Smoothing Images

Smoothing Images
Skill level: Basic
Programs used: Photoshop 7

Here's a tutorial that will make your images look that much better. This method is useful in smoothing out those little multiple thumbs we seem to have on our sites, as well as those main pictures within our sites.

1. Here's your thumb. Let's presume that you've already buffed up the thumb with your color balance, brightness/contrast, levels etc. etc.

2. First of all you need to sharpen the image, simply by FILTER>SHARPEN>SHARPEN.

3. Duplicate the image (Ctrl + J).

4. Gaussian Blur (FILTER>BLUR>GUASSIAN BLUR... by 1 pixel) the top image and then reduce the opacity to 50%. You should something like this.

5. Then merge those two layers together (Ctrl + E)
6. Duplicate the merged layer (Ctrl + J)
7. Set the the blending mode to Overlay and at 60%

ORIGINAL IMAGE

MERGED LAYERS

FINAL

And that's how easy it its.
You can vary the opacity to a level that you are happy with. Anything between 30% to 70% is usually sufficient to your site.

Here is the same method with your main pictures.

ORIGINAL IMAGE

AFTER COLOR BALANCE/LEVELS

AFTER USING METHOD

If you feel that there are some parts of the picture that is too blurred but other areas are just right then you can use a mask and make those certain parts less blurred.

This method is generally much faster than using the blur tool and blurring the whole image.

Smoothing Images Skill level: Basic Programs used: Photoshop 7

Smoothing Images
Skill level: Basic
Programs used: Photoshop 7