Photoshop offers many tools to edit photos. Two of the most useful are Curves and Levels. Both can change the brightness and contrast of your images. But they work in different ways. Let’s explore these tools and see how they can help you create amazing photos.
What are Curves and Levels?
Curves and Levels are both adjustment tools in Photoshop. They help you change how light or dark parts of your image look. Curves gives you more control, while Levels is simpler to use. Both tools can make your photos look better.
You can find them under Image > Adjustments:
How Curves Works
The Curves tool looks like a diagonal line on a graph. You can click on this line to add points. Then, you can move these points to change how light or dark your image is. Moving a point up makes that part of the image lighter. Moving it down makes it darker. You can add many points for fine control.
Curves also lets you work on different colour channels. This means you can change the red, green, or blue parts of your image separately. This gives you even more control over your photo’s colours.
How Levels Works
Levels is simpler than Curves. It has three sliders: black, white, and midtone. The black slider controls the darkest parts of your image. The white slider controls the lightest parts. And the midtone slider changes the middle brightness levels.
You can also use Levels to adjust colour channels. But it’s not as flexible as Curves. Still, for quick edits, Levels can be very useful.
When to Use Curves
Curves is great for making precise changes to your image. Here are some times when Curves is the best choice:
- You need to make very specific adjustments
- You want to change the contrast in a certain part of your image
- You’re working on a complex photo with many different tones
- You need to correct colour problems
Curves takes more time to learn. But once you know how to use it, you can do amazing things with your photos.
When to Use Levels
Levels is simpler and faster to use. It’s best for:
- Quick adjustments to brightness and contrast
- Fixing photos that are too dark or too light
- Making basic colour corrections
- When you’re new to photo editing
Levels is a great tool for beginners. It’s also useful for pros who need to make quick edits.
New Features in Photoshop 2024
Photoshop 2024 has made some changes to both Curves and Levels. Now, you can see a live preview of your changes. This makes it easier to get the look you want. Also, both tools now work with the new AI features in Photoshop. This means they can suggest adjustments based on your image.
Tips for Using Curves
Here are some tips to help you use Curves better:
- Start with small changes
- Use the eyedropper tools to pick points on your image
- Try the preset curves to learn how they work
- Use the histogram to guide your adjustments
Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you use Curves, the better you’ll get at it.
Tips for Using Levels
And here are some tips for Levels:
- Always check your histogram before making changes
- Use the eyedropper tools to set black and white points
- Make small adjustments to the mid-tone slider
- Try adjusting individual colour channels for creative effects
Levels is simpler, but these tips can help you get the most out of it.
Combining Curves and Levels
Sometimes, using both Curves and Levels can give you the best results. You might use Levels for a quick overall adjustment. Then, you could use Curves for fine-tuning. This way, you get the best of both tools.
Non-Destructive Editing
In Photoshop, you can use Curves and Levels as adjustment layers. This means your changes don’t affect the original image. You can always go back and make changes later. This is called non-destructive editing. It’s a great way to work on your photos.
You can find this feature under Layer > New Adjustment Layer:
Conclusion
After comparing Curves and Levels in Photoshop 2024, it’s clear that Curves is the more powerful and versatile tool. While Levels is great for quick adjustments, Curves offers superior control and precision. With Curves, you can make fine-tuned adjustments to specific tonal ranges and colour channels that simply aren’t possible with Levels. Curves is better for:
- Precise tonal adjustments
- Complex colour corrections
- Creating dramatic effects
- Professional-level editing
However, Levels still has its place. It’s easier to use and great for:
- Quick brightness and contrast adjustments
- Basic colour corrections
- Beginners learning photo editing
In the end, Curves is the better tool for most situations. It offers more control and better results. But Levels is still useful for quick edits or when you’re just starting out. The best approach is to master both tools. Start with Levels as you’re learning. Then, move on to Curves for more advanced editing. With both in your toolkit, you’ll be ready to tackle any photo editing challenge.