Digital BW, The Print

I usually create an edge burn in Photoshop for my black and white images, much as I 
did in the darkroom, so that the edges fall off about 5% to hold the viewers eye on the 
image.  The way I have done that in the past was:
1-Create new layer
2-Fill the layer with black
3-Add layer mask
4-Make selection for edge using rectangular marquee or lasso (select center then 
select inverse to get the edge).
5-Backslash so I can see the overlay for the mask.
6-Use black as foreground color and paint in the edge completely with paintbrush. 
7-Deselect
8-Change layer style to "Multiply."
9-Apply guassian blur to mask. Because I am working with large files, I've applied 
250 blur, three progressive times.
10-Work with opacity of layer to adjust density of edge burn.

This worked in the past just fine, but on a recent project, I've noticed straight lines 
that look like boxes (in synch with the frame edge) within the mask. and can't figure 
out what is happening.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

> This worked in the past just fine, but on a recent project, I've 
noticed straight lines 
> that look like boxes (in synch with the frame edge) within the 
mask. and can't figure 
> out what is happening.

Allen,

That blurred edge burn layer, if you view it at high enough
magnification, probably contains bands of equal-value pixels,
each band only a single value different from the ones adjacent. 
Depending on the image, the difference in the bands can show 
up in the final print, especially in skies. 

You can fix this by introducing some noise into that edge burn
layer. An easy way to do this is to use the magic wand with
threshold 0 to select something in the middle, then invert the
selection--effectively selecting the "edge burn" part of the 
layer. Then use the noise filter to add noise to the selected
portion. I find between 1% and 1.5% is enough noise to mask the 
bands, but previewing the filter results on just the burn layer
at high magnification makes it pretty easy to see by trial and
error.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has a better solution
than introducing noise! I haven't found one.

-David

Allen,

For this type of thing I generally make a selection, save it as a Channel,
deselect, choose the channel, apply Gaussian Blur to the channel, load the
Channel as a selection, go back to the Background layer and create a
Brightness/Contrast layer. You can then play with the brightness, contrast
and opacity of this layer to get the effect you want. I have not had to add
noise as David described but his suggestions would be really helpful in
delicate tonal areas.

Most often I do not do an overall edge burn but do each edge separately.
What I am finding is that I am doing little or no edge burning any more.
Scanners don't have the edge fall off that enlargers do and I don't find it
as necessary.

I also will use the Rubber Stamp tool or the Burning tool to take out or
reduce specular highlights along the edges which can help with the "framing"
effect you are seeking.

Martin Wesley
http://www.carolyn.cc/Guests/MartinWesley/pages/MW_01.html
http://www.borderless-photos.de/guests.html


* -----Original Message-----
* From: Allen Birnbach [mailto:allenbirnbach@...] 
* Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2003 4:47 PM
* To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
* Subject: [Digital BW] Edge Burn question
* 
* 
* I usually create an edge burn in Photoshop for my black and 
* white images, much as I 
* did in the darkroom, so that the edges fall off about 5% to 
* hold the viewers eye on the 
* image.  The way I have done that in the past was:
* 1-Create new layer
* 2-Fill the layer with black
* 3-Add layer mask
* 4-Make selection for edge using rectangular marquee or lasso 
* (select center then 
* select inverse to get the edge).
* 5-Backslash so I can see the overlay for the mask.
* 6-Use black as foreground color and paint in the edge 
* completely with paintbrush. 
* 7-Deselect
* 8-Change layer style to "Multiply."
* 9-Apply guassian blur to mask. Because I am working with 
* large files, I've applied 
* 250 blur, three progressive times.
* 10-Work with opacity of layer to adjust density of edge burn.
* 
* This worked in the past just fine, but on a recent project, 
* I've noticed straight lines 
* that look like boxes (in synch with the frame edge) within 
* the mask. and can't figure 
* out what is happening.
* 
* Any suggestions would be appreciated.
* 
* 
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>Subject: Edge Burn question
>
>I usually create an edge burn in Photoshop for my black and white images,
>much as I
>did in the darkroom, so that the edges fall off about 5% to hold the
>viewers eye on the
>image.  The way I have done that in the past was:
>1-Create new layer
>2-Fill the layer with black
>3-Add layer mask
>4-Make selection for edge using rectangular marquee or lasso (select
>center then
>select inverse to get the edge).
>5-Backslash so I can see the overlay for the mask.
>6-Use black as foreground color and paint in the edge completely with
>paintbrush.
>7-Deselect
>8-Change layer style to "Multiply."
>9-Apply guassian blur to mask. Because I am working with large files, I've
>applied
>250 blur, three progressive times.
>10-Work with opacity of layer to adjust density of edge burn.
>
>This worked in the past just fine, but on a recent project, I've noticed
>straight lines
>that look like boxes (in synch with the frame edge) within the mask. and
>can't figure
>out what is happening.
>
>Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Here's a simpler procedure I use for burning (or indeed dodging) edges:

1. Create a new Curves adjustment layer and name it ("top burn," "R burn,"
etc.).
2. Hit OK to leave the layer on the menu without making any changes.
3. Define the background and foreground colors for the layer as pure black
and pure white.
4. Use the Gradient tool to define your burn/dodge area on the layer mask,
moving in from an edge or corner.
5. Open the layer, and play with the curve to define your burn. I usually
find that simply pulling the curve down a bit creates the desired effect,
but you may need to depress the white point as well (at the risk of
muddying the results).

All your burn/dodge layers stay in the file when you close it, so you can
always go back and change the curve, or indeed the shape and extent of the
gradient (by making the layer active and pulling another gradient on the
layer mask).

All this is much easier done than said; with a little practice it will
become as natural as wiggling a piece of cardboard under the enlarger
lens...

-- Nick

NICHOLAS HARTMANN
Technical and scientific translator
(414) 271-4890
nh@...
http://www.nhartmann.com

Go to PixelGenius.com and buy thier PhotoKit. It has all the effects that you need in most routine work already done for you. Just apply the effect as you would a filter and it's done. For instance, some of the effects are: burn top 1/3, burn edges, dodge center, change to cool tone, and many more. In all there are about 100 effects. Cost is $50. I bought it right away and I'm not sorry. 

Russ Martin


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

In 16-bit I usually use the Elliptical Marquee Tool to select a large inner
oval, Select/Inverse, Feather 250 once or twice, Image/Adjust/Levels and
then darken it down.  Any ideas about this approach?

 STEPHEN    JENNINGS
     P h o t o g r a p h e r
        Cambridge, MA
 sgjennin@...
www.stephenjennings.com

> From: "Martin Wesley" <mwesley250@...>
> Reply-To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2003 20:05:57 -0700
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: RE: [Digital BW] Edge Burn question
> 
> Allen,
> 
> For this type of thing I generally make a selection, save it as a Channel,
> deselect, choose the channel, apply Gaussian Blur to the channel, load the
> Channel as a selection, go back to the Background layer and create a
> Brightness/Contrast layer. You can then play with the brightness, contrast
> and opacity of this layer to get the effect you want. I have not had to add
> noise as David described but his suggestions would be really helpful in
> delicate tonal areas.
> 
> Most often I do not do an overall edge burn but do each edge separately.
> What I am finding is that I am doing little or no edge burning any more.
> Scanners don't have the edge fall off that enlargers do and I don't find it
> as necessary.
> 
> I also will use the Rubber Stamp tool or the Burning tool to take out or
> reduce specular highlights along the edges which can help with the "framing"
> effect you are seeking.
> 
> Martin Wesley
> http://www.carolyn.cc/Guests/MartinWesley/pages/MW_01.html
> http://www.borderless-photos.de/guests.html
> 
> 
> * -----Original Message-----
> * From: Allen Birnbach [mailto:allenbirnbach@...]
> * Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2003 4:47 PM
> * To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> * Subject: [Digital BW] Edge Burn question
> * 
> * 
> * I usually create an edge burn in Photoshop for my black and
> * white images, much as I
> * did in the darkroom, so that the edges fall off about 5% to
> * hold the viewers eye on the
> * image.  The way I have done that in the past was:
> * 1-Create new layer
> * 2-Fill the layer with black
> * 3-Add layer mask
> * 4-Make selection for edge using rectangular marquee or lasso
> * (select center then
> * select inverse to get the edge).
> * 5-Backslash so I can see the overlay for the mask.
> * 6-Use black as foreground color and paint in the edge
> * completely with paintbrush.
> * 7-Deselect
> * 8-Change layer style to "Multiply."
> * 9-Apply guassian blur to mask. Because I am working with
> * large files, I've applied
> * 250 blur, three progressive times.
> * 10-Work with opacity of layer to adjust density of edge burn.
> * 
> * This worked in the past just fine, but on a recent project,
> * I've noticed straight lines
> * that look like boxes (in synch with the frame edge) within
> * the mask. and can't figure
> * out what is happening.
> * 
> * Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Respectfully, I think you are all making it a bit hard.

No canned action is going to meet the needs of the majority of your images,
and the mathematical accuracy of an automated function is likely to
introduce banding.

This is what I do:

1. Make a new curves adjustment layer, drop the highlight point on the curve
to about 50% or less, significantly darkening the whole image.

2. I then set the fill of the adjustment layer to black. (this will
completely mask out the effects of the adjustment)

3. Then I get a huge (600-800 pixel) soft-edged paintbrush set to 0-30%
opacity and paint white in the mask of the adjustment layer where I want the
image darkened, gradually building up the effect.

This way I can build up the effect slowly and customize it to the image, go
back and reduce the overall effect by changing the curve or opacity of the
adjustment layer. As well, the randomness of applying with a brush avoids
banding.


James Haney
jhaney@...