Differences in Photoshop Tools

[Emma]

Okay, Photoshop seems to have some redundant tools, but I'm sure they're not, just overlapping in function. Will someone briefly explain the main differences between the following tools?

Color Balance vs. Channel Mixer

Brightness/Contrast vs. Level vs. Curves

I'm always guessing which Adjustment to "reach" for because I don't fully understand what each does better/differently than another. Are the distinctions just for advanced photo editing?!

Thanks in advance!

[grindavich]

Hi, I will try and give some feedback in layman's terms.

Channel Mixer:

Variations, Hue/Saturation and the Channel Mixer are applicable to a single layer at a time. This control allows you to combine data from all channels into a single grayscale result. It also includes a master slider to control the overall contrast( Contrast only uses 3 variables, shadows, midtones, and highlights)

When you use your channels to do color corrections, your image's detail are crisper and clearer for yo to see and are able to adjust the shadow , midtones and highlights. I use my channels for color corrections most of time, using adustment layers, that way if I want multiple variations, they are there. If I have an outstanding grayscale image and I go back to RGB channel, my images are vibrant and alive.

The Brightness/Contrast command lets you make simple adjustments to the tonal range of an image. (Unlike Curves and Levels where you can make adjustments along any point from 0-255 and you can also use Curves to make precise adjustments to individual color channels in an image), this command makes the same adjustment to every pixel in the image. The Brightness/Contrast command does not work with individual channels.


Hope this helps

[Emma]

Thank you! That line about affecting every pixel the same way is what clicked for me. In Channel Mixer and Curves I have more control over which range of pixels the adjustment affects, with Color Balance and Brighness/contrast it affects all tonal ranges.

SO! With that said, do I understand correctly? Also, why reach for some of the lesser tools, why are they included? Just because sometimes the adjustment is minor or they're less complex tools for beginner users?

Just curious the reason to have them all included if they do the same job, just more customizable/control.

Thanks so much!

[u.k. lady]

You have it all worked out Emma ,some tools seem very similar but it really depends what it is that your wanting to accomplish and that comes by trial and error ,you will know after you have come to grips with a tool ,what you personally enjoy using it for and which you find easier ,dont struggle forever with one tool and end up feeling frustrated and despondent if you easily accomplish it with another.It's all in the learning process , man I could kill that learning process sometimes, whoever he is :D