Adjust The Levels

You use the Levels adjustment to correct the tonal range and color balance of an image by adjusting intensity levels of image shadows, midtones, and highlights. The Levels histogram is a visual guide for adjusting the image key tones. For more information on how to read a histogram,

You can save Levels settings as a preset, then apply them to other images. See save adjustment settings and Reapply adjustment settings..

Photoshop Levels tool tricks you really should know

Master the basics

Levels works by allowing you to specify a point for the whites, blacks and midtones. These are set with three controls that sit along the bottom of the histogram: the black point, white point and midtone sliders. It’s best to set the white and black points first, then use the midtone slider to tweak the brightness of the midtones.

                         

Use Adjustment Layers

In most cases you’re better off adding Levels tweaks as Adjustment Layers. To do it, click the Create Adjustment Layer icon in the Layers Panel and choose from the list. Adjustment Layers work by affecting all the layers below them in the Layers Stack. You can add a Layer Mask, change the Blend Mode, or alter the Opacity at any time.

                            

 Read the histogram

The histogram in the Levels dialog box displays the tones in your image in graphical form, with the darkest on the left and the lightest on the right. An image will display full richness of tone if the graph reaches the bottom left and right corners. If the peaks reach the bottom before either end, drag the sliders to meet the edges of the graph.

                                    

Check Clipped Pixels

If you hold Alt while dragging either the white or black point slider, the image will change to a view that shows any clipped pixels. If there are no clipped pixels, the display will be completely black (for the white point slider) or white (for the black point slider). As you drag the slider inwards, you’ll begin to see clipped pixels appear.

                           

Correct Colour Casts

If your image displays an unwanted colour cast, Levels can provide an instant fix. Click the middle of the three eyedroppers, then look for a point in your image that should be neutral grey, such as a road or stone. Click over the point with the grey eyedropper. All the other colours in will then be remapped around this neutral grey point.

                                 

Apply Levels selectively

If you apply Levels as an Adjustment Layer, you can use a mask to restrict the effect to certain areas of the image. Adjustment Layers come accompanied by a Layer Mask, so to hide parts of the tweak, grab the Brush tool and paint over them with black, or hit Cmd/Ctrl+I to invert the Layer Mask to black, then paint with white to reveal the tweak.