Managing Channels

The Channels palette lists the RGB color image and each channel you've saved.

If a layer is selected, and the layer has a layer mask, the Channels palette also lists the layer mask. For information about layer masks, refer to "Working with Layer Masks".

To display the Channels palette

• Choose Window menu > Show Channels.

If the palette is not expanded, click the palette arrow.

Selecting and Viewing Channels

If you want to edit a particular channel, you must select it.

You can view or hide a channel. The eye icon next to the channel's thumbnail on the Channels palette lets you view or hide a channel. When the eye is open, the channel displays in the document window. When the eye is closed, the channel is hidden.

Corel Painter offers two ways to view a channel-as a colored overlay on the image or in grayscale. Colored overlays are red by default, but you can change the color. For more information, refer to "To set channel attributes:".

Selecting and viewing a channel are distinct operations-you can view a channel without selecting it, and you can select a channel without viewing it.

You can view the RGB image and more than one channel, but your editing applies only to the one item selected on the Channels palette-the RGB image or a channel.

To select a channel

• On the Channels palette, choose a channel from the list.

• When you want to work on the image again, choose RGB from the list.

To view a channel as a colored overlay

• On the Channels palette, click the eye icon next to the channel's thumbnail to open the eye.

In this mode, the RGB image is always displayed.

The "wings" channel and the RGB image are displayed.

The "wings" and "body" channels are displayed as red overlays on the RGB image. The eye icons for both channels, and for RGB, are open.

To view a channel as a grayscale image

1. On the Channels palette, make sure the channel is hidden (eye closed) and not selected.
2. Click the channel name.

In this mode, the RGB image is hidden.

A channel protecting the wings and body is displayed in grayscale. The RGB image is hidden.

To hide a channel

• Click the eye icon next to the channel item to close the eye.

Setting Channel Attributes

Each channel has a set of display attributes that can make it easier to use and help you distinguish it from the other channels.

These attributes do not affect the function of the channel; they affect only how the channel displays as you work on it.

Corel Painter names new channels incrementally: Alpha 1, Alpha 2, and so on. Renaming a channel makes it easier to work with, especially if you have several in the document. You can choose the channel you want immediately if you've given it a descriptive name.

To set channel attributes

1. On the Channels palette, choose a channel from the list.
2. Do one of the following:

• Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Channel Attributes.
• Double-click the channel name in the list.

3. In the Channel Attributes dialog box, drag the Opacity slider to set the channel display strength.
4. Click the color chip, and choose a display color in the Color Picker dialog box.

If you want to see the color overlay in grayscale, choose black.

A channel is easiest to use as an overlay when its color is a strong contrast with the predominant hue of the RGB image. You might want to use a different color for each channel.

5. Enable one of the following options to specify where the color overlay displays:

• Masked Areas
• Selected Areas

If you want to rename the channel, type a name in the Name box.

• If you want the channel displayed at its full intensity, set Opacity to 100%. Choose a lower value to display the channel more transparently so you can follow the underlying RGB imagery as you edit the channel.

Working with Channels

You can create a new channel by copying an existing channel.

If you've finished working with a particular channel you can delete it. You can also clear a channel without deleting it, leaving you with a blank channel.

The channel is a grayscale image. By inverting it, you can make dark pixels light, and light pixels dark.

To copy a channel

1. On the Channels palette, choose a channel from the list.
2. Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Duplicate.
3. In the Duplicate Channel dialog box, choose New from the Destination pop-up menu.

• You can also copy to an existing channel, which replaces that channel. To do this, choose the channel to replace from the Destination pop-up menu.

To delete a channel

1. On the Channels palette, choose a channel from the list.
2. Do one of the following:

• Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Delete.
• Click the Delete button at the bottom of the Channels palette.

To clear a channel

1. On the Channels palette, choose a channel from the list.
2. Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Clear.

To invert a channel

1. On the Channels palette, choose a channel from the list.
2. Click the palette menu arrow, and choose Invert.

A channel - before and after inversion.