Web images with snazz

The below tips are adapted from "5 Simple Things You Can Do to Make Your Web Images Pop". Note that sharpening should be last on your list of actions you take on any image.

1. Try a subtle slightly darker edged vignette around the image.
2. Convert the image to black and white (or grayscale). The right way: check colors and adjust before conversion. Skin tones may need an increase in luminosity of oranges and yellows.
3. Check and adjust tones as needed.
• -- Histogram adjustment (especially check the mid-tones)
• -- Skin tones (color balance)
4. Selectively sharpen areas of the image. Use a mask layer to make this easier and easier to "recover from".
5. Last before saving (or uploading): Sharpen. ... Or Unsharp mask, if you can experiment with settings until the photo is "just right". Nearly all images from digital cameras need some sharpening.

In some of the portfolio sample photos at SharkPixel, I noticed something I like to check and often do -- skin smoothing. Check their portfolio for some dramatic changes after skin retouching and smoothing in general. Holding your mouse over a photo shows a photo prior to some retouching.

Related links:

• 5 Simple Things You Can Do to Make Your Web Images Pop
• SharkPixel

Cool Kuler Coolest

Adobe Labs has come up with a winner -- Kuler. Fun to use and a boon to web and graphics designers of all types, this color grouping creator and sharing application is a very popular site.

Take the Kuler tour (aka tutorial) to see what it's all about. It even plays cool music while you learn. To create or share color groupings, you'll need an Adobe ID.

The Museum of Modern Betas (MoMB) lists Kuler as #7 in their "Top 100".