Loading RGB Channel

[des_enzano]

Following a tutorial on how to duplicate a "Select > Color Range for Midtones", I came to this step: 'Load the merged layer's RGB channel as selection and invert"

I am at a loss as to how to do this. I tried selecting the layer but when I clicked on select, the "load selection" in the drop down menu was greyed out. Can anyone help?

George

[TonyW]

That sounds like a full Photoshop tutorial. If you post a link to the tutorial we could take a look and see how to work round it. You can actually load a channel as a selection in Elements but it takes an add-on action to do it. If you are familiar with loading actions (it depends what version you have) this action will do it.

2571

Tony

[des_enzano]

Thanks Tony,
The tutorial was on this page (http://www.geocities.com/RNLNERO/ElementsActionsGuide.html) under the heading "Select Color Range Midtones". You will see that it is one of a number of workarouns for Elements.

I downloaded the action you mentioned but there is only one file (.atn) I thought that there had to be an accompanying .png file for it to work in Elements. If not then I'm not sure how to go about installing it.

Incidentally, the tutorial also says "Use a Curves Adjustment Layer to isolate the midtones by setting midtones (33% - 66%) to 100% and the rest to 0%" I can't find that in Elements either.

George

[ladybug]

George you can run actions in elements, but you have to have full photoshop to create them.

[des_enzano]

Thanks Judy.

George

[TonyW]

George: I think you misread the tutorial - what he's doing is explaining how to write an action in Photoshop that will work in Elements and do things you can't normally do in Elements - so curves for example isn't available in Elements but you can get at it by including it in an action - but Photoshop is needed to write the action.

Actually that tutorial is very out of date - it was written for a very early version of Elements and what he says won't necessarily work in later versions.

That action I posted will work without the png file - in PSE5 and PSE6 you don't actually need a thumbnail for it to work but it will only do part of what you want - although I think could be used to select midtones but I'd have to think about how you'd do it.

Tony

[ladybug]

George, you are more than welcome, I would have loved to been able to make actions also. ugh the down fall of having elements. Actually i am pleased with elements 4 even without being able to make actions.

[des_enzano]

George: I think you misread the tutorial - what he's doing is explaining how to write an action in Photoshop that will work in Elements and do things you can't normally do in Elements
Tony

I had another look earlier and wondered if I had misunderstood the tutorial, now I know I did.

Thanks for putting me right :)

George