User manual

17 • Highlight and shadow (tonal range)
ColorQuartet 5.0 Pro
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Checking and changing tonal range with the LCH text fields
The LCH text fields in the Highlight/Shadow window show which values in the original image
ColorQuartet will map to the lightest and darkest points in the reproduction, expressed in the
L
CH color model.
• The values are calculated mathematically and do not necessarily correspond to existing points
in the image.
• The values are primarily provided as information. It is possible to type in changes, but most
users prefer to do this via the Densitometer.
What happens if you change the values
• When you open the Highlight/Shadow window for a crop, the LCH table will always show HL:
100, 0, 0 and SH: 0, 0, 0. This means the image will be reproduced as it is.
• If you type in a lower (= darker) value for L in HL, you are telling ColorQuartet to set
all parts of the image with that tonal value to L = 100 (white). This means that any
image areas that are lighter will become lighter yet and may tend to “burn out” in the
reproduction.
• If you type in a higher (=lighter) value for L in HL, this fictitious value will be set to L = 100
(white), and any image areas with a lower L value will tend to become darker.
• The same reasoning applies to the shadow value. Typing in a higher (= lighter) value for L in SH
tells ColorQuartet to set all parts of the image with that tonal value to L = 0 (black). This pushes
the darkest parts of the image “off the curve,” making them even darker so they tend to print
as solid color.
• Typing in a lower (= darker) value for L in SH makes the darkest parts of the image lighter.
>>> Related topics:
H
ighlight and shadow • Overview
Cancelling color tool changes
Saving and retrieving color tool settings