CathyZarMI

I will have to experiment and see if that is the problem.

I have had problems with layer masks twice now. Once when I was preparing a photo book cover for print, and now when I was editing a Senior Session (See "Help!! I'm trying to clean up trying to clean up the edges of a mask on an image"). I used a gradient on the layer mask of the book cover and it introduced noise that looked terrible when I sharpened it for print. The second time I again used a gradient on a mask and when I tried to use a brush or stamp tool to clean up the edges, I couldn't get a clean edge. (Damien...we just got company so I won't be able to reply to anything for a while.)

Could using a gradient on a layer mask introduce noise and therefore cause pixelated edges to your brush when cleaning up the edges of the mask?

I'm going to start another topic about layers and masks because my troubleshooting led in a different direction.

I was trying to get the backgrounds on a series of images to be the same intensity and shade (the room was a nightmare to photograph in...one green wall, another pink, another gray...AND SMALL!). The easiest way was to just go b&w on the background and then adjust the brightness. Of course the backdrop had a lot of wrinkles even though I steamed it before I left. I think I seen a tutorial from you where you used levels to make an all white background and it also gave the look of smoothing out the background? I'm thinking I'm going to get a roll of background paper!

Yes.

Yes, I wasn't able to answer as I had to shut down for the night. After doing some more troubleshooting, I believe it was something to do with both the Brightness/contrast layer AND the the Back and White layer. I redid both, and there is no longer a problem. About using the Brightness/Contrast...I guess I should use levels instead?

Thanks Damien...I've got to get to bed as I have to get up at 5 p.m. If it happens again, you will hear from me.

I did the two adjustment layers over again (brightness/contrast and Black and White). Something was on them that was goofy, who knows...

It is just happening on the masks. I tried drawing directly on the image and the brushes nor the stamp too does that.

I think I'm going to shutdown PS and see if it straightens out.

The one that I have the 100% crop of is for turning the background black and white (not her and the pom poms). I'll just name what each is for from bottom to top; The background copy is for cleaning up the background, the next adjustment is for turning the background black and white (not her and the pom poms), next is for brightness/contrast, and the top layer is where I had to fix chipped fingernail paint.

It's doing it in the stamp tool too...

I found the hardness but it didn't make any difference...

I can't find the hardness slider. I updated PS CC thinking that would solve it and that may have changed where it was found before?

I hope this is what you mean...

I'm trying to clean up the edges of a mask on this image and I keep getting random "unclean" edges. I've turned off airbrush on the brush, checked what brush I'm using, and cleaned my wacom surface and "nib" (the wacom was doing weird things...after cleaning, the weirdness went away). Despite all this I still can't seem to get a clean edge. I thought it may be that I need to get a new "nib," but it does it when I don't use the wacom pad too. Ugh...

So you're saying that just the designer's monitor should be calibrated and not the seven others (copyrighters, social media editors, supervisor, program\project managers) don't need to be calibrated?

She needs a more detailed answer as to why? I did tell her some things from your posts on Monitor Calibration, but then she posted this, "See that's the problem ... They aren't trying to calibrate to a printer, but to each other's screens. Isn't the whole point of calibration that you want the output from the printer to be true to what you see on the monitor of your designer (and who cares what the copywriter sees n his screen). Remember... the 8 (or so) people who want this calibration software are not designers or photographers. Two are copywriters, one's a social media editor, one is the designer (so a legit request), one is the supervisor and then there's a couple miscellaneous program/project managers int he group. So not the type of group who would need perfection with on-monitor reviewing of documents being prepped for print." When she says "printer", she means a print lab.

My friend posted this in a photography group that I'm in. She is a graphic designer and I have searched here trying to find an answer that would apply to her situation. I have added her to our FB page but I don't know how long the process will be to get to the new site and she needs answers now. Here is her question, " Monitor Color Calibration -- what can you tell me about it? I have someone at work asking me about it and I'd like some other opinions. They want to buy this software to have on about 8 different computers so everyone "sees" the same thing on artwork and photos they're reviewing. I was always under the impression that if you're going to color calibrate your monitor that it should be calibrated to your printer's color space, not necessarily what other people see on their monitors. Thoughts or insights?"