="tr"><div><h3>Contents [<a href="#" onclick="return toggleMiniToc('minitoc-links', this);" class="hideLink">Hide</a>]</h3><ul id="minitoc-links"><li><p><a href="#WS1FD7E74A-D33D-4b9e-9E53-83C73A9CB87Da"><h1 class="topictitle1">Set Curve display options</h1>
</a></p></li></ul></div></div><br clear="both" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br clear="both" /><div><p>You
can use Curves or Levels to adjust the entire tonal range of an
image. The Curves adjustment lets you adjust points throughout the
tonal range of an image (from shadows to highlights). Levels have
only three adjustments (white point, black point, gamma). You can
also use Curves to make precise adjustments to individual color
channels in an image. You can save Curves adjustment settings as
presets. See <a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-767ba.html">Save adjustment settings</a> and <a href="WSA9B5A0B0-746C-4ba8-98E6-2B6D4FDC3B21.html">Reapply adjustment settings</a>.</p>
<div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="ct_11" src="images/ct_11.png" /><div class="figdesc">Curves dialog box </div><br /><dl><dt class="dlterm">A.</dt>
<dd>Sample in image to set black point.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">B.</dt>
<dd>Sample
in image to set gray point.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">C.</dt>
<dd>Sample
in image to set white point.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">D.</dt>
<dd>Edit points
to modify the curve.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">E.</dt>
<dd>Draw to
modify the curve.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">F.</dt>
<dd>Curves type drop-down
menu.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">G.</dt>
<dd>Set black point. </dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">H.</dt>
<dd>Set gray
point.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">I.</dt>
<dd>Set white point.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">J.</dt>
<dd>Show clipping.</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p></dl>
</div><div class="para">In the Curves adjustment, the tonal range is represented as a
straight diagonal baseline, because the input levels (the original
intensity values of the pixels) and output levels (new color values)
are identical. <div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>After you’ve made an adjustment to the tonal
range in the Curves dialog box, Photoshop continues to display the
baseline as a reference. To hide the baseline, turn off Show Baseline
in the Curve Grid Options.</div>
The horizontal axis of the graph
represents the input levels; the vertical axis represents the output
levels. </div>
<div class="fignone"><img alt="" id="ct_12" src="images/ct_12.png" /><div class="figdesc">Default Curves dialog boxes for CMYK and RGB images </div><br /><dl><dt class="dlterm">A.</dt>
<dd>Default orientation of CMYK tonal output bar</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">B.</dt>
<dd>CMYK Input
and Output values in percentages</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">C.</dt>
<dd>Default
orientation of CMYK tonal input bar</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">D.</dt>
<dd>Default
orientation of RGB tonal output bar</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">E.</dt>
<dd>RGB Input
and Output values in intensity levels</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p><dt class="dlterm">F.</dt>
<dd>Default
orientation of RGB tonal input bar</dd><p class="dlseparator"></p></dl>
</div></div>
<div id="WS1FD7E74A-D33D-4b9e-9E53-83C73A9CB87Da" class="nochunk"><a name="WS1FD7E74A-D33D-4b9e-9E53-83C73A9CB87Da"></a><h3 class="topictitle3">Set Curve display options</h3><div><div class="section"><p>You can control the curve grid display using
the Curve display options.</p>
</div>
<ol><li class="stepexpand"><span>Do
one of the following:</span><ul><li><p>Click the Curves icon&#160;<img src="images/curves.png" /> or
a Curves preset in the Adjustments panel, or choose Curves from
the panel menu.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Choose Layer&#160;&gt; New Adjustment Layer&#160;&gt;
Curves. Click OK in the New Layer dialog box.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Choose Image&#160;&gt; Adjustments&#160;&gt;
Curves.</p>
</li>
</ul>
 <div class="para"><div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>Choosing Image&#160;&gt; Adjustments&#160;&gt;
Curves applies the adjustment directly to the image layer and discards
image information.</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>In the Adjustments panel, choose Curve Display Options
from the panel menu.</span> <div class="para"><div class="note"><span class="notetitle">Note:  </span>If you chose Image &gt; Adjustments &gt; Curves,
expand the Curve Display Options in the Curves dialog box.</div>
</div>
</li>
<li class="stepexpand"><span>Choose any of the following:</span><ul><li><p>To reverse the display of intensity values
and percentages, choose Show Amount Of Light (0‑255) or Show Amount
Of Pigment/Ink&#160;%. Curves displays the intensity values
for RGB images in a range from 0 to 255, with black (0) at the lower-left
corner. Percentages for CMYK images are displayed in a range from
0 to 100, with highlights (0%) at the lower-left corner. After the
intensity values and percentages are reversed, 0 is at the lower-right
corner for RGB images; 0% is at the lower-right corner for CMYK
images.</p>
</li>
<li><p>To display gridlines in 25% increments, select Simple
Grid; to display in 10% increments, choose Detailed Grid. </p>
<div class="tip"><img src="images/tip_help.png" /> To change the gridline increment, Alt-click (Windows)
or Option-click (Mac&#160;OS) the grid.</div></li>
<li><p>To display color channel curves superimposed on
the composite curve, choose Show Channel Overlays.</p>
</li>
<li><p>To display a histogram overlay, choose Show Histogram.
For more information on how to read a histogram, see <a href="WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-768ca.html">About histograms</a>.</p>
</li>
<li><p>To display a baseline drawn on the grid at a 45‑degree
angle, choose Show Baseline. </p>
</li>
<li><p>To display horizontal and vertical lines to help
you align points as you drag relative to the histogram or grid,
choose Show Intersection Line.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
</div></div>

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