Photoshop Elements >
Layers >
Difference Between
Levels & Brightness/Contrast
Note #1
If you're not familiar with adjustment layers, go to Adjustment Layers and Levels.
Note #2
If you would like to experiment with the Levels and Brightness/Contrast adjustment layers, download difference_between_student_version.psd.
There's no histogram in the Brightness/Contrast adjustment panel.
Go to Window > Histogram.
Next
A Levels adjustment layer is used 99% of the time.
Brightness/Contrast works better than Levels occasionally.
It shouldn't, because you should be able to duplicate the same effect with Levels.
But, it does, sometimes.
So, if you can't get an image to do what you want with Levels, try Brightness/Contrast.
Levels
There are three input sliders in the Levels window.
• Shadows
• Midtones
• Highlights
Levels works better than Brightness/Contrast most of the time because you can control these three parts your photograph independently.
You've got three things to control.
You've got a "knob," a slider, for each of the three things.
| Shadows | Midtones | Highlights |
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Brightness/Contrast
With a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer, you also have the same three things to control.
• Shadows
• Midtones
• Highlights
But, you only have two knobs to control the three things.
The brightness slider is similar to the Levels midtone slider.
That's fine.
Shadows and highlights are controlled by a single knob, the contrast slider.
That's not so good.
| Shadows AND Highlights | Midtones |
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| Contrast Slider | Brightness Slider |
Adobe Says
Adobe recommends using Brightness/Contrast on only parts of a photograph.
The Brightness/Contrast command is best used on selected portions of an image.
Use this command to adjust the brightness of an entire image or to reduce contrast results in an image that doesn't use the entire available tonal range.
The Levels and Shadow/Highlight commands
are better choices for making tonal adjustments.
Summary
The terms get confusing.
| Levels | Brightness/Contrast | |
| Adjust contrast with: | Midtones | Brightness |
| Adjust shadows with: | Shadows | Contrast |
| Adjust highlights with: | Highlights | Contrast |
Levels Midtone Slider = Brightness Slider
The Levels midtone slider and the Brightness slider are about the same.
Levels Midtone Slider in Action
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Original |
Levels Midtone Slider Right to .75 More Contrast |
Levels Midtone Slider Left to 1.5 Less Contrast |
Brightness Slider in Action
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Original |
Brightness Slider Right to 50 More Contrast |
Brightness Slider Left to -50 Less Contrast |
Contrast Slider in Action
With the contrast slider, both shadows and highlights are affected.
One goes up, as the other one goes down.
With Levels, you can adjust the shadows and the highlights independently.
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Original |
Contrast Slider Right to 100 More Contrast Both Shadows & Highlights Are Affected |
Contrast Slider Right to 100 Less Contrast Both Shadows & Highlights Are Affected |
Knob
