Rob, choose the eyedropper tool on the toolbar ("i" on your keyboard).
Below the menus you should see what's called the Options bar. If not, then
turn it on with Show Options in the Window menu.
There is only one option, Sample Size. Set this to "3 by 3 Average" or "5
by 5 Average". For all of you with 4000dpi scanners, sorry, but that's as
large as you can go...
Also, bear in mind the options attached to Auto Levels in PS. Press either
Alt key down (erm, on the PC, dunno about the Mac) and you will note that
the Auto button changes to say Options (intuitive, isn't it?). Press it and
you can set the black point and the white point, just like you can in
Vuescan...
When you have done autolevels, it is worth noting that each of the channels
in the Levels dialog has its black, grey and white markers adjusted as per
your choices (either you pressed Auto, or you used the black, grey and white
eyedroppers). By flicking the Preview checkbox on and off you can see the
result, before and after, and what's better, you can tweak the black, grey
and white points in each of the channels. That way you can tweak out a
subtle green cast.
Of course you soon discover that curves are where it's at - but Levels does
things that Curves is a RPITA to do, e.g. set gamma! There's nearly as much
value in learning how to grapple with Curves as there is in choosing PS in
preference to something less functional (well, I say this, but I haven't
used any other graphics editing software anything like as seriously as I've
used PS).
Jawed
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
> [mailto:owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk]On Behalf Of Rob Geraghty
> Sent: 26 July 2001 00:35
> To: filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
> Subject: filmscanners: autolevels was re: filmscanners: Vuescan blue
> anomaly
>
>
> Rafe wrote:
> >* You can set black point to any RGB value you like
> >* Ditto for white point
> >* You can *place* the black point where it's most
> > appropriate within the image.
> >* Ditto for white point.
>
> I'm only a beginner with things like the levels tool. I do actually find
> the autolevels useful, although I find it tends to make the colour balance
> green on a lot of negs scanned with Vuescan. The problem I've experienced
> with using the droppers is that in a 2700dpi scan of an
> underexposed 400ASA
> or 800ASA neg, the colour balance shifts really wildly with tiny shifts
> of the mouse, especially when trying to set the white point. Is there a
> way to set an area for the dropper to use rather than a pixel?
>
> Rob
>
>
> Rob Geraghty harper@wordweb.com
>
>
>
>
>
