MLUnsold Digital Imaging

Selective HSL Color Balance - Adjust Color in a Hue, Saturation, and Luminance Range

The Selective HSL Color Balance command scales color in a user selected hue, saturation, and luminance range. All Colors is the default hue range. The Color drop list box is used to select the default red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and magenta range. The hue color spectrum bar with feather and range triangles defines the hue range. Saturation and luminance each have their own min apply, max apply, and feather range.

* The hue, saturation, and luminance parameters define the color range that is affected by the cyan-red, magenta-green, yellow-blue sliders.

* The cyan-red, magenta-green, and yellow-blue sliders are used to change color in the hue, saturation, and luminance range.

The goal of this example is to change bright magenta into a red hue that is closer to H-alpha red.

Step 1 - Bicolor image with salmon shifted to red using the HSL Tool and the Color | Selective HSL Color Balance Tool

Bright magenta areas will be changed to red using the Selective HSL Color Balance tool.

Step 2 - Select Salmon Hue from the Image

Choose the Select Hue option in the HSL Mode drop list then check the H Range box. Left-click on bright magenta in the nebula to set the hue range and feather triangles shown in step 3.

Step 3 - Bright Magenta Hue and Feather Range

Hue and feather triangles set about the bright magenta hue that was clicked in the image.

Step 4 - Increase Red and Yellow While Adjusting the Hue Range and Feather Triangles.

The right hue feather triangle is moved towards yellow. Left-click between the right two triangles and move them as a group to the right. Move the cyan-red slider right to increase red. Move the yellow-blue slider left to increase yellow, Only the hue, saturation, and luminance values inside the hue trianges, and min-max feather S and L range are affected by the cyan-red and yellow-blue sliders.

Magenta Changed To Red

Bright magenta changed to red but with low saturation. Brght stars should have low saturation at their center. HSL Micro Curves are used to increase red and decrease bright star saturation.

Bright magenta areas will be changed to red using the Selective HSL Color Balance tool.

Choose the Select Hue option in the HSL Mode drop list then check the H Range box. Left-click on bright magenta in the nebula to set the hue range and feather triangles shown in step 3.

Hue and feather triangles set about the bright magenta hue that was clicked in the image.

Bright magenta changed to red but with low saturation. Brght stars should have low saturation at their center. HSL Micro Curves are used to increase red and decrease bright star saturation.