Effects — Photo
Levels effect
Fine-tune contrast and brightness by setting the black point, white point and gamma, the classic Levels adjustment.
- Status
- Live
- Category
- Photo
- Settings
- 3
What is the Levels effect?
Levels is one of the oldest tools in photo editing. It remaps the darkest and lightest tones in your image and adjusts the midtones in between. Setting the black point moves the darkest shadow to pure black, and setting the white point moves the lightest highlight to pure white, which removes a dull, hazy look.
Gamma shifts the mid-tones lighter or darker without moving the black and white points. Because Levels works on the tonal range directly, it is the first adjustment to reach for on flat photos.
Levels settings
- Black point
- White point
- Gamma
Best photos for it
- Hazy, flat or underexposed photos
- Scans and old prints
- Preparing a photo before applying stylised effects
Tips for better results
- Tip 01
Bring the black and white points in until just before details start to clip.
- Tip 02
Adjust gamma last, to balance brightness.
- Tip 03
Put Levels first in your stack so later effects start from a clean image.
Common questions
Should I use Levels before other effects?
Usually yes. Effects such as halftone, dither and posterize respond strongly to contrast, so correcting the tonal range first gives better results.
Similar effects
- Gradient mapRecolour a photo by mapping its brightness onto a shadow, mid and highlight colour gradient, with a mix slider.Available
- Shadows / highlightsRecover detail in dark and bright areas with separate shadows and highlights controls.Available
- VibranceBoost colour intelligently with the Vibrance control, which lifts muted tones more than already saturated ones.Available
Also searched as: Levels adjustment, Contrast adjustment, Black and white point.