getting started with photoshop - Lighting Effects filter

Lighting Effects filter

The Lighting Effects filter lets you produce myriad lighting effects on RGB images. You can also use textures from grayscale files (called bump maps) to produce 3D-like effects and save your own styles for use in other images.

Note: The Lighting Effects filter works only on RGB images.

Using the Lighting Effects filter

The Lighting Effects filter allows adjustment of light styles, light types, light properties, and a texture channel.

To use the Lighting Effects filter:

1. Choose Filter > Render > Lighting Effects. 

2. For Style, choose a style.

3. For Light Type, choose a type. If you're using multiple lights, select and deselect On to turn individual lights on and off.

4. To change the color of the light, click the color box in the Light Type section of the dialog box.

The color picker chosen in the General Preferences dialog box opens.

5. To set light properties, drag the corresponding slider for the following options:

• Gloss determines how much the surface reflects light (as on the surface of a piece of photographic paper) from Matte (low reflectance) to Glossy (high reflectance).
• Material determines whether the light or the object on which the light is cast reflects more light. Plastic reflects the light's color, Metallic reflects the object's color.
• Exposure increases the light (positive values) or decreases the light (negative values). A value of 0 has no effect.
• Ambience diffuses the light as if it were combined with other light in a room, such as sunlight or fluorescent light. Choose a value of 100 to use only the light source, or a value of -100 to remove the light source. To change the color of the ambient light, click the color box and use the color picker that appears.

To duplicate a light, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) the light within the preview window.

6. To use a texture fill, choose a channel for Texture Channel.

Choosing a Lighting Effects type

You can choose from several light types:

• Omni shines light in all directions from directly above the image--like a lightbulb over a piece of paper.
• Directional shines light from far away so that the light angle doesn't change--like the sun.
• Spotlight casts an elliptical beam of light. The line in the preview window defines the light direction and angle, and the handles define the edges of the ellipse.

To adjust an Omni light:

1. Choose Filter > Render > Lighting Effects.

2. For Light Type, choose Omni.

3. Adjust the light:

• To move the light, drag the center circle.
• To increase or decrease the size of the light (like a light moving closer or farther away), drag one of the handles defining the edges of the effect.

To adjust the angle and height of the directional light using the preview window:

1. Choose Filter > Render > Lighting Effects.

2. For Light Type, choose Directional.

3. Adjust the light:

• To move the light, drag the center circle.
• To change the direction of the light, drag the handle at the end of the line to rotate the light's angle. Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS) to keep the light's height (line length) constant.
• To change the light's height, drag the handle at the end of the line. Shorten the line for a bright light, lengthen it for a less intense one. A very short line produces pure white light, a very long one no light. Shift-drag to keep the angle constant and change the light's height (line length).

To adjust the angle and height of the spotlight using the preview window:

1. Choose Filter > Render > Lighting Effects.

2. For Light Type, choose Spotlight.

3. Adjust the light:

• To move the light, drag the center circle.
• To increase the light angle, drag the handle to shorten the line. To decrease the light angle, drag to lengthen the line.
• To stretch the ellipse or rotate the light, drag one of the handles. Shift-drag to keep the angle constant and change only the size of the ellipse. Ctrl-drag (Windows) or Command-drag (Mac OS) to keep the size constant and change the angle or direction of the spotlight.
• To set the light focus (or spotlight intensity) and control how much of an ellipse is filled with light, drag the Intensity slider: full intensity (a value of 100) is brightest; normal intensity is about 50; negative intensity takes away light; and -100 intensity produces no light. Use the Focus slider to control how much of the ellipse is filled with light.

Choosing a Lighting Effects style

Use the Style menu in the Lighting Effects dialog box to choose from 17 light styles. You can also create your own lighting style by adding lights to the Default setting. The Lighting Effects filter requires at least one light source. Only one light can be edited at a time, but all added lights will be used to create the effect.

2 o'clock Spotlight

A yellow spotlight with medium (17) intensity and wide (91) focus.

Blue Omni

A blue overhead omni light with full (85) intensity and no focus.

Circle of Light

Four spotlights. White has full (100) intensity and a concentrated (8) focus. Yellow has strong intensity (88) and a concentrated focus (3). Red has medium (50) intensity and a concentrated (0) focus. Blue has full (100) intensity and medium (25) focus.

Crossing

A white spotlight with medium (35) intensity and a wide (69) focus.

Crossing Down

Two white spotlights with medium (35) intensity and wide (100) focus.

Default

A white spotlight with a medium intensity and a wide focus.

Five Lights Down/Five Lights Up

Five white spotlights down or up with full (100) intensity and wide (60) focus.

Flashlight

An omni yellow light with medium (46) intensity.

Flood Light

A white spotlight with medium (35) intensity and wide (69) focus.

Parallel Directional

A directional blue light with full (98) intensity and no focus.

RGB Lights

Red, blue, and green lights that produce a light of medium (60) intensity and wide (96) focus.

Soft Direct Lights

Two unfocused white and blue directional lights. White has a soft (20) intensity. Blue has a medium (67) intensity.

Soft Omni

A soft omni light of medium (50) intensity.

Soft Spotlight

A white spotlight with full (98) intensity and wide (100) focus.

Three Down

Three white spotlights with soft (35) intensity and wide (96) focus.

Triple Spotlight

Three spotlights with slight (35) intensity and wide (100) focus.

To add a light:

In the Lighting Effects dialog box, drag the light icon at the bottom of the dialog box into the preview area. Repeat as desired for a maximum of 16 lights.

To delete a light:

In the Lighting Effects dialog box, drag the light by its center circle to the Trash button at the bottom right of the preview window.

To create a new style:

1. In the Lighting Effects dialog box, choose Default for Style.

2. Drag the light icon at the bottom of the dialog box into the preview area. Repeat as desired for a maximum of 16 lights.

To save a style:

1. In the Lighting Effects dialog box, click Save.

2. Name the style, and click OK.

Saved styles include all of the settings for each light and appear in the Style menu whenever you open the image.

To delete a style:

In the Lighting Effects dialog box, choose a style, and then click Delete.

Using a Lighting Effects texture

The Texture Channel in the Lighting Effects dialog box lets you use a grayscale texture such as paper or water to control how light reflects off an image. You can use any channel in your image (including a channel copied from a different image) as a texture, or you can create your own texture. For an embossed text effect, use a channel with white text on a black background, or vice versa.

To use the Texture Channel in the Lighting Effects dialog box:

1. If necessary, create an alpha channel in your image and add texture. To use a texture from another image, copy and paste the image into a new channel.

2. In the Lighting Effects dialog box, choose a channel from the Texture Channel menu: the image's Red, Green, or Blue channel or any channel added to the image.

3. Select White is High to raise the white parts of the channel from the surface. Deselect this option to raise the dark parts.

4. Drag the Height slider to vary the texture from Flat (0) to Mountainous (100).