Using the Variations command

The Variations command lets you adjust the color balance, contrast, and saturation of an image by showing you thumbnails of alternatives.

This command is most useful for average-key images that don't require precise color adjustments. It does not work on indexed-color images or 16-bit-per-channel images (Photoshop).

To use the Variations command:

1. Choose Image > Adjustments > Variations.

The two thumbnails at the top of the dialog box show the original selection (Original) and the selection with its currently selected adjustments (Current Pick). When you first open the dialog box, these two images are the same. As you make adjustments, the Current Pick image changes to reflect your choices.

2. Select the Show Clipping option if you want to display a neon preview of areas in the image that will be clipped--converted to pure white or pure black-- by the adjustment. Clipping can result in undesirable color shifts, as distinct colors in the original image are mapped to the same color. Clipping does not occur when you adjust midtones.

Note: Clipped colors are not the same as out-of-gamut colors.

3. Select what to adjust in the image:
• Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights to indicate whether you want to adjust the dark, middle, or light areas.
• Saturation to change the degree of hue in the image. If you exceed the maximum saturation for a color, it may be clipped.
4. Drag the Fine/Coarse slider to determine the amount of each adjustment. Moving the slider one tick mark doubles the adjustment amount.
5. Adjust the color and brightness:
• To add a color to the image, click the appropriate color thumbnail.
• To subtract a color, click the thumbnail for its opposite color. (See Using the Color Balance command (Photoshop).) For example, to subtract cyan, click the More Red thumbnail.
• To adjust brightness, click a thumbnail on the right side of the dialog box.

The effects of clicking the thumbnails are cumulative. For example, clicking the More Red thumbnail twice will apply the adjustment twice. Each time you click a thumbnail, the other thumbnails change. The three Current Pick thumbnails always reflect the current choices.

You can also save the settings you make in the Variations dialog box for reuse on other images. For more information on saving and loading settings, see Saving and reapplying settings.