Elements 6 Curves

[Annie M.]

Could someone please direct me where the curve function is I can't seem to find it... please tell me that the box with the sliders is not what Adobe is offering in this software in place of the curve graph function.

I have been manipulating the curves in the Epson preview and this function is going to be extremely valuable to me. It will save me days and days in the darkroom in terms of exploring the suchness of my negatives... so I am after precise control of expanding midtones.

Another thing I am wondering about is that once the image is residing in Adobe and the adjustments have been made will the tonal curves of the image be translated precisely into a digital negative or are the parameters of the digital negative constrained in some manner.

Also is there a scanning forum somewhere that is a LFF equivalent?

Thanks in advance ...Annie

[bspeed]

Elements does not have curves function. :(

photo.net has a scanning forum

[keeds]

You can get a third party plugin for Elements that provides curves. It's free and very useful. I will update with the name when I get home and find it.

[keeds]

Found it....

http://free.pages.at/easyfilter/curves.html

[mrladewig]

Here is another, though it is not free. But does add some valuable features such as soft proofing and color space conversions.

http://simplephotoshop.com/elementsplus/

This supposedly has some descriptions of its functions.
http://hiddenelements.com/index.php

That said, I'm fairly certain that Elements 6 had a limited curves tool. I went from Elements 3 to CS3 though so I'm not sure how you access the curve tool.

[Annie M.]

Thanks!... the freepages plugin is for Windows... I am a Mac user, however, now that I know there are plugins I am sure I can find something.

'I'm fairly certain that Elements 6 had a limited curves tool'

... that is the problem... it is very limited. I think it is hooked into 3 setpoints on the curve and that is limiting for my purpose... I wish to determine my own setpoints and maybe more than 3 as the elements 6 sliders seem to indicate.

thanks again for the links!

[venchka]

Based on a 5 minute conversation with Clay Harmon last Saturday, producing consistent, high quality digital negatives requires additional software and tailoring your negatives to your printer. Clay uses Quad Tone RIP to customize his digital negatives.

It's all way over my head at the moment.

Quad Tone RIP:

http://www.quadtonerip.com/html/QTRoverview.html

GOOGLE can find a lot of information on digital negatives.

[D. Bryant]

Based on a 5 minute conversation with Clay Harmon last Saturday, producing consistent, high quality digital negatives requires additional software and tailoring your negatives to your printer. Clay uses Quad Tone RIP to customize his digital negatives.

It's all way over my head at the moment.

Quad Tone RIP:

http://www.quadtonerip.com/html/QTRoverview.html

GOOGLE can find a lot of information on digital negatives.
QTR is fine but one still needs an image editor. Elements 7 is aworthy upgrade if one wishes to stay with that package. E7 can be found discounted for as little as $39.00 or so.

And who is this Clay guy? ;)

Don Bryant

[venchka]

OK, I tend to type in shorthand. Annie asked about getting a digital negative from Adobe software to her printer.

Agreed:

Image editing software is a must. I use Adobe Lightroom. If/when I want to make digital negatives, I have Photoshop 6. Not Elements, Phtoshop.

QTR makes the profiles so that an image from Adobe software will print correctly on an Epson printer. Not HP. Not Canon. Only Epson.

You would think that since all this software and all these printers have been around almost since forever, that they would work properly straight out of the box. Nope. Not even close.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's enough to make me hock the house again and buy Clay's 7x17 & 10x12 hardware. It never needs rebooting.

[seawolf66]

Annie_ QTR or RIP is the way to go for Digital Negatives, But what I do not understand that you can not find curves in PSE-6 when I have them in PSE-5
see foto'S attached in the second foto you will advanced options by click on that spot I get the real curve control : I hope this helps you :