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Question about the burn tool


Igrecman

Active Member
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I hope someone can help me.
Every time I use the burn tool, it's like I'm applying grey onto it. Is there a way of preserving color saturation while making it darker with the burn tool? I'm not getting good result unless I apply very little darkening.
Thanks
 

ALB68

Dear Departed Guru and PSG Staff Member
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Are you setting the tool properly? It has a drop down for shadows, highlights and midtones. If you have it set for one type then try to apply it to the other the results are not so good. Exposure + will make the area applied to darker.
 

Igrecman

Active Member
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Thanks AL68
Yes I know and use the drop down of the tool, but it only helps to apply burn selectively for shadows, highlights and midtones. However it still looks to me that I'm applying grey or black on the colors, which washes away some saturation.
 

Tom Mann

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Check to see if the blending mode of the tool might have gotten switched to "luminosity" or some mode other than "normal". "Luminosity" can make it look less saturated (in spite of supposedly not changing the saturation of the area).

Tom M
 

Igrecman

Active Member
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Thanks Tom M
Is it in the Layer Blending mode? It is set to Normal. Would another Blending mode help?
I just realized that checking "Protect Tones" seems to help and prevent overdburning. The info bubble says "Minimizes clipping in shadows and highlights and keeps colors from shifting hue".
 

ALB68

Dear Departed Guru and PSG Staff Member
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Thanks Tom M
Is it in the Layer Blending mode? It is set to Normal. Would another Blending mode help?
I just realized that checking "Protect Tones" seems to help and prevent overdburning. The info bubble says "Minimizes clipping in shadows and highlights and keeps colors from shifting hue".

Was just about to ask if you had Protect Tones checked but you found it. I didn't know this tool had a blending mode either. Educate us Tom.
 

Tom Mann

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ALB: "...I didn't know this tool had a blending mode either...."

Err ... ummm ... back pedaling as fast as possible ...

Sorry - I wasn't at my computer when I wrote that. When I saw your note, got back to my computer and checked, I see it was a classic brain fart. I was thinking of tools like the healing brushes, the ordinary brush and pencil tools, the clone/stamp tool, the paint bucket and gradient tools, blur, sharpen, smudge, etc., all of which have blending modes distinct from the blending mode of the layer they are being applied to.

In contrast, the burn and dodge tools have not such option, as you gently pointed out.

Thanks, Larry.

Best,

Tom
 

ALB68

Dear Departed Guru and PSG Staff Member
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ALB: "...I didn't know this tool had a blending mode either...."

Err ... ummm ... back pedaling as fast as possible ...

Sorry - I wasn't at my computer when I wrote that. When I saw your note, got back to my computer and checked, I see it was a classic brain fart. I was thinking of tools like the healing brushes, the ordinary brush and pencil tools, the clone/stamp tool, the paint bucket and gradient tools, blur, sharpen, smudge, etc., all of which have blending modes distinct from the blending mode of the layer they are being applied to.

In contrast, the burn and dodge tools have not such option, as you gently pointed out.

Thanks, Larry.

Best,

Tom

Gotcha! :rofl:
 

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