Using the Variations command

The Variations command lets you adjust the color balance, contrast, and saturation of an image by showing you thumbnails of alternatives.

This command is most useful for average-key images that don't require precise color adjustments. It does not work on indexed-color images (Photoshop).

To use the Variations command:

1. Open the Variations dialog box. (See Making color adjustments.)

Note: If the Variations command does not appear in the Adjustments submenu, the Variations plug-in module may not have been installed. (See Using plug-in modules.)

The two thumbnails at the top of the dialog box show the original selection (Original) and the selection with its currently selected adjustments (Current Pick). When you first open the dialog box, these two images are the same. As you make adjustments, the Current Pick image changes to reflect your choices.

2. Select Show Clipping if you want to display a neon preview of areas in the image that will be clipped by the adjustment--that is, converted to pure white or pure black. Clipping can result in undesirable color shifts, as distinct colors in the original image are mapped to the same color. Clipping does not occur when you adjust midtones.

Note: Clipped colors are not the same as out-of-gamut colors.

3. Select what to adjust in the image:
• Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights to indicate whether you want to adjust the dark, middle, or light areas.
• Saturation to change the degree of hue in the image. If you exceed the maximum saturation for a color, it may be clipped.
4. Drag the Fine/Coarse slider to determine the amount of each adjustment. Moving the slider one tick mark doubles the adjustment amount.
5. Adjust the color and brightness:
• To add a color to the image, click the appropriate color thumbnail.
• To subtract a color, click the thumbnail for its opposite color. (See About the color wheel.) For example, to subtract cyan, click the More Red thumbnail.
• To adjust brightness, click a thumbnail on the right side of the dialog box.

Each time you click a thumbnail, other thumbnails change. The center thumbnail always reflects the current choices.