Shangara goes fishing with: "I suspect Stephen Marsh may have something to say about this as this very topic is being discussed on the Photoshop list and he has already written a very helpful post."
<g> Yes, I have something to say on this topic - but I will let some links do most of the talking this time: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/PSTV_links.html#L As Shangara notes, Dan Margulis has many pages in his book/s and in other articles on LAB in Photoshop. If you are not biased and have an open mind then LAB can do some wonderful things, but it is far from perfect. LAB is a great retouching space for heavy damage - the AB are often easy and the L is fairly easy when compared to RGB or CMYK edits which both contain colour and tone (one can retouch in RGB in colour and luminance blend modes to come close to LAB). The ACT list of Dan's also has a lot of info there too, from both pro and con viewpoints. If you want the really negative stuff on LAB, search the Apple ColorSync Users archive list for posts on the use of LAB mode - I stopped after reading 300 straight messages. Then take what you need from both extreme camps viewpoints. The major problem for most colour savvy folk with ICC LAB mode in Photoshop is that there is both loss of unique image levels and quantization in the move to LAB which may not be acceptable to some folk with 8bpc data (mostly the move is visually lossless). One must remember that LAB has a very small _useable_ gamut for print - even wider gamut print than SWOP type press conditions is small compared to LAB mode, minor edits in the AB can send colour ballistic - that is the beauty and curse. LAB mode is just another tool - with pros and cons which may or may not be a critical concern to all users. Back to the original question...there may not be a valid reason to use LAB for a quick little correction - but if major reworking of an image was being done, then LAB may just be the answer that is needed (LAB is poor at fine moves when all you need to do is finesse). Regards, Stephen Marsh. =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
