Eliminating unwanted color casts

If your scanned image contains an unwanted color cast, for example if the colors in the image are all too red in color, you can perform a simple test to determine whether the cast was introduced by your scanner. If it was, you can use the same test file to create a color-cast correction for all images scanned with the scanner.

To identify and correct a color cast introduced by a scanner:

1 Make sure that your monitor has been calibrated. (See Calibrating your monitor.)

2 Open a new file, and use the linear gradient tool () to create a blend from pure black to pure white.

3 Choose Image > Adjustments > Posterize, and posterize the blend using 11 levels.

4 Print the 11-step gray wedge on a black-and-white printer, and then scan it into Photoshop Elements.

Note: You can also perform this test using an 18-percent neutral gray card or an 11-step gray wedge from a photography store.

5 Open the Info palette, and read the RGB values on-screen for each of the gray levels. Uneven R, G, and B values indicate a color cast.

6 Write down the R, G, and B values.

7 Open the scanned image you want to correct, choose Enhance > Brightness/Contrast > Levels, and enter the R, G, and B values you just recorded.

Getting Images into Photoshop Elements > Scanning images > Eliminating unwanted color casts