Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a grayscale image. The method and apparatus receive a single value. From the single value, the method and apparatus generate a set of grayscale weighting values. The method and apparatus generate the grayscale based on a color image and the set of grayscale weighting values. By limiting the number of values to a single value, the method and apparatus prevents a user from arbitrarily selecting a number of possible weighting values which could result in a grayscale image that is too dim or too bright. This single control method and apparatus quickly and efficiently produces a grayscale image that is neither too bright nor too dim.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for color balancing an image. The method receives a first selection of a first mode of a color balance tool that includes several different color balance modes. Each color balance mode is for applying color balance operations to the image. The method uses the first mode of the color balance tool to apply a first set of color balance operations to the image. The method receives a second selection to switch from the first mode to a second mode of the color balance tool. The method uses the second mode of the color balance tool to apply a second set of color balance operations to the image.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the image editing and organizing application described herein provide a multi-stage automatic enhancement process. The process takes an input image and feeds it through multiple different enhancement operations. The multiple enhancement operations of some embodiments are carried out in a particular order. In some embodiments, the particular order starts with exposure adjustment, then a white balance adjustment, then a vibrancy adjustment, then a tonal response curve adjustment, then a shadow lift adjustment.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method of automatically color balancing an image. The method receives a selection of a user interface (UI) item to automatically color balance the image using a color balance tool that includes several color balance modes. In response to the selection, the method analyzes the image based on a set of criteria. Based on the analysis, the method automatically selects a color balance mode from the several color balance modes of the color balance tool. Upon selecting the color balance mode, the method uses the color balance mode to automatically apply a set of color balance operations to the image.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for color-space selective darkness and lightness improvements. In one aspect, a method accessing multiple pixels that represent a digital image in an RGB color space. The accessed pixels are processed based on a darkness of the digital image resulting in a first set of processed pixels, and separately based on a lightness of the digital image resulting in a second set of processed pixels. Both sets of processed pixels are combined to generate a processed output image.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed to provide user control over the manipulation of a digital image. The disclosed techniques enable a user to apply various textures that mimic traditional artistic media to a selected image. User selection of a texture level results in the blending of texturized versions of the selected image in accordance with the selected texture level. User selection of a color level results in the adjustment of color properties of the selected image that are included in the output image. Control of the image selection, texture type selection, texture level selection, and color level selection may be provided through an intuitive graphical user interface.

Abstract: For an image editing application, a tool in a graphical user interface (GUI) for generating a duotone version of a subject image is provided. The tool includes several aligned thumbnail images in a slider, each thumbnail image occupying a spatial position in the slider that represents a unique range of colors. Each thumbnail image is a miniature version of the subject image that is generated based on a color within the unique range of colors represented by the spatial position of the thumbnail image. The tool determines a first color selection based on a position of a selector in the slider and a second color selection based on a complementary color of the first color selection. The tool then uses the determined color selections to generate a duotone version of the subject image.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for color-space selective darkness and lightness improvements. In one aspect, a method accessing multiple pixels that represent a digital image in an RGB color space. The accessed pixels are processed based on a darkness of the digital image resulting in a first set of processed pixels, and separately based on a lightness of the digital image resulting in a second set of processed pixels. Both sets of processed pixels are combined to generate a processed output image.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the image editing and organizing application described herein provide an automatic enhancement process that includes vibrancy adjustment. The vibrancy adjustment increases the saturation of multiple pixels. The saturation of each pixel is determined by subtracting the lowest component value from the highest component value. The process determines an overall saturation of the image using a histogram. The histogram is generated using doubled saturation values for pixels with blue and green as the highest component value.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the image editing and organizing application described herein provide a method of adjusting an image that includes a tonal response curve adjustment stage. In the tonal response curve adjustment stage, the method sets a black point and a white point for a tonal response curve and tempers the settings. The method sets a median point and mid-tone contrast points, ensures that the mid-tone contrast points can increase, but not decrease the mid-tone contrast, and then temper the mid-tone contrast points. The method then adjusts the image according to the tonal response curve generated from the points.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the image editing and organizing application described herein provide an automatic enhancement process that includes a shadow lift adjustment. The process takes an input image and enhances the contrast of darker parts of the image. The process uses a structure histogram to determine an amount of shadow lift adjustment to apply to the image. The process tempers this adjustment based on an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) value of the image.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for color balancing an image. The method provides a display area for displaying the image. The method provides several color balance modes. The method provides a user interface (UI) control associated with a color balance mode in the several color balance modes. The UI control performs a color balance operation on the image by (1) identifying a color cast in the image and (2) modifying pixels in the image based on the pixels' luminance values in order to reduce the color cast in the image.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the image editing and organizing application described herein provide a multi-stage automatic enhancement process. The process takes an input image and feeds it through multiple different enhancement operations. The multiple enhancement operations of some embodiments are carried out in a particular order. In some embodiments, the particular order starts with exposure adjustment, then a white balance adjustment, then a vibrancy adjustment, then a tonal response curve adjustment, then a shadow lift adjustment.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for color balancing an image. The method receives a first selection of a first mode of a color balance tool that includes several different color balance modes. Each color balance mode is for applying color balance operations to the image. The method uses the first mode of the color balance tool to apply a first set of color balance operations to the image. The method receives a second selection to switch from the first mode to a second mode of the color balance tool. The method uses the second mode of the color balance tool to apply a second set of color balance operations to the image.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a novel method for tempering an adjustment of an image to account for prior adjustments to the image. The adjustment in some embodiments is an automatic exposure adjustment. The method performs an operation for a first adjustment on a first set of parameters (e.g., saturation, sharpness, luminance). The method compares the first set of parameters to a second set of parameters to produce a third set of parameters that expresses the difference between the first adjustment and a second adjustment. The method performs a third operation to produce an adjusted image. The first set of parameters quantify a set of prior adjustments to the image by an image capturing device when the image was captured in some embodiments. The second set of parameters is a set of target parameters. The third set of parameters specify the tempered adjustment of the image.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method of automatically color balancing an image. The method receives a selection of a user interface (UI) item to automatically color balance the image using a color balance tool that includes several color balance modes. In response to the selection, the method analyzes the image based on a set of criteria. Based on the analysis, the method automatically selects a color balance mode from the several color balance modes of the color balance tool. Upon selecting the color balance mode, the method uses the color balance mode to automatically apply a set of color balance operations to the image.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for applying color balancing to at least a portion of a digital image based on the digital image content. The color balancing process preferably operates in a gamma modified color space, transformed into an opponent color space with separate luminance and chromatic channels. The method also includes identifying a difference of at least one of the chromatic channels between an average color, determined for a region of interest in the digital image, and an ideal reference color for the feature the user desires to correct, as a basis for the color balancing process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a grayscale image. The method and apparatus receive a single value. From the single value, the method and apparatus generate a set of grayscale weighting values. The method and apparatus generate the grayscale based on a color image and the set of grayscale weighting values. By limiting the number of values to a single value, the method and apparatus prevents a user from arbitrarily selecting a number of possible weighting values which could result in a grayscale image that is too dim or too bright. This single control method and apparatus quickly and efficiently produces a grayscale image that is neither too bright nor too dim.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide an image editing application with a novel color modification slider tool. In some embodiments, this tool adjusts one or more color attributes (e.g., one or more color channels) of different pixels differently when moved in one direction, and adjusts one or more color attributes of the same pixel differently when moved in another direction. The movement of this tool is in a straight line in some embodiments, while it is along an angular arc (e.g., along the circumference of a full or partial circle or elliptical shape) in other embodiments. This tool in some embodiments is a novel saturation tool that produces non-photorealistic effects by treating differently the highly saturated and lowly saturated pixels of an image.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a novel user interface (UI) tool that is a unified slider control, which includes multiple sliders that slide along a region. The region is a straight line in some embodiments, while it is an angular arc in other embodiments. In some embodiments, the unified slider control is used in a media editing application to allow a user to modify several different properties of the image by moving several different sliders along the region. Each slider is associated with a property of the image. A position of the slider in the region corresponds to a value of the property associated with the slider.