maintaining contrast through col fill layer?

<p>I have a col landscape image and want to apply a monochromatic col layer over it.<br>

I Have identified the col I want (the RGB values) and created a New Layer which I filled (Edit>Fill) with the col (by setting it as the foreground col).<br>

Then I change the layer's blend mode to Color, and and it looks OK, except that the contrast in the original image is mostly lost. I looked at the sliders in the Blending Options & the opacity.<br>

I can recover some contrast by using a Curves or Levels adjustment layer on top of it, but it isn't great & I'm sure there is a better way to do this.<br>

When I create a new layer, the one I intend to fill with the desired col, should it be white - at first I thought maybe it should be clear, and then the col would lay over and the dark/light tones of the original col background image would be maintained. But found that you cant fill a clear layer.<br>

Thanks for any direction</p>

<p>What are you trying to accomplish by putting a color filter over the original image? This would help me answer your question.</p>

<p>Additionally, what version of Photoshop are you using?</p>

<p>What about trying:<br>

Add Layer<br>

Fill Layer with desired color<br>

In the layer panel, select Overlay<br>

Adjust opacity</p>

<p>Hope this helps<br>

RS</p>

<p>Hi<br>

In the first line I said "....and want to apply a monochromatic col layer over it".<br>

Create a monochrome image.<br>

So for example, I may have a col image to start with and want to apply a particular shade of brown to create a toned b&w or it could be a particular shade of blue or whatever. I know there are pre-sets to some of this stuff but I want to do it 'manually' to have fine control.<br>

As I said in the OP I did try changing blending modes, such Overlay, but it doesn't 'do it'<br>

It's version CS4</p>

<p>Assuming that "col" means "color", change the blending mode to color, and you will have one way to manually tone a B&W image. Another manual method which will give you even more control is to put a "Levels" adjustment layer above the B&W layer and make different changes in the 5 sliders for each of the three color channels.</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

 

<p>Tom,<br>

I'm not quite with you.<br>

I have a color image (background layer) and I want to tone it (e.g. black& white monotone/chrome).<br>

Are you saying I should proceed as before by placing a color fill layer above the background layer...this starts off as opaque and I cant see the background image until I change the mode to Color.<br>

Are you saying to place a Levels layer above this ?</p>

<p>Hi Frank - First, stack a B&W adjustment layer on top of the color image. This will turn the color image to B&W. Then, on top of that, stack either a solid color layer (set to color blend), or a "Levels" adjustment layer (as described in my previous post). Either way will result in a toned B&W image.</p>

<p>There's no reason you can't stack both a solid color layer and a "Levels" layer, but I've never felt the need to do so. If the solid color layer doesn't give me what I want, I just switch over to the "Levels" approach, and that gives me plenty of tweakability.</p>

<p>It turns out that the capability for producing duotones and tri-tones is also built into PS, but it is a bit more complicated that either of the above approaches.</p>

<p>The best of luck,</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

<p>I follow you now. Thanks.<br>

I dont think the Levels method works for this now because it's a visual judgement of the color tone being applied, whereas I have a specific colour in mind (RGB values)</p>

<p>Frank, when you say you have a specific color in mind, do you mean a specific hue or a specific hue and saturation at specified luminosities? An example of the latter might be that you want 50% saturated highlights. It's easy to get the former, not so easy to get the latter because there are at least a few different definitions of saturation in common use and they all depend on the underlying luminosity.</p>

<p>In addition, "desirable" colors should generally not be taken in the abstract, but in the context of the other colors (hues, saturation values and luminosity values) in the image. For example, there is a fairly well-accepted standard for young, fair, un-tanned Caucasian skin. However, forcing the skin of a subject to adhere to that color in an image taken around sundown will, at best, result in the person looking sick. Except for some very specific applications such as logos, web backgrounds, fabrics and paints, the specific colors which comprise the best images are usually achieved by eye as viewed on a color-managed monitor and software.</p>

<p>HTH,</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Have you tried adding a black and white adjustment layer and checking the tint option? That lets you choose whatever values you want for the tint.</p>