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Using Channels to make Selections
Level: Beginner Software:
Photoshop
Selections can be made using a variety of different methods. But you first need to take a look at the image you are working with, and decide which method would be BEST suited for its intended result.
For me (and I’m sure everyone else would take the same approach), I would ordinarily opt to do the fastest/easiest method i.e. the Magic Wand Tool. We know this tool is good when there is a high degree of contrast between the intended selection area and the background; but 99.9% of the time this is not always the case. So we find ourselves slowly making our way through the other methods we may have learnt. These methods may include but are not limited to, the Extract Filter, the Magnetic Lasso Tool to maybe the masking method. And in some cases using the technique described in the following tutorial……” Using Channels to make Selections”.
This method is often used when other methods have not given us the results we were expecting. I’m not saying this is the “Be all to end all” in method types for making selections. It’s just another method that can be added to your arsenal of techniques for making selections. In saying that however, this method is used where there are a lot of fine edges i.e. hair, fur, grass, leaves on trees etc. and the results obtained from using this method will yield far better results than any other.
The tutorial may look/sound complex at a glance, but in actual fact it’s easy and not a long process at all, and some amazing results can be had by using this technique. What is hard however, is making the best adjustments possible in the Levels Options (Step Four)
1. Open a RGB image (or convert your image to RGB... (Go to>Image>Mode>RGB)).
2. Go to the Channels Palette.(There should be a Tab next to the Layers Tab called Channels). If not, go to Windows>Channels.
You now need to decide which Channel Colour (Red, Green or Blue) will give you the best starting point for making a black and white mask. Toggle through each colour and select the colour with the best contrast. For this tutorial Green was the best option.
Here’s the result I got for step two
3. Duplicate the channel by dragging the Green Channel down to the New Channel icon (as indicated by the arrow in the image below). Make sure its active (i.e. the one you are working on).
4. Go to>Image>Adjustments>Levels (Ctrl+L)
Now move the left and right sliders towards the centre (as illustrated below) to make your channels’ light areas lighter and the darker areas darker….
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