Curves

Curves adjustment is a powerful tool for fine-tuning the tonal range and color balance of a photo. You can use it to modify highlights, shadows, and midtones, increase contrast, enhance colors, or create various artistic effects. The Curves adjustment is often regarded as a more advanced alternative to the Levels adjustment.

You can adjust the colors and contrast by dragging directly on the image or use the tonal curve (a diagonal line crossing a square graph) in the Curves adjustment. The tone curve represents the tonal range of an image. The top-right section of the curve represents the brightest parts of an image, the bottom-left section represents the dark tones, and the middle section lets you work with midtones.

You can tap any point on the curve (you can adjust up to 16 points) and drag it up to brighten the image in that selected area or drag it down to darken it.

iPhone and iPad

Adjust image highlights, midtones, and shadows using Curves

1. Click or tap Color Adjustments in the toolbar and turn on Curves.

2. Do any of the following:

   • Adjust color and contrast directly on a photo: Tap the On-Image Curves controls button at the top of the Curves adjustment, then touch and drag areas in your image upward to lighten them or down to darken.

   • Adjust white, gray, and black points using color pickers: Select a White, Gray, or Back point color picker, and then pick the area of an image that should be pure white, gray or black.

   • Adjust the tonal curve: Adjust highlights — Tap the top of the curve to add a point, then drag up to brighten or down to darken.

     Adjust midtones — Tap the middle of the curve to add a point, then drag up to brighten or down to darken.

     Adjust shadows — Tap the bottom of the curve to add a point, then drag up to brighten or down to darken.

To remove a point from the tonal curve tap it and then tap Remove.

Mac

Adjust image highlights, midtones, and shadows using Curves

1. Click or tap Color Adjustments in the toolbar and turn on Curves.

2. Do any of the following:

   • Automatically adjust contrast or colors: Click More next to the color pickers, then choose Auto Contrast or Auto Color.

   • Adjust white, gray, and black points using color pickers: Select a White, Gray, or Back point color picker, and then pick the area of an image that should be pure white, gray or black.

   • Adjust the tonal curve: Adjust highlights — Click the top of the curve to add a point, then drag up to brighten or down to darken.

     Adjust midtones — Click the middle of the curve to add a point, then drag up to brighten or down to darken.

     Adjust shadows — Click the bottom of the curve to add a point, then drag up to brighten or down to darken.

To remove a point from the tonal curve click and drag it from the tonal curve.

Adjust different color channels or luminance

All digital images are made up of three different color channels — Red, Green, and Blue. With Curves, you can adjust these channels all at once or individually. This is especially useful in color correction as you can work with complementary colors — cyan and red, magenta and green, and yellow and blue.

For instance, images shot under a tungsten light often have some yellowish-orange undertones to them. This can be adjusted by dragging the Blue channel curve down to bring out the blue tones.

Similarly, if a photo is too blue in the shadows, adding a point somewhere around the bottom of the curve and dragging it down will bring in more yellow to neutralize the blue.

Finally, when working with Luminance, you can adjust the perceived brightness of an image.

To adjust the individual RGB channels or Luminance separately:

1. Click or tap Color Adjustments in the toolbar and turn on Curves.

2. Click or tap the Luminance, RGB, Red, Green, or Blue channels above the tonal curve to select them.

3. Click or tap the tonal curve to add a new point and drag it to adjust the colors.