LAB color space

[john_opitz]

How many use "Lab" as a editing mode for retouching and restoring images.

[john_opitz]

About the lab color space.

http://www.ledet.com/margulis/LABCorrection.pdf

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/ST_colourevaluation.html

[Stephen M]

Not forgetting my links to more LAB mode links:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/PSTV_links.html#L

Stephen Marsh.

[DJ Dubovsky]

I don't use it as the working mode. I use RGB mostly but I do use it as a tool in the restoration process then switching back to RGB so I answered "I don't".
DJ

[Stephen M]

Hi DJ, I answered Yes - but for the same reasons that prompted you to answer No!

Currently - 90% of the originals I deal with are presented in CMYK (prepress setting). Sometimes RGB and LAB trips are needed, or perhaps working in colour and luminosity blend modes to avoid LAB while in RGB or CMYK.

All colour modes have something to offer (you can also access other modes like HSB or YCQ etc with plugs or other software).

As a everyday standard working space or editing space to perform the majority of your colour work in - LAB is perhaps not the best choice, which is why larger gamut idealised RGB working spaces exist.

As a retouching colour mode - LAB is great, but you can often do similar things with colour and luminosity blends or edits with tools etc.

The important concept here is not LAB as such - but separating colour from tone, or luminosity...which can be done in many color modes, but LAB is perhaps the best choice for Photoshop users. This was a very important conceptual step for me, which I always try to exploit in my edits and I am continually learning new things about from trial and error.

Stephen Marsh.

[mdijb]

Take look at the new book by Dan Margulis. One of the best I have read. It will teach how and what to do with this color mode. I have tried some of the techniques with wonderful results.

Also, check out this excellent forum on the subject

http://www.dgrin.com/forumdisplay.php?f=10

MDIJB

[edgework]

Take look at the new book by Dan Margulis. One of the best I have read. It will teach how and what to do with this color mode. I have tried some of the techniques with wonderful results.

Also, check out this excellent forum on the subject

http://www.dgrin.com/forumdisplay.php?f=10

MDIJB

Agreed. LAB is a superior space for sharpening, for many color operations that simply aren't possible in RGB or CMYK and for any retouching that involves blending different colors into each other, and for most types of cast removal.

I usually do my initial moves in lab and then fine tune in RGB or CMYK, depending on the destination space. I find that CMYK is still the best space for getting skin tones exact, but there are some miraculous moves in LAB that allow a dead looking face to come back to life that are beyond anything in CMYK or RGB.

[imann08]

I highly recommend the Dan Margulis book. I am currently reading it now. It is quite advanced though and shouldn't be approached by the weak of heart though. It's very different than the other colorspaces so that makes it difficult in an of itself. There are enough things that are vital to do in LAB to want to use it fairly regularly with photo retouch. Many times when it is thought that the same result will evolve out of RGB or LAB there are still times where LAB is clearly the best way to go. Sharpening colors like 255,0,0 often results in an ugly halo around edges whereas in LAB they are non-existent. I recommend it to anyone.

[creeduk]

I used to only use it for some noise reduction methods, or to experiment, but as many others have found it it is now a very popular mode to use. It has some very nice abilities for dealing with shadows and highlights, infact only this morning I used it for just such a fix. I have yet to read Dan's book but think I probably will at some point. What I was curious about is this mode has been availabe for years, are there people out there who new it's secrets all this time or is only just dawning on us that it has more uses than we first thought?

[Sheri Medford]

I am a bigginner going through tutorials and practicing, still figuring out blend modes and dodge/burn without the dodge burn tool. A month ago I was doing dodge/burn on the background layer, so I have come a long way. I have always enjoyed being systematic about learning a topic or skill so I was wondering should I worry about LAB now or wait until I get the basic techniques down? Sometimes it helps to read a book that is over your head and then go back to a level or two lower and it seems easy where before it wasn't. But that only seems to work when you are talking about levels of learning of the same topic. So is LAB a must part of technique or something I can learn in a few months?

[john_opitz]

I am a bigginner going through tutorials and practicing, still figuring out blend modes and dodge/burn without the dodge burn tool. A month ago I was doing dodge/burn on the background layer, so I have come a long way. I have always enjoyed being systematic about learning a topic or skill so I was wondering should I worry about LAB now or wait until I get the basic techniques down? Sometimes it helps to read a book that is over your head and then go back to a level or two lower and it seems easy where before it wasn't. But that only seems to work when you are talking about levels of learning of the same topic. So is LAB a must part of technique or something I can learn in a few months?

Hello Ms. Medford

L*A*B is not a must part of the technique. But it is helpful to learn it, as well as cmyk editing (learn all the colorspaces)

Here is some info.Articles

The hyperlink has (free) articles on L*A*B (Photoshop LAB Color) and Professional Photoshop.

After reading them, you can decide.

[marthav]

Re: LAB color space

Thanks for the question and for those who made comments about it. I haven't used LAB and wasn't sure in what way it should be used. In my lessons I've read about it but they never actually said "use LAB for this and then convert to RGB", they just gave the defination. Now I'm going to try it.

[pepperspray]

Re: LAB color space

Sometimes it helps to read a book that is over your head and then go back to a level or two lower and it seems easy where before it wasn't.

Oh, that is so true!

Even just reading around here, I can find myself coming to grips much easier with lessons that are a step or two backwards from what the lesson is actually specifically addressing.

I've used LAB for specific problems, as has been prescribed here (usually as a selection - ctrl-alt-shift-tilde) and then blurring or sharpening the selection for, say, improvements with skin problems.

I think I'll definitely be looking for that Margulis book.


Cheers!

[neom]

Re: LAB color space

My photoshop prof was talking about how he has just started to learn about LAB and is talking about it a lot, he said he is not ready to teach us it yet because he does not totally understand the complexities of it. Over all though, I do believe this is something I'm going to have to start looking into. Mostly because I have heard from numerous people that it really makes your images pop and your colours sing. I've started reading up on the subject and I can't wait to delve into the world of LAB.

Also, this is my first post here. I'm a Digital Photography and Imagery major in Barrie Ontario studying at the Georgian School of Design and Visual Art! One of the huuuuuge areas covered in the program is Post, we have dedicated photoshop classes every week.

Can't wait to start interacting and learning.. I hope this forum will be a valuable resource.

Best Regards,

j.