The Best Technique to Enhance Saturation

Step 9

Click on the layer mask and choose Image > Adjustments > Auto Levels. This will increase the difference between the whites and blacks.

So what happened? The layer mask reduced the effect from the areas that are already high in saturation. For example, compare the before image (left) and the after image (right) on the shoulder of the model below. On the image to the left, the shoulders look almost as red as her lips, but after applying the layer mask, it looks more natural. This adaptive saturation Photoshop technique also restores details that would have been hidden.

Step 10

We’re done with the color boosting effect with the LAB color channels and the adaptive saturation technique. Now we’re going to apply a normal hue/saturation adjustment layer. The hue/saturation tool produces results that are different and sometimes more desirable than the LAB color method.

First, create a duplicate of the Background layer and move it to the top.

Step 11

Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer so that it appears as the top layer.

Adjust the saturation then click OK.

Hold the Ctrl key and click on the top two layers. Then, press Ctrl+G to place the two layers in a group. Select the group and choose Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All.

Below is an image of the difference between using the LAB color mode (left) and the Hue/Saturation tool (right) to increase saturation. Identify the areas that look better with the hue/saturation tool. In the photograph below, the model’s face looks better with the Hue/Saturation technique but for everything else, the LAB color mode looks better.

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Written by admin on February 29th, 2008 with 10 comments.
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