Using the Filter Gallery


When working in Photoshop, you can easily spend hours experimenting with the numerous filters listed under the Filter menu. However, at times these filters can prove to be a bit frustrating, especially when you want to apply more than one filter to an image or when you want to preview the results. That's where the Filter Gallery comes in handy. Using this feature, you can preview all of your filtering work and apply more than one filter to an image at a time. It doesn't get any better than this!

Exposing the Filter Gallery

You can access the Filter Gallery, shown in Figure A, in one of two ways. Either choose Filter Filter Gallery, or choose Filter and select any of the 47 gallery effects listed in the menu. Once the Filter Gallery displays, youre presented with a large preview area, a list of the filters to choose from, and the respective filters' options. The Filter Gallery always shows the filter selected at the top of the dialog box. Even so, you're working within the gallery.


Figure A.


Previewing with style

On the left side of the dialog box, you'll see an oversized preview window. You can adjust the size of the preview image by clicking the + and buttons located in the bottom-left corner of the dialog box. You can also click on the numeric percentage of the preview and choose from any of the sizes listed in the resulting pop-up menu, shown in Figure B.


Figure B.


Filter surfing

The center panel in the dialog box allows you to select any of the 47 gallery effects Photoshop has to offer. The filters are broken down into six different groups within six folders. They are as follows: Artistic, Brush Strokes, Distort, Sketch, Stylize, and Texture. Upon opening a folder, you'll see that each effect has an accompanying thumbnail image next to the name, as shown in Figure C. This is so you can see what the effect is before you apply it.


Figure C.


If you want to hide the list of filters, you can do so by clicking the upward pointing arrow icon located to the left of the OK button. This makes your preview area twice its current size. Then, to display the filters again, click on the downward pointing arrow.

Option setting

The right side of the dialog box should look pretty similar to what you're used to when opening a filter dialog box in previous versions. Here, you can adjust the settings of the selected filter. It's the section below the filter options that makes this new feature truly noteworthy. Let's take a closer look.

Stacking filters

Within the Filter Gallery dialog box, you now have the option of applying multiple filters to your image. To see how it works:

1.

Open any image in Photoshop.

2.

Choose Image Mode RGB Color to make sure its set to RGB mode as filters only work on RGB images.

3.

Choose Filter Filter Gallery.

4.

Set your preview to the size you desire.

5.

Click on the arrow icon next to the Artistic folder to display all of the Artistic gallery effects.

6.

Select the Paint Daubs filter. Upon doing so, an effect layer is created.

7.

Click the New Effect Layer button located on the bottom-right of the Filter Gallery dialog box to add an additional effect layer using the same gallery effect, as shown in Figure D.


Figure D.


8.

Make any adjustments to the filter settings that you want. Photo-shop automatically applies the additional filter effect to your image. If you want to hide any of the effect layers, just click on the Eye icon next to that layer. Then, to make the layer visible again, click on the Eye icon's previous location.

In addition to applying the same filter to an image numerous times, you can also apply different filters to an image. To do so:

1.

Click the New Effect Layer button again.

2.

Choose a different filter from the effects gallery.

3.

Repeat this process as many times as you want. You can even click and drag the filter layers around, to see how they look when stacked in a different order.

4.

Click OK when you're happy with the results to apply them to your image.

If you want to edit any of the applied filters later:

1.

Choose Filter Filter Gallery.

2.

Go to the effect layers and make any necessary adjustments.

3.

Click OK to exit the dialog box again. Your effect layers will remain editable until you flatten the image.

A filtering frenzy

Photoshop's Filter Gallery is really a lot of fun to use. Take some time and experiment with all of the different filters and their combinations. Also, take advantage of that amazingly large preview window to experiment with different filters and filter combinations.



Get the Image You Want(c) Essential Photoshop Editing Techniques 2005
Get the Image You Want(c) Essential Photoshop Editing Techniques 2005
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2004
Pages: 105

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