User Guide

CHAPTER 3
54
Getting Images into Photoshop
To identify and correct a color cast introduced by
a scanner:
1 Make sure that your monitor has been
calibrated. (See “Calibrating your monitor” on
page 82.)
2 Open a new Photoshop file, and use the linear
gradient tool ( ) to create a blend from pure
black to pure white.
3 Choose Image > Adjust > Posterize, and
posterize the blend using 11 levels.
4 Print the 11-step gray wedge on a black-and-
white printer, and then scan it into Photoshop.
Note: You can also perform this test using an
18-percent neutral gray card or an 11-step gray
wedge from a photography store.
5 Open the Info palette, and read the RGB values
on-screen for each of the gray levels. Uneven R, G,
and B values indicate a color cast.
6 Use Levels or Curves to correct the color cast,
and then save the dialog box settings. (For instruc-
tions, see Chapter 6, “Making Color and Tonal
Adjustments.”)
7 Open the scanned image you want to correct,
reopen the dialog box you used to correct the cast
in step 6, and load the saved settings.
Creating new images
The New command lets you create a blank,
untitled Photoshop image. You can also use this
command to create a new image with the exact
same pixel dimensions as an image or selection
that has been copied to the Clipboard.
To create a new image:
1 Do one of the following:
• To base the image dimensions and resolution on
the Clipboard contents, choose File > New.
• To base the image size on the default dimensions
and resolution or the last entered settings, hold
down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) as you
choose File > New.
• To base the image size on an open window,
choose File > New. With the New dialog box open,
choose the image whose size you want to match
from the Window menu.
2 Type a name for the image and if desired, set the
width, height, resolution, and mode. (See “Color
modes and models” on page 63.)
3 For Contents, select an option:
• White to fill the background with white, the
default background color.
• Background Color to fill the image with the
current background color. (See “Choosing the
foreground and background color” on “Choosing
the foreground and background colors” on
page 214.)
• Transparent to create an image containing a
single layer with no color values.
Note: Because images created with the transparent
option contain a single layer instead of a background,
they must be saved in Photoshop format. Photoshop
is the only format that supports layers. (See “Saving
files” on page 311.)