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- <h2>Levels Adjustment</h2>
- <p>The Levels adjustment can be used to alter the color range (or
- "exposure") of an image, including gamma adjustments, on a
- channel-by-channel basis. Most adjustments performed using levels consist of
- changing a pictures input and output white point, black point, and grey
- point. The white point of an image is the brightest color that appears in
- the image, while the black point is the darkest color that will appear in an
- image. The grey point represents the average color of the entire image.</p>
- <p align="center"><img border="0" src="Images/Levels1.png"> </p>
- <p>Each of these color points of an image may be adjusted using Levels. In
- the dialog above, there are 5 numeric inputs and 5 color swatches. The two
- along the left side in the 'Input' section indicate the input white and
- black points. These colors may be adjusted using the numeric inputs, the
- slider, or by double-clicking on the color swatches. The white point on this
- side is the color that should be adjusted to become the white point selected
- on the right side. When the adjustment is performed, colors in the image as
- bright or brighter than this color will adjust to be equal to the output
- white point (in the above screenshot, the output white point has been left
- at its default value, white). Correspondingly, the input black point has
- been adjusted in the dialog pictured above, so the darkest colors of the
- output image will be adjusted to be simply black. By adjusting the white
- point to be slightly darker, we are making that same dark color be as bright
- as white in the output, and by adjusting the black point to be slightly
- brighter, we are making those dark colors of the image absolutely black.
- Also, in the dialog above, the output grey point has been adjusted to be
- slightly brighter. While this does not effect the whites and blacks of the
- image, it causes the overall color of the image to be brightened.</p>
- <p align="center"><img border="1" src="../images/LewistonSunset_small.jpg" width="320" height="240">
- <img border="1" src="../images/LewistonSunset_small_Levels1.jpg" width="320" height="240"></p>
- <p>These adjustments end up stretching the range of an image, visible
- through the histograms on each side of the levels dialog. The histogram on
- the left indicates the color curve of the image before any adjustment, this
- histogram represents the amount of an image that is equal to a given color.
- In the case of the one pictured above, the histogram indicates that a
- significant portion of the image is nearly black, with a second bulge around
- 40% brightness. Also, the small spike at the top edge of the input histogram
- indicates that there is a small portion of the image that is completely
- white.</p>
- <p>With Level's default settings, the output histogram will be equal to the
- input histogram. Every adjustment that is performed on the image, however,
- will cause the output histogram to be updated to represent the changes that
- will result in the output image. Causing the output histogram to be spread
- thinner results in an image with higher contrast. Squishing the histogram to
- a single peak, on the other had, will result in an image with very low
- contrast. Any of the adjustments between these extremes are possible with
- levels. In the screenshot above, a significant portion of the image is
- 'blacked out', resulting in a large spike at the bottom end. The same is
- true of the top end, where much of the image is 'whited out'. Overall, the
- histogram has been stretched very thin, as evident from the high contrast
- present in the image.</p>
- <p>Up to this point, all adjustments have been performed on a all channels,
- red, green and blue. By using the R, G, B checkboxes (pictured below),
- individual channels may be adjusted separately (as well as two at a time).
- In the picture below, the gamma has been adjusted for the green and blue
- channels at the same time, causing the level of cyan in the image to drop
- overall. This accentuates the red of the image, as shown in the picture
- below.</p>
- <p align="center"><img border="0" src="Images/Levels2.png"></p>
- <p align="center"><img border="1" src="../images/LewistonSunset_small.jpg" width="320" height="240">
- <img border="1" src="../images/LewistonSunset_small_Levels2.jpg" width="320" height="240"></p>
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- <font color="#808080" size="1">Copyright <font face="Times New Roman">© 2007 </font>
- Rick Brewster, Tom Jackson, and past contributors. Portions Copyright
- <font face="Times New Roman">© 2007 </font>Microsoft Corporation. All Rights
- Reserved.</font><font size="1"> <br>
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