Roberta,

It is always a good idea to keep the original of all files and always work on a copy. If you started with a copy and saved with a name other than that of the original, disregard the next paragraph.

Open your "composite" image. Go File>Save As. Choose a new name for this image. Click on Save. Open the previously saved composite. With Layers Palette showing, right click on top layer, choose delete. Repeat. Now you have only the original image in your file. Just choose Save. The result should be the original file with the original name.

It is important to maintain quality throughout the editing process. You will want to be working with your files in the .psd format. This will increase the file size, but maintain all data (quality). If your file is still in jpg, do a File>Save As> and use the drop down arrow to choose the .psd format. Don't change the name. You can later delete the jpg version of this file of the same name on your hard drive.

There could be many adjustments needed to blend in the celebs, it is hard to give precise directions without viewing it myself. Many of us "rent" space at pbase.com for about $20 US per year. I use it for purposes such as this. This is a universally accessible place to post and view images. I think they still offer a 30 day free trial. If you post your image there, post a link to it under this thread, suggestions for editing the image would be the most specific. I will however, throw out some basic ideas.

These ideas will all use adjustment layers. These do not damage the original layer and allow for easy and infinite multiple changes. An adjustment layer will create a new layer above the active one in the Palette.
If the SIZE relationship between the three people is "off": * click on a celeb layer in the Palette
* go to Image>Transform>Free Tranform
* with shift key depressed, drag inwards on a corner mark to reduce the size (may be repositioned with cursor inside box and dragging) You could enlarge, drag corner out, but quality will be compromised some.

If the BRIGHTNESS is off (first get the base layer adjusted): * make 2 upper layers invisible (click on the Eye in the palette for each) * click on original layer
* click on black/white circle at bottom of palette
* choose Levels (it is most accurate to set this with image displayed at 100% (actual pixels) but 50% will be OK so you can see more of the overall change you are making
* on the histogram, where there are three tiny triangles, move the outside ones inward until they are just under the beginning and end of the 'black mtn' (if they are not already). Move the middle one a little left to generally brighten the image or right to darken.
* return size of display to Fit On Screen
* if edit isn't good; increase display size again, double click on the icon representing the histogram in the Layers Palette, make your change to the Levels Adjustment Layer
* make upper layers visible again (click on layer in palette) * on a celeb layer, select the person by Control key and click * choose the Levels Adjustment layer from palette, make adjustments (Ctrl/D to deselect person when finished)
* activate 2nd celeb layer and repeat the process
* File>Save As (don't change anything, let it overwrite the beginning version of this edit)

For color disparities:
* use a Hue/Saturation Adjustment layer for each celeb
* activate a celeb layer, select the person as above, click the blk/white circle and choose H/S Adj.
* with the default "Master" setting, play with the sliders. * for a specific color problem, like person is too red, change "Master" to "Red" channel, try reducing the saturation a little or increasing the lightness. If too drab in general, using Master, increase the saturation. Can also alter light dark again using Master and Lightness. NOTE: if needed, after the first Levels Adj to original layer, pull up a H/S adj layer to adjust your base layer. Or you can do this at any time.

Use Save As frequently as your work as a safeguard.

You might want to erase stray pixels of the celebs. Active their layer, get the eraser tool from Toolbox, set brush size and feather appropriately and erase unwanted pixels.

If your celebs don't blend into the background convincingly, activate celeb layer layer in palette, Ctrl/J, Select>Feather>choose 1-3 pixels (amount depends on the resolution), Select>Inverse, hit delete key on keyboard

When satisfied with image:
* Select>All (dotted lines around entire dimension)
* click on top layer
* create new blank layer on top of stack (click on page looking icon bottom of palette) * Edit>Copy Merged
* Edit> Paste (you now have a new layer which is a composite of all the layers below) * Increase the display size to 100%
* go to Filter>Unsharp Mask
* start with settings of amount=100, radius=1-1.5, threshold=1 (all digital images need to be sharpened) Change settings to suit.
* save your file

Since you are printing, you might need to set a resolution suitable for printing (around 300 ppi). Check to see what res. is, Image>Resize>Image Size. Post back saying what the resolution is and the dimensions of the image in terms of pixels... don't change it yet.

Nancy

Roberta_Russo

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