How To Darken Background In Photoshop Elements 10

With a photo that's just a little also bright, Photoshop is here to relieve the mean solar day by offering several simple image darkening tools. Whether you demand to darken your unabridged photo, a single layer, or only target a specific expanse, Photoshop makes it piece of cake. With the tips outlined below, you lot'll be able to correct your brilliant photos in no fourth dimension.

To darken an paradigm in Photoshop, get to Epitome > Adjustments > Exposure to create a new Exposure Adjustment Layer. In the dialogue box that appears, motility the "Exposure" slider to the left to darken your photo. This will darken your entire prototype at once and correct any overexposed areas.

Depending on the exact darkening aligning you lot want to perform, at that place are a few unlike ways to do it. Let's get into the specifics and get you up to speed on the best ways to darken images in Photoshop.

3 Like shooting fish in a barrel Tools For Darkening Images In Photoshop

In that location are a ton of different ways to make these adjustments in Photoshop. To avoid overwhelm, let's focus on the 3 nigh important ones. The iii aligning methods below are the fastest and easiest to utilize, no matter your ability levels.

i. The Exposure Aligning Layer

The exposure adjustment layer allows yous to command your image'due south overall exposure (aka effulgence) with a single slider. For images with blown-out highlights, this is a groovy tool to use.

In that location are a couple of different means you can create an Exposure Aligning Layer depending on your preferences. The showtime way is by going to your Adjustments Panel and selecting the Exposure Adjustment icon.

If you don't run across this console, go up to Window > Adjustments.

Y'all can achieve a like result past going to Epitome > Adjustments > Exposure to create a new exposure adjustment.

The difference with this way is that you will not have an Exposure Adjustment Layer created afterward. Instead, the darkening adjustment will apply directly to your image, making information technology uneditable.

Since it's always nice to work non-destructively and take the selection to refine adjustments, the adjustment console method is more favorable.

Regardless of which method you used, a dialogue box will appear with three different sliders called:

Exposure
Offset
Gamma Correction

The Exposure slider will control the overall brightness or darkness of your photograph. Since we're talking most darkening images in Photoshop, that means y'all'll motion the Exposure Slider left.

As you motility this slider further left, your image volition become increasingly dark. Depending on how bright your photograph was to begin with, the right setting will vary.

After the exposure adjustment, you're left with the Start and Gamma Correction sliders. The Offset slider will lift or lower the base betoken of your shadows. By increasing this slider, your prototype will take on a matte appearance while taking on deeper shadows when decreased.

Meanwhile, the Gamma Correction slider offers further control to the effulgence of the mid-tones. By adjusting this slider, you can brighten or darken the centre exposure values to further refine your darkening adjustment.

The First and Gamma Correction sliders are more than helpful additions rather than necessary tools. If yous just desire to make a quick darkening adjustment to your photo, decreasing the Exposure Slider volition do the trick. The other sliders but offer an piece of cake way to better your exposure further if needed.

2. Camera RAW

For those who already experience comfortable in Lightroom, darkening images in Photographic camera RAW will experience right at dwelling. Photographic camera RAW is a tool inside Photoshop that allows you to process RAW files before bringing them into the master workspace. When opening a RAW file directly from your estimator, Camera RAW will open up automatically, making it simple to admission.

Even if you aren't working with a RAW file or accept already opened your photo in Photoshop, Camera RAW is easy to admission.

With your image layer selected, go to Filter > Camera RAW Filter to open up Camera RAW.

Once within, make certain yous're in the Basic Panel and look for the Exposure Slider. By dragging this to the left, you can darken your entire photo at once.

In many cases, you may simply want to darken the brighter parts of your photo. Things like an over-exposed sky or the highlight on someone's face. In this situation, the whites and highlights sliders testify useful every bit well.

Using either one, you'll just darken the brightest parts of your photo, leaving the shadows untouched. This is a great way to refine your concealment adjustments without burdensome the shadows.

Once you're happy with the adjustment, press OK or OPEN to go out Camera RAW.

Past default, Camera Raw will apply all your adjustments straight onto your layer. That means you cannot get back to refine your adjustments subsequently on. Luckily, there is a workaround to this with the help of smart objects!

If you lot desire the option to edit your Camera RAW Filter afterward on, kickoff convert your layer to a smart object past right-clicking > Convert To Smart Object.

From in that location, yous can follow the same steps as earlier (Filter > Camera RAW Filter) and make your adjustments. This time, once y'all've exited Camera RAW, it volition be attainable below your layer.

If you desire to get back to your adjustments, just double-click on the filter to gain access.

Yous can learn more near smart objects and why they're useful here.

3. The Brightness & Contrast Adjustment Layer

Now for the third style to darken an epitome in Photoshop comes the Brightness & Contrast Adjustment Layer. This is the nearly simple to use darkening aligning as it only has two sliders to work with. If you want to darken a photo in Photoshop rapidly, this adjustment layer offers some other great option.

First, create a new Brightness & Contrast Adjustment layer by clicking on the icon in the Adjustments panel. This will create a new adjustment layer in your layers panel, allowing you to edit non-destructively.

Alternatively, yous can go up to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast. With this method, the aligning will be directly practical to your paradigm or layer. So simply exercise this if you lot know you lot'll be certain with the adjustments you make!

Regardless of how you create the adjustment layer, a dialogue box volition appear, offering y'all two dissimilar sliders: Brightness and Contrast.

The brightness slider will control the overall exposure of your photo.

The contrast slider controls the intensity of your highlights and shadows.

To darken your photo, move the effulgence slider to the left. One time your photo is darkened, you tin play around with the contrast slider to enhance the darkening aligning. For a more moody look, effort increasing the contrast!

How To Darken A Layer In Photoshop

To darken a layer in Photoshop, create a new Brightness & Dissimilarity Adjustment Layer above the layer you want to darken. In the dialogue box that appears, elevate the Brightness slider leftwards, then printing Command/Command + Option/Alt + Yard to create a new clipping mask. At present your darkening adjustments will merely exist visible on the layer straight below the Brightness & Contrast Adjustment Layer.

In Photoshop, all adjustment layers will utilize to the entire canvas by default. That ways a concealment adjustment would exist applied to all layers beneath the darkening adjustment in the layers panel.

To make your adjustment merely target a sure layer, y'all'll need to use something chosen a clipping mask.

Of the iii darkening tools you learned nearly previously, only the exposure adjustment and the brightness & contrast adjustment will work with a clipping mask. That's because clipping masks only work with adjustment layers.

In this example, let's darken this layer with an exposure adjustment. I'll start past clicking on the exposure adjustment icon in the Adjustments panel.

If you don't come across this panel, go to Window > Adjustments.

So make sure the exposure adjustment layer is higher up the layer you desire to target.

Once the exposure dialogue box appears, click on the clipping mask icon to create a new clipping mask.

Alternatively, you lot can press Command + Option + Chiliad (Mac) or Control + Alt + Yard (PC) to create a clipping mask.

Now the exposure aligning volition have a correct-angle arrow icon indicating a clipping mask. When you make changes to the exposure adjustment layer, the effects will only be applied to the layer it's clipped to.

Clipping masks can be used with whatsoever adjustment layer in Photoshop and are perfect for adding darkening adjustments to one layer. To get a better idea of all the means you lot tin utilize clipping masks in Photoshop, check out this mail service!

How To Darken Part Of An Image

To darken part of an image in Photoshop, first, create an Exposure Adjustment Layer and place information technology at the top of the Layers Console. Next, admission the Brush Tool (B) and set blackness to your foreground color. With the Exposure Adjustment layer mask selected, paint over your image to hide the darkening adjustments as needed. Now you lot're left with darkening adjustments simply visible in parts of your photograph.

Layer masks allow y'all to make your adjustments only testify up in certain areas. With the help of the Brush Tool, yous can pigment over your epitome to tell Photoshop exactly what y'all desire to edit. For something like darkening part of an image, layer masks are the perfect tool for the job.

One time once again, the easiest mode to exercise this is by using adjustment layers. Although y'all can create masks in Photographic camera RAW, information technology'due south a more than round-about way of doing things. That's why I suggest using the Exposure or Brightness & Contrast adjustment layers instead.

For example, permit's create a new Brightness & Dissimilarity adjustment layer.

By default, it will announced in your layers panel with a white box beside the layer icon. This is your layer mask!

Every adjustment layer you create in Photoshop will automatically have a layer mask created for the layer.

How convenient is that?

When the layer mask is white (100% visible), that means every role of your prototype will be affected past your adjustment layer. To make certain areas transparent, y'all need to pigment black onto the mask.

To practise this, select your Brush Tool (B) and set your foreground color to blackness.

Beginning, make sure your layer mask is selected past the white outline. Then begin to paint over the areas of your photo you don't desire to be darkened.

Once y'all're finished, the darkening adjustments will only be visible in the white areas of your mask.

Since I wanted to darken the sky, y'all can see that the white area of my mask matches up with the upper section of my image.

Now you've successfully darkened part of your photo with the help of a layer mask! Layer masks are ane of the about valuable tools in Photoshop and can be used in countless different ways. If you're not familiar with them yet, I highly suggest checking out this postal service on the uses of masks!

How To Darken Part Of A Layer

Peculiarly when you're working with cutouts and merging multiple images, you may desire to darken part of a certain layer. Rather than using your brush tool and a layer mask to perfectly mask around the border of something, yous can use a clipping mask to assist with the process.

For this instance, I have a cutout of a person that I desire to darken a portion of. Beginning, I'll create a Brightness & Contrast aligning layer.

With the adjustment layer created, I'll create a clipping mask to target the cutout layer.

Now I'll utilise my darkening aligning as needed. Bringing down the Brightness slider then adjusting the Dissimilarity as necessary.

Because of the clipping mask, all of these darkening adjustments are just affecting the cutout layer. To further refine this area, you can apply a layer mask.

With the Brightness & Contrast adjustment layer mask selected, I'll catch the Brush Tool (B) and set the foreground color to blackness.

Now painting over the cutout, I can mask out whatever sections that I don't want to darken. Using a clipping mask and layer mask together, you become the ultimate control for your darkening adjustments in Photoshop!

How To Darken Text In Photoshop

To darken text in Photoshop, select your text layer so open the Character Panel. If yous don't meet this console, go to Window > Character. Inside the Character Panel, click on the "Color" box. In the color picker that appears, select a darker version of your current text color and click OK. Now the darker color volition be applied to your text.

With that said, whether yous accept an editable text layer or have text broiled into your photo, there are a couple of unlike ways to darken it.

– Concealment A Text Layer

If you're working with a text layer, the easiest style to darken it is past just changing the colour. This is speedily done with the help of the Character Console.

First, make certain your text layer is selected in the layers panel, and so open the Character panel.

If you don't run into this, go up to Window > Graphic symbol.

Inside the Grapheme panel, click on the "Color" box. From the color picker that appears, select a darker colour than your initial text. Since I had a light turquoise color before, I'll motility the color picker to a darker tone and click OK.

Your newly selected color will exist applied to your text, and you're left with a darker color than earlier!

– Concealment Text That's Broiled Into Your Photo

In some cases, you lot may take text that is directly applied to your photo. That means there isn't whatsoever editable text layer to work with. Instead, y'all'll demand to apply a Hue Saturation Aligning Layer to darken the luminance of your text color.

Offset, create a new Hue Saturation adjustment layer by clicking on the icon in the Adjustments console.

In this instance, the text we are working with is cyan, which means we'll demand to target the cyan color range. In the Hue Saturation dialogue box, I'll set the color channel from Master to Blues.

If yous have a dissimilar text color, select the related color aqueduct for your adjustment.

Now click on the Lightness slider and drag it to the left. This will darken the cyan tones in the image, in turn, darkening the text.

By targeting the specific color range, you're able to darken the color of your text without whatsoever selections. This method offers a very uncomplicated way of doing things when y'all don't accept a text layer to work with.

How To Darken Sunlight In Photoshop

To darken sunlight in Photoshop, create a new Curves Aligning Layer then add together anchor points to the shadows and mid-tone areas of the curve. With the ballast points set, add together a third ballast point in the highlights and elevate it down to darken. This volition only darken the highlights in your image and, in plough, darken the sunlight in your photograph.

To showtime, create a new Curves Adjustment layer in a higher place your image layer.

In the dialogue box that appears, begin by creating two ballast points in the shadows and mid-tones sections. The goal here is to add the anchor points without moving the curve in whatever way. This style, you tin can isolate the highlight exposure range without affecting the rest of your photograph.

In one case complete, add another anchor signal in the highlights department. This time click and drag this anchor point down to darken the highlights. This will darken the brighter areas of your photo and works well to darken sunlight in Photoshop.

In some cases, you may demand to bring down the mid-tones anchor point slightly as well.

Subsequently some quick adjustments, yous've successfully darkened the sunlight in your photograph with the help of the Curves Adjustment! You lot tin can mix this adjustment with any of the 3 darkening adjustments mentioned previously for even more refined effects.

How To Ready Overexposed Photos In Photoshop

To ready overexposed photos in Photoshop, select your image layer, then go to Filter > Photographic camera RAW Filter. Inside Photographic camera RAW, bring down the Exposure Slider to residual out the brightness. Adjacent decrease the Highlights and Whites Sliders to bring back details and set any overexposed areas. Once complete, click OK to salvage your changes and exit Camera RAW.

If you lot have a totally overexposed photo, and none of the methods so far have done the trick, Camera RAW offers a refined way of fixing this. Using the highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks sliders, yous tin rapidly fix a bright photo.

Beginning by selecting your image layer, right-clicking on it, and selecting Convert To Smart Object.

Then go up to Filter > Photographic camera Raw Filter.

Inside the Bones panel, you'll find all your key exposure adjustments. Although you could eyeball your exposure until it feels less bright, the histogram will offer verbal feedback. So before making whatever adjustments, click on the Highlight Clipping Warning option in the histogram.

With this option enabled, whatsoever areas of your photograph that are as well bright will testify a red highlight. The goal now is to conform your sliders until all the red highlight has disappeared.

The easiest style to begin is by darkening the Exposure slider to darken the whole photograph. Bring this down to where the photo is darker, but null in the photo has become too dark and difficult to see.

Now bring down the Highlights and Whites sliders to bring back the data in the brighter areas of your photograph. Every photo will require something different, and so play around with these sliders to run into your options.

Finally, adjust the Shadows and Blacks sliders to arrange your fashion. By increasing these sliders, you'll brighten the dark parts of your photo and create a more matte appearance. By decreasing them, y'all'll add contrast to your image and deepen the shadows.

Once you're happy with the adjustments, click OK to salvage your changes.

Camera RAW will close and be saved as a smart filter beneath your layer. Information technology can be reaccessed at any fourth dimension by double-clicking on the words "Camera RAW" below your layer.

Now you lot've successfully fixed an overexposed epitome in Photoshop, score!

How To Darken A Face In Photoshop

To darken a confront in Photoshop, create a new Brightness & Contrast Adjustment layer and move the Brightness slider leftward. Clicking on the adjustment layer mask, press Control/Command + I to capsize the mask. Now select the Brush Tool (B), set white to the foreground colour, and paint over the areas of the face you lot wish to darken.

To darken someone's confront (or sections of it), the Brightness & Contrast Aligning layer with a layer mask is the best tool for the task.

Kickoff by creating a new Brightness & Dissimilarity Adjustment layer by selecting it from the Adjustments Console.

In the dialogue box that appears, adjust the brightness slider until you've reached a darkening value you're happy with. At this bespeak, it will apply to the whole photo, merely don't worry, you'll fix this soon. For now, settle on a darkening value that works for your subject's face up.

Once happy with the aligning, click on the layer mask and press Command + I (Mac) or Control + I (PC) to invert the layer mask. This volition plow your white (aka visible) mask into blackness (100% transparent).

With the darkening adjustment completely invisible, information technology's time to add it back with the Brush Tool. Press B to access your Brush Tool, then set white to the foreground color.

Ensure that the Brightness & Dissimilarity layer mask is selected and begin to paint over the areas of your subject'southward face you want to darken. Continue this footstep until you've darkened the desired areas of their face.

If yous realize that your darkening adjustments aren't quite right, just double-click on the Brightness & Contrast layer icon to reopen the dialogue box. Now yous tin can conform the Effulgence slider every bit needed to refine the darkening adjustments. Since your mask has already been created, your new adjustments will just occur in those visible areas!

Now y'all're a principal at darkening images in Photoshop with a wide assortment of helpful techniques to make the job easy. Using the Exposure Adjustment, Photographic camera RAW, or the Effulgence & Dissimilarity Aligning, concealment photos has never been easier.

Happy Editing!

– Brendan 🙂