<li class="Bulleted"><a href="15-Effects6.html#999280">Correcting Colors Using Contrast and Brightness</a></li><br/>
<li class="Bulleted"><a href="15-Effects6.html#999315">Correcting Colors Using Curve</a></li><br/>
<li class="Bulleted"><a href="15-Effects6.html#999332">Equalizing Images using Curve</a></li><br/>
<li class="Bulleted"><a href="15-Effects6.html#999354">Correcting Colors Using Freehand</a></li><br/>
<li class="Bulleted"><a href="15-Effects6.html#999368">Correcting Colors Using Advanced</a></li><br/>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<blockquote>
<h2 id="999229" class="Heading1">
<a name="999229"> </a>Correct Colors
</h2>
<p id="999230" class="Body">
<a name="999230"> </a>Color correction lets you make adjustments in the relative amounts of the color components in an image. Color correction is often used to improve a color-casted or washed-out scan. You can also use it to create surreal color effects.
</p>
<p id="999232" class="Body">
<a name="999232"> </a>If a layer is selected, color correction is applied only to the layer. If no layer is selected, the entire image is color corrected.
</p>
<p id="999233" class="Body">
<a name="999233"> </a>Color correction is based on adjusting gamma response curves. You can adjust the gamma curves for red, green, blue, or all three color components. The gray Master curve controls all color components equally.
</p>
<p id="999234" class="Body">
<a name="999234"> </a>The curves describe how the input color values are adjusted to create the output (corrected) color values.
<a name="999278"> </a>You can use a single method or a combination of methods to adjust the image.
</p>
<h3 id="999280" class="Heading2">
<a name="999280"> </a>Correcting Colors Using Contrast and Brightness
</h3>
<p id="999281" class="Body">
<a name="999281"> </a>This method lets you adjust the contrast or brightness of colors, while maintaining the tonal transitions in the original image.
</p>
<p id="999282" class="Body">
<a name="999282"> </a>You'll notice that as you adjust the Contrast or Brightness sliders, the end points of the curves remain fixed. That's because the effect maintains the levels from the original image. You'll always have 256 distinct levels, regardless of how much you adjust the sliders.
</p>
<p id="999283" class="Body">
<a name="999283"> </a>Contrast adjusts the difference between light and dark values. As you increase Contrast, the curve takes on an "S" shape, indicating that light colors are becoming lighter and dark colors darker.
<li class="SmartList1" value="2"><a name="1011252"> </a>In the Color Correction dialog box, choose Contrast and Brightness from the pop-up menu.</li>
<li class="SmartList1" value="3"><a name="999304"> </a>For each color you want to adjust, click the color icon and adjust the Contrast and Brightness sliders.</li>
<a name="1004703"> </a><i>Color correction using the Curve method.
</i></p>
<p id="999325" class="Body">
<a name="999325"> </a>You can control the overall effect of your changes using the Effect slider. The slider controls how much of the curve moves in response to your dragging. When the slider is all the way to the right, the entire curve moves. As the value is reduced, a smaller portion of the curve moves.
</p>
<h5 id="999327" class="ToDoHead">
<a name="999327"> </a>To correct colors by reshaping curves
<li class="SmartList1"><a name="1045779"> </a>If you want to reshape all color curves at once, click the gray Master icon.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="999332" class="Heading2">
<a name="999332"> </a>Equalizing Images using Curve
</h3>
<p id="999333" class="Body">
<a name="999333"> </a>Equalizing an image involves increasing the contrast by resetting the darkest and lightest points and then evenly distributing the values across those two points.
</p>
<h5 id="999334" class="ToDoHead">
<a name="999334"> </a>To automatically set black and white points
</h5>
<ul>
<li class="SmartList1"><a name="999335"> </a>Click the Auto Set button in the Color Correction dialog.</li>
</ul>
<h5 id="999336" class="ToDoHead">
<a name="999336"> </a>To manually set black or white points
<li class="SmartList1" value="2"><a name="999338"> </a>In the document window, click the color you want to assign as the darkest or lightest point.</li>
<li class="SmartList1" value="4"><a name="1011402"> </a>In the Color Correction dialog box, choose Curve from the pop-up menu.</li>
<li class="SmartList1" value="5"><a name="999341"> </a>Click one of the following:</li>
</ol>
<ul>
<li class="Bulleted2"><a name="999344"> </a><span style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline">Black Point</span>-Corel Painter assigns all colors equal to or darker than the current primary color to black.</li>
<li class="Bulleted2"><a name="999349"> </a><span style="color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline">White Point</span>-Corel Painter assigns all colors equal to or lighter than the current primary color to white.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="999354" class="Heading2">
<a name="999354"> </a>Correcting Colors Using Freehand
</h3>
<p id="999355" class="Body">
<a name="999355"> </a>Freehand lets you draw the curve as you want it. This method is particularly useful when you want posterized or solarized effects.
<li class="SmartList1"><a name="1011452"> </a>If you want to redraw all color curves at once, click the gray Master icon. </li>
</ul>
<h3 id="999368" class="Heading2">
<a name="999368"> </a>Correcting Colors Using Advanced
</h3>
<p id="999370" class="Body">
<a name="999370"> </a>The Advanced method allows you to set the red, green, and blue curves numerically at five points: Highlight, 1/4 Tone, Midtone, 3/4 Tone, and Shadow. These points coincide with the vertical grid lines.
