How to Improve Digital Photo Quality in Photoshop
Use the Brightness/Contrast sliders to get dark, complete blacks and vivid whites., Increase an image's Saturation to make the colors more vibrant and eye-popping., Edit the picture's hue if the whole thing is tinted the wrong color., Use the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use the Brightness/Contrast sliders to get dark
No matter what picture you're editing, the difference between your darkest areas and your lightest areas (called Contrast) should be distinct.
This leads to more compelling photos.
Your goal is a well-lit picture with deep, dark blacks and bright, well-defined whites.
Use the brightness to make sure the picture is still clear as well.
Click "Image" → "Adjustments" → "Brightness/Contrast..." Make sure "Preview" is checked so you can see how the image changes as you move the slider.
Almost all images can benefit from 10-15 points of higher contrast, at the least. -
Step 2: complete blacks and vivid whites.
Going too far can make the picture look like something out of Willy Wonka, but saturation is a necessary adjustment in almost every shot, especially with a lower-cost camera.
Click "Image" → "Adjustments" → "Hue/Saturation." Increase saturation by 5-10 points, adding a few points at a time until you hit your desired level.
Slide the saturation bar all the way to the left to put the picture in black and white. , This can happen under some indoor lights, which can make the whole shot look yellow or green.
Hue settings, found along with Saturation, let you change the overall color palate of the picture for strange, artsy effects or to correct these all-over color issues.
Click "Image" → "Adjustments" → "Hue/Saturation." Even small changes to Hue can make dramatic effects, so work slowly. , The most common use of this is when the sun forms a big, unsightly bloom of white light in the corner of the picture, washing out part of the actual photo.
Alternatively, it helps when a shadow obscures half of someone's face.
Shadow/HIghlights targets the lightest and darkest parts of a shot directly while leaving the other areas intact:
Click "Image" → "Adjustments" → "Shadows/Highlights." Lower the Shadow slider to make the dark areas lighter.
Raise the Highlight slider to darken up any bright areas., This filter is not god, and can't fix seriously blurry photos.
But it can make a serious difference for slightly "soft" shots, bringing back some clarity and definition in the photo's lines.
To use it:
Click "Filter" from the top Menu.
Under "Sharpen..."
choose "Sharpen" for a minor adjustment, and "Smart Sharpen" for a more detailed effect.
Under "Smart Sharpen," use "Amount" to choose how severely you'll sharpen sharpen, "radius" to make more precise lines, and "Reduce Noise" to smooth out any over-sharpened areas., The bigger the image, the more apparent the blemishes and issues.
Shrinking the image will provide some clarity, as the pixels are more compact and our eyes do a better job filling over blurry or grainy areas.
To shrink an image:
Click "Image" → "Image Size." Choose whether or not to change the size in inches, pixels, or even as a percentage of the original.
Make sure the chain icon is on
-- this keeps the proportions of your new image the same instead of shrinking it unevenly.
Cut 25% or so of the image, shrinking more if needed. -
Step 3: Increase an image's Saturation to make the colors more vibrant and eye-popping.
-
Step 4: Edit the picture's hue if the whole thing is tinted the wrong color.
-
Step 5: Use the "Shadows/Highlights" settings to remove any overly bright areas and weaken dark shadows.
-
Step 6: Use the Sharpen filter to help combat semi-blurry or out of focus shots.
-
Step 7: Consider shrinking very blurry or lower-quality images to minimize the problem.
Detailed Guide
No matter what picture you're editing, the difference between your darkest areas and your lightest areas (called Contrast) should be distinct.
This leads to more compelling photos.
Your goal is a well-lit picture with deep, dark blacks and bright, well-defined whites.
Use the brightness to make sure the picture is still clear as well.
Click "Image" → "Adjustments" → "Brightness/Contrast..." Make sure "Preview" is checked so you can see how the image changes as you move the slider.
Almost all images can benefit from 10-15 points of higher contrast, at the least.
Going too far can make the picture look like something out of Willy Wonka, but saturation is a necessary adjustment in almost every shot, especially with a lower-cost camera.
Click "Image" → "Adjustments" → "Hue/Saturation." Increase saturation by 5-10 points, adding a few points at a time until you hit your desired level.
Slide the saturation bar all the way to the left to put the picture in black and white. , This can happen under some indoor lights, which can make the whole shot look yellow or green.
Hue settings, found along with Saturation, let you change the overall color palate of the picture for strange, artsy effects or to correct these all-over color issues.
Click "Image" → "Adjustments" → "Hue/Saturation." Even small changes to Hue can make dramatic effects, so work slowly. , The most common use of this is when the sun forms a big, unsightly bloom of white light in the corner of the picture, washing out part of the actual photo.
Alternatively, it helps when a shadow obscures half of someone's face.
Shadow/HIghlights targets the lightest and darkest parts of a shot directly while leaving the other areas intact:
Click "Image" → "Adjustments" → "Shadows/Highlights." Lower the Shadow slider to make the dark areas lighter.
Raise the Highlight slider to darken up any bright areas., This filter is not god, and can't fix seriously blurry photos.
But it can make a serious difference for slightly "soft" shots, bringing back some clarity and definition in the photo's lines.
To use it:
Click "Filter" from the top Menu.
Under "Sharpen..."
choose "Sharpen" for a minor adjustment, and "Smart Sharpen" for a more detailed effect.
Under "Smart Sharpen," use "Amount" to choose how severely you'll sharpen sharpen, "radius" to make more precise lines, and "Reduce Noise" to smooth out any over-sharpened areas., The bigger the image, the more apparent the blemishes and issues.
Shrinking the image will provide some clarity, as the pixels are more compact and our eyes do a better job filling over blurry or grainy areas.
To shrink an image:
Click "Image" → "Image Size." Choose whether or not to change the size in inches, pixels, or even as a percentage of the original.
Make sure the chain icon is on
-- this keeps the proportions of your new image the same instead of shrinking it unevenly.
Cut 25% or so of the image, shrinking more if needed.
About the Author
Alexander Phillips
Experienced content creator specializing in DIY projects guides and tutorials.
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