tutorial on the use of Photoshop channels

　First, what is the channel?

When you see this topic, if you feel a headache, then----, no, no, you first

The first thing to do is not to take painkillers, but to be thankful for this step, because it gives you a good chance to master the passage, perhaps the last time you feel a headache.

In all kinds of computer magazines, or online media, about Photoshop channels of various types of text

The chapters are endless, can still have so many people China? To a large extent, we should not blame our readers, because we have also been unable to touch the head of the time, of course, we can not blame our authors, believe that they are really dedicated. From my point of view, the key question should be the link between the author and the reader, right? That is to say, from the reader's more ambiguous point of view to explain the author himself more clear ideas, the more careful, more professional, the more tell them the abstract and abstruse channel, the more easily let people have the feeling of being quit. Instead, give the reader a vague explanation (even if it's not actually accurate or even incorrect), they're easy to accept, after all, we don't

Everyone needs to be clear about every technical detail of Photoshop, otherwise everybody is going to be a Photoshop engineer!

You know what I mean? Yes, I am saying: the passage is simple. So, what's the channel? So to speak, the channel is the constituency.

It sounds like it's simple (but it's simple), no matter how many channels there are to represent a constituency, no matter how many passages you've seen, at least from now on, it's a constituency. Please don't tell me you never need a channel. When you make a choice with any of the selection tools, try the store-selection command that you should know well, now, do you realize that you have successfully built a channel? You can't change any part of the image without contacting the channel, which is why I made the passage the first reason for this topic. Only to understand the channel, you can leave the ranks of beginners, to "alone to lose" the realm of progress.

Of course I will not just tell you this, it is only for me to do the groundwork for the content, after all, no one can only see the appearance of things. But no matter what you are going to see, always remember what I told you above. Do you remember what it was? Yes, the channel is the constituency.

　　Ii. what can the channel do?

In the channel, most of the information on the image (sometimes I suspect it is all) is recorded, and these letters

From beginning to end with your operation is closely related. Specifically, the main functions of the channel are:

⑴ represents the selection area, which is the part of the white representation. Using the channel, you can build

A precise constituency such as hair silk.

⑵ indicates ink strength. The use of the Info panel can realize this, different channels can use 256 levels of gray to indicate different brightness. A pure red point in the red channel, shown on the black channel is pure black, which is 0 brightness.

⑶ represents opacity. In fact, this is the most we usually enjoy the use of a function. Or have you ever seen a picture of a mountain fading into the water? Have you ever envied me? Then, remember the channel, you love it, it will help you.

⑷ represents color information. Let's experiment, preview the Red channel, no matter how your mouse

Sample movement, the Info panel has only R value, the rest is 0.

⑸ Hey, hey, you can pour what I learned, the Sao first pose, earn some money.

　　Third, the classification of the channel

As an integral part of the image, the channel is inseparable from the format of the image, the image color,

The different format determines the number and mode of the channel, which can be seen visually in the channel panel.

The main channels involved in Photoshop are:

⑴ composite channel (compound Channel)

The composite channel does not contain any information, and in fact it simply previews and edits a shortcut to all the color channels at the same time. It is often used to return the channel panel to its default state after editing one or more color channels individually. For different patterns of images, the number of channels is not the same. In Photoshop, the channel involves three modes. For an RGB image, there are RGB, R, G, b four channels, for a CMYK image, there are CMYK, C, M, Y, K five channels, for a lab mode image, there are lab, L, A, b four channels.

⑵ colour channel (color Channel)

When you edit the image in Photoshop, you are actually editing the color channel. These channels decompose the image into one or more color components, the pattern of the image determines the number of color channels, RGB mode has 3 color channels, CMYK image has 4 color channels, grayscale only one color channel, they contain all will be printed or displayed color.

⑶ Spot-color channel (spot Channel)

A spot color channel is a special color channel that can be used to draw images in addition to cyan, magenta (someone called magenta), yellow, and black. Because the spot-color channel is generally less and more related to printing, I put it in the following section.

⑷alpha Channel (Alpha Channel)

An Alpha channel is a term in computer graphics that refers to a particular channel. Sometimes it refers to transparent information, but usually means "non-color" channels. This is the channel we really need to know, and it can be said that the various special effects we make in Photoshop are inseparable from the alpha channel, its most basic use is to save the selection range, and will not affect the image display and printing effect. When the image is output to video, the alpha channel can also be used to determine the display area. If you've gone a little deeper into non-linear editing software such as aftereffects, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. But because

The video is not directly related to what I am going to tell you now.

⑸ Monochrome Channel

This kind of channel's generation is more special, also can say is not normal. Try, if you delete one of the channels in the channel panel, you will find all the channels into "black and white", the original color channel even if not deleted also become gray.

Having said so much, my aim is not to confuse you. If you're already clear, it's best if you don't understand and it doesn't matter, keep looking down or don't think about it, and in the end you just have to know how to be successful.

　　Iv. channel editing (mostly in the case of alpha channels)

When it comes to the color channel, editing the image is essentially just a compilation of the channel

Series. Because the channel is the true record image information place, regardless of the color change, the constituency increase or decrease, the gradient generation, can trace back to the channel. Now, it's time to apply what you've learned.

For special editing methods, do not introduce here, to see what the conventional have!

The first thing to note is that, given the specificity of the channel, it is inextricably linked to many other tools, such as masks. So here, the so-called conventional method is the channel more general editing method, can also be considered from the simple constituency speaking. The rest of us will be involved in discussing other tools.

Let's go back to the channel:

⑴ Use Selection Tool

Selection tools in Photoshop include Mask tool (Marquee), lasso tool

(Lasso), magic Wand (Magic Wand), Font mask (Type Mask), and selections that are converted by paths, including settings for different feather values. Using these tools to edit in a channel is the same as the operation of an image, all you need is a little courage.

Use the selection tool to do some of the most basic things, but if you want my exact example, it's also a bit difficult, because I really can't remember what part of my recent work was simply using the selection tool to edit the channel. Perhaps it's time to make a slight change to a constituency that has already been created by other means? This is a very basic method, and you have to understand it, but you can hardly perceive it.

⑵ using drawing Tools

Drawing tools include airbrush (airbrush), brushes (paintbrush), pencils (Pencil), stamps (Stamp), Eraser (Eraser), gradients (gradient), paint drums (paintbucket), blur sharpening, and smearing (Blur, Sharpen, smudge), deepen dodge and sponge (Dodge, Burn, sponge).

It should be easy to understand the color problems of the channels we normally operate on. When you see the white of any choice, there should be an urge to smear it with your finger. Of course, the consequences of doing this may only change the color of your beloved display screen, but you can use a brush this kind of tool as a substitute to experiment, believe that the first time the consequences of doing this is exciting (if you say no, then you assure me that you use the color of painting is not the same as the color of your smear position). Indeed, any selection area you can create with a drawing tool that you can pick up with, the only difference may be that you don't see the lines that are moving in black and white.

One of the advantages of editing a channel with a drawing tool is that you can control the Strokes accurately (although not as much as the drawing board) so that you can get softer and more complex edges. Actually use them, and you'll soon like them. Now I do every picture, as long as the channel, 80% or more from the brush started. Because I do not need a black or a group of white.

To mention here is the gradient tool. Because this kind of tool is more special. Not that it is particularly complicated, but that it is particularly susceptible to neglect. But it is particularly useful relative to the channel. It's what I know. In the strict sense of Photoshop, a painting tool that can paint multiple colors and contain smoothing over the edges is a smooth and delicate gradient for the channel. I think it's a good idea to start from here when you want to integrate yourself perfectly into nature.

⑶ Using Filters

Someone once asked me how to be a good art work. I told him that it was the perfect combination of natural factors and human creations. In essence, I have been thinking about this issue all along.

Like most people, I firmly believe that human creativity and imagination are unlimited, but I also know that it does not mean that one can imagine everything. Sometimes it's a pretty interesting way to isolate yourself and let Photoshop do the writing.

Filter operations in the channel, usually in the case of different grayscale, and the reason for the use of filters, usually because we deliberately pursue an unexpected effect or just to control the edge. In principle, you can use any filter in the channel to experiment, of course, this is only when you do not have any purpose, in fact, most people in the use of filters to operate the channel usually have a clearer desire, such as sharpening or virtual edge, so as to create a more suitable constituency. Various situations are more complex, need to be treated according to the different purposes, but you can try, there will always be a harvest.

⑷ Use of adjustment tools

Particularly useful adjustment tools include levels and curves (curves).

When you use these tools to adjust the image, you will see a dialog box with a channel menu, where you can edit the color channel. When you select the channel you want to adjust, hold down the SHIFT key, click another channel, and finally open the composite channel in the image. So you can force these tools to work on one channel at the same time.

This is certainly useful for editing channels, but it's not really common because you can build a tuning layer without destroying the original information.

In fact, if you don't know what the channel is, you should know it now.

Out. In the final analysis, the understanding of the passage is only a feeling problem, perhaps an epiphany for a moment.

Again, a simple channel operation is unlikely to produce any effect on the image itself, must be combined with other tools, such as selections and masks (where the mask is most important), so it's best to connect to these tools when you understand the channel to know what your elaborate channel can do with the image.

　　Five, what else to say?

The information recorded in the ⑴ color channel is strictly not the entire file, but comes from the layer we are currently editing. When viewed as a layer, there is only one layer of content in the color channel, but if you view multiple layers at the same time, the color channel shows the effect of the layer blending. But since we can only edit one layer at a time, any changes that use a color channel affect only the currently selected layer.

⑵ when we click a channel on the channel panel and preview it, a grayscale image is displayed, you can see the information in the channel clearly, but if you open multiple channels at the same time, the channel will be displayed in color. You can turn on the display and Cursor Settings dialog box, check the color channel Incolor item, but I'm sure you'll end up with this seemingly significant change because you can hardly find anything you could have easily found.

⑶ Sometimes, you set up a very satisfying choice in the channel, but when you load it up in the image, you're horrified: it's not the same as the channel. Maybe, but don't doubt yourself, knowing that you haven't made any mistakes, and that Photoshop is not wrong. To understand this truth, we still have to start from gray. (Alas, all are the curse of Gray.) ）

To do an experiment, select an area in a new channel, fill it with 51% Gray, create a new selection in the same channel, fill it with a 49% gray, and then load the channel as a selection in the image. You see the results? Only that one is shown in less than 50% gray, and in fact, the area that is filled with more than 50% Grays does not disappear, and it is also selected, and you can assume that the transparency of the grayscale representation makes the selection itself transparent. So, when you're loading a channel that's completely filled with more than 50% grays, there's nothing to worry about, but it's worth noting that the speaker's volume is turned down in advance to avoid being scared by the sound of the pop-up warning box. Photoshop Tutorials

⑷ want to create a selection with a feather value on one side? Try it in the channel. Create a selection (with a rectangular mask to understand some) and then have the gradient tool fill. Load this channel! Remember the effect you see, and go back to the channel and edit that constituency again. Try it a few more times and you'll understand better what the channel has done for you.

The ⑸PHOTOSHOP5 supports up to 24 channels, but at 6. There seems to be no limit in the 0. But it doesn't seem like you need to use that many channels, does it?

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