Photoshop: Frequency separation - how it works
Frequency separation in Photoshop is a technique that is mainly used for portrait retouching. This practical tip shows you how to separate the frequencies of an image in Photoshop.
Frequency separation in Photoshop
To divide your image into two layers, one containing the color areas and the other the fine image details, a few steps are necessary.
- Import your image into Photoshop and duplicate it.
- You should now have two identical levels, from which you select the lower one.
- Now select a blur filter under the point of the same name. It is particularly easy with the "Gaussian blur", the "Matter make" filter works better because you can use it to avoid sharp image areas.
- How much you set the filter depends entirely on your picture. So try out the values a bit.
- Now select the upper level and select the option "Image -> Image calculations".
- Select the lower of your levels under "Level". Under "Mixing mode" set "Add" and under Scaling enter "2". You also have to tick "Reverse".
- After you have confirmed the calculation, you must set the mode of the upper level to "Copy into one another".
- If you display both levels, the picture looks like it did at the beginning. Now you can edit the details and colors separately.
If you want to retouch a portrait, this practical tip will also show you how to smooth skin in Photoshop.