Understanding and Using SMART FILTERS for dynamic adjustments in Photoshop

Understanding and Using SMART FILTERS in Photoshop for dynamic adjustments.

Posted on 24. May, 2009 by Olson in Basics

smart filter Understanding and Using SMART FILTERS in Photoshop for dynamic adjustments.

To start using Smart Filters you need first to create a Smart Object Layer. Actually, any filter applied to a smart object layer becomes a Smart Filter. This type of method is completely nondestructive and offers more image-editing flexibility than ever before.

The difference between a Smart filter and a normal filter is that Smart Filters offer adjustments without compromising any pixel data. We can add multiple filters one on top of one another, change the order of the Smart Filters to change the resulting effect. We can remove or hide Smart Filters at any time or we can continuously edit the settings of the Smart Filters to achieve different interesting effects. Also we can paint in a mask to hide or reveal different areas of the filter for refined edits, all without altering the image data.

First we need to open an image as a Smart Object, to do that go to File-Open As Smart Object.

Now let’s apply a filter to the Smart Object that we just created. With the layer selected go to (step 3,4) Filter-Blur-Motion Blur. Note: in our case we are using a motion blur filter.

Play around with the filter setting in our case we enter 25px for the motion blur.

Click OK.

smart filter 02 Understanding and Using SMART FILTERS in Photoshop for dynamic adjustments.

The smart filter appears below the smart object layer in the Layers palette. Next repeat step 2-6 if you want to add another filter.

The second smart filter appears above the first.

Click the mask thumbnail.

Click the Brush tool.

Click here and select a soft-edge brush with a size to fit your image.

Make sure that the default foreground color is black. Press D to restore the default and X if necessary to make the foreground color black.

Paint in the image where you do not want the filters applied. Note: For example, the smart filters here blur the background. You paint with black to remove the blur from the main subject.

The painted areas appear black in the Smart Filters effects mask, and the filters are removed from those areas in the photo.

Click here and drag the second smart filter below the first to see if the effect is preferable.

Click here to turn on and off the Visibility icons of the individual smart filters to see the before and after effects.

Double-click here to open the individual Smart Filter dialog boxes and readjust the settings

Things To Know!

Only the Extract, Liquify, Pattern Maker, and Vanishing Point filters cannot be used as smart filters. The Shadow/Highlight and the Variations adjustments can be applied as smart filters with a smart object layer.

Also check this out:

To delete an individual smart filter, click its name and drag it to the Layers palette Trash.
To delete all the smart filters on a layer at once, click and drag the text
“Smart Filters” on the smart object layer to the Trash.

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Tags: image data, image editing, mask, multiple filters, pixel data, smart filters, Smart Object Layer

4 Responses to “Understanding and Using SMART FILTERS in Photoshop for dynamic adjustments.”

Tom

24. May, 2009

Another helpful tip, thanx man.
Mike

26. May, 2009

This is really helpful, i was trying for some time to understand Smart Filters now i know how they work thanks.
satya

04. Jul, 2009

Thanks , this really helped me understand smart filters
Adam

25. Aug, 2009

WoooW great article… now i understand how to use smart filters properly …..

Thanks for sharing this simple but yet very effective tutorial.

Adam