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Is the channel mixer useful?


tfamok

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Hello everyone, I hope you are all keeping well. Bit of a silly question but is the channel mixer used a lot by Photoshop users. Is it a useful tool?
Im just going through the A-Z of Photoshop filters/adjustment layers etc to make sure im accustomed with everything. Im just finding it hard to get any info on what the channel mixer does that levels,curves or even photo filter cannot do.
Thank you for your time.
Cheers,
Teddy
 

MrToM

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It was yes.

Here is an excellent tutorial on 'how' to use the channel mixer in so far as the example image they use.....but it doesn't really explain what the channel mixer does, or how to apply it to your own images.....but that's half the fun!


Its very much 'experimental'...trial and error....more than 1 beer kind of adjustment layer.....unless you want to get heavily into the maths of it.....which I didn't.

I preferred the 'more than 1 beer' approach....far more sociable.

Regards.
MrToM.
 

Tom Mann

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To be honest, about the only time I ever seriously use it is when one of the RGB channels of a photo is blown but the others are not, and I'm motivated sufficiently to try to reconstruct some sort of reasonable image from what's left of the image, i.e., the other two channels.

To put MrToM's great quote "a 1 beer adjustment layer" in my own words, in most cases, I find the unintended consequences that happen with this tool generally not worth the effort compared to other tools like "curves". Of course, if I'm just looking to have some fun with weird color FX, they don't come any easier than going nuts with the sliders in this tool.

Tom M
 

IamSam

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For me, I use the Channel mixer more for desaturation and grayscale adjustment. I'll have to check out Mrt's color changing technique.
 

tfamok

Member
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Thanks very much for the info/tips guys. Its been really helpful.I skimmed over PS years ago in college. Always enjoyed it and thought I knew a lot. Seems like i only knew about 10% of what Photoshop does/can do. It really is a beast. Almost there though.
Cheers,
Teddy
 

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