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About this lesson
This is run down of the improvements on the color range selection method. Of particular importance is the face detection technology, which make the tool even easier to use. (PS6 and above)
Exercise files
There are no related exercise files for this lesson, or we cannot provide them due to copyright issues.
Quick reference
Topic
Get the lowdown on using color to make a selection in Photoshop, and the latest Photoshop improvements.
When to use
This is run down of the improvements on the color range selection method. Of particular importance is the face detection technology, which make the tool even easier to use. (PS6 and above)
Instructions
Bring up Color Range
- Select Menu dropdown, Color Range
Use of Color Range
- Color picker to select the colors you want
- Use the Shift key to add colors
- Use the ALT/Option key to subtract colors
- Use the Fuzziness slider to change the range of the colors selected
New Features
- Localized Color clusters: keeps the selection to one location
- Skin Tones: selects via common skin tones: Fizziness slider
- Detect Faces option to confine the selection
Tip
Use this for groups of people, where you want to brighten up the faces a bit.
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- 00:04 If you're an active Photoshop user, you certainly know that there are a countless
- 00:07 number of selection methods which will help you in your projects.
- 00:10 While some are more suited than others in certain situations, if you're looking to
- 00:13 select a specific color image,
- 00:15 Color Range - found under the Select menu - may be your best bet.
- 00:18 This feature allows you to sample the colors you are looking to select,
- 00:22 and then use the fuzziness slider to increase or decrease the amount of
- 00:25 similar tones
- 00:26 that'll be included in the final selection. In Photoshop CS5, we saw the
- 00:30 addition of localized color clusters in the range slider.
- 00:32 This gives you the option to confine the sampling to a much
- 00:37 smaller area.
- 00:38 A smaller range value will confine the end result to a much smaller radius
- 00:42 around your initial selection. Now in Photoshop CS6, we have two new additions
- 00:47 to color range:
- 00:48 Skin Tones and Detect Faces, when dealing with images that contain people.
- 00:53 If you need to select the skin tones of the people in that photo, you can now
- 00:56 select the Skin Tones option from the drop-down.
- 00:59 You'll notice that Photoshop automatically selects skin specific
- 01:02 tones.
- 01:02 However, because not all skin tones will be detected and because you may find
- 01:06 that color range will select skin tones outside of the face,
- 01:09 you also have the detect faces checkbox. Photoshop will do its best to detect
- 01:13 the faces in your photo
- 01:15 and confine the sampling to those specific areas.
- 01:19 And, of course, the fuzziness slider is still at your disposal if you want to increase or
- 01:22 decrease the similar tones that are being selected.
- 01:24 From here, pressing OK will create a selection based on the condition you set
- 01:28 within the color range.
- 01:29 If any areas were included that you didn't want selected, you can simply use
- 01:33 the menu selection tools available in Photoshop to subtract
- 01:35 those areas from the selection. Once your selection is complete,
- 01:39 what you do is up to you. You can add adjustment layers, put your face on
- 01:42 someone else's body,
- 01:43 or simply make minor changes to enhance the skin. And those are the changes to
- 01:47 color range in Photoshop CS6
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