8 Reasons to NEVER Use Levels in Photoshop!

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Why Do Even Levels Exist in Photoshop? In this video, we will talk about 8 reasons why levels are absolutely useless and unnecessary and explore a much better alternative that proves superior controls and advanced features to play with not only colors but light!
I hope this video helps you. Thank you so much for watching :)
► TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer
00:56 Reason #1: Everything you can do with Levels, you can do with Curves & More
05:16 Reason #2: Ability to pick any point in the brightness level range
06:32 Reason #3: Scrubby Hand missing in Levels
08:35 Reason #4: Hard to increase Contrast without
blowing out details in Levels
10:39 Reason #5: Curves is way superior in terms of special effects
13:03 Reason #6: Ability to manually draw brightness levels
and also manipulate color
14:15 Reason #7: Learning one master tool with advanced controls
is more efficient than learning basic ones
14:52 Reason #8: Versatility and availability of Curves over Levels
in almost all visual editing software programs
15:45 Conclusion
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Опубликовано:

1 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 886

@SniderJ 3 года назад

Friendship ended with Levels, Curves is my new bestfriend

@muhammadammar2535 3 года назад

Hahahah 😂😂 i can see that picture by reading your comment

@ThunderStormMalamute 3 года назад

Same! After 15 years lol wow. Thank you!

@kocbilo 3 года назад

*I understood that reference*

@IDigress 3 года назад

what a throwback

@Sanjaycheryan 3 года назад

LMMAAAOOO

@PiXimperfect 3 года назад

► GRAMMAR CORRECTION: At 14:15, the text should be "than learning basic ones" instead of "than learn basic ones." If grammar doesn't bother you, ignore this, haha.

@asifansari872 3 года назад

Sir can you understand me how much poweful pc by for ps🙏🙏🙏🙏

@vimnadid 3 года назад

@UMesh You commented only for this.... Seriously... !¡!

@RajeevKumar-pd9mx 3 года назад

Aye...english teacher, love it,😊

@rudranilghosh2713 3 года назад

Unmesh can you do some 3d tutorials? Maybe include cinema 4d too

@stevemount 3 года назад

OMG HOW DARE YOU TEACH US INCREDIBLY USEFUL INFORMATION FOR 15 MINUTES AND THEN MAKE A GRAMMAR ERROR. How dare you sir!

@mwaseemaziz 3 года назад

Adobe: Hey, Unmesh, teach levels to the students Unmesh: 8 Reasons to NEVER Use Levels in Photoshop!

@hellobro8837 3 года назад

😂😂

@PraloneLama 3 года назад

😂😂👍

@deepaksamani 3 года назад

😄😄🤣

@shahidhameed1123 3 года назад

😃😃😃

@alitaji 3 года назад

😂😂

@ArchieDeZ 3 года назад

"I'm not level with you anymore" "why??!" "She has curves"

@ms-ht1cj 3 года назад

Curves may be more complex, but sometimes simplicity is better. I like both options, but I must say it's Levels I use more often. They're fast and usually are enough for quick adjustments. Sure, if you need to spend hours digging on one picture, Curves are better. Still, I prefer Levels.

@tanveerahmad2865 3 года назад

Whenever i do anything in photoshop, i use Levels,,, I got a heart-attack while reading the title.

@tarun0206 3 года назад

😂

@FactzGlobe 3 года назад

🤣😂🤣

@yamytheweird7705 3 года назад

Same💀

@TheComot 3 года назад

🤣🤣🤣

@blacknight7643 3 года назад

No issue using levels....he is just saying comparatively Curves are better...overall, like Mr. Unmesh mentioned in the beginning of his video it is personal choice.

@Hasanex 3 года назад

The moment I saw the thumbnail I thought Oh Boy, he's gonna talk about how curves are superior in every way. I was right xD and I'm not disappointed

@tutoringtube2174 3 года назад

I was going to comment for the same

@khalilmaknoun 3 года назад

Hey, I use levels most of time with AO or Z Depth render pass ,it’s convenient for compositing with grayscale render pass.Curves do the job but it takes much more time .

@catcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatca 3 года назад

levels is great for doing some things awkward to do in curves, so that you would either way use two curves layers: For example: say you for printing don't want anything 100% white: you can do it with curves for sure, but for all future changes in the same curves layer, neutral, straight line would no longer be 45° - so you would want another curves layer. Now the first curves layer that only degreased your dynamic range by limiting max brightness by all means and purposes is locked to be a levels layer without visible number for your new max brightness. I would in such case use the levels layer, and the slider below. Aside from the midpoint slider, all other options in levels produce similar problem: you can change it in curves, but the layer is clearly not optimised to do such a simple thing, and for all future changes loses its key feature: 45° line means no changes in that area. You often end up using many curves layers anyway, so in that sense using one curves layers to do the work of levels seems sensible enough. But this curves layer would be crucially different, more basic adjustment in brightness, and for clarity should be named with some name reflecting that. And that is precisely what levels does. It replaces the most boring, uninteresting curves layers, and re-names them to "levels", so your actual curves layers are easily distinguished from them, even if you don't bother to rename them.

@waynelytton7517 3 года назад

My first 30 years as a Conventional photo lab techn at The National Geographic Society part of my duties was the use of densitometers and other devices ,along with control strips for quality control. After processing a control strip or setting up for a new strip these reading were hand recorded on a graph and a Curve created. Whether a part of chemical control or setting up a printer this was always a part of the process. So when Photoshop appeared we instinctively used the curves control in Photoshop because we were so familiar with what it was and what it did and how to control it ,that we used it for the same purpose in Photoshop. It wasn't until several years into the Photoshop world that we learned Curves was the most powerful tool and the one most recommended. In our previous conventional methods we had a tremendous base of technical knowledge that gave us a great head start to the Digital world. In my opinion this is one of the biggest problems with some new users of Photoshop if one don't know why something works it's hard to understand how something works.

@HeatherCashArt 3 года назад

This was amazing! I'm definitely a levels girl, ever since I first learned Photoshop like 20 years ago! I love how you related curves to levels because curves has always been very confusing and intimidating to me. Since you related it back to levels, it makes sense to me! I'll be using curves from now on! ❤️

@viz_ology 3 года назад

Same 💯 expect that i m not girl 😄

@mal-avcisi9783 2 года назад

levels is for amateurs. pros use curves

@christophergrove4876 Год назад

Same!

@CarlVirtudazo 2 года назад

I learned a lot! Thank you. And I love how you used the treble and bass knobs against a full equalizer as an analogy!

@cagno 3 года назад

I always enjoy your videos, this one included. I have been using curves for years and appreciate you championing them. However, I use levels and curves together and it gets me better results than just using one of them. I tried your techniques on an image and it worked but I was still able to get better results by using levels first to adjust the tonal range and then color correcting with curves. Some images worked with just curves but most of the I images I tested worked better with both. I just think NEVER is too strong.

@robin_feni5448 3 года назад

I'm a digital print operator. I use Konica Minolta bizzhub c7000 and Cannon C910. Level is so handy to finish job faster. Level isn't useless. You make tutorial and Reality in workplace have difference.

@jcscobucci 3 года назад

Unmesh always surprising us with his videos about Photoshop and this one was not different. The comparison between the Levels and Curves adjustment tools enriched my knowledge of these two adjustment tools, and even more showed me that I can only use the curve tool and permanently forget the Levels adjustment. Adobe may rethink and eliminate it in its next Photoshop updates. Thank you very much for this video.

@surajitchoudhury7946 3 года назад

Last statement "Equalizer one is wonderful.. love it.

@thatguynicky1979 3 года назад

Dang Unmesh, that analogy that "Levels is like only having control over the treble, where Curves is like controlling the whole EQ" is fitting! Btw, it looks like your hitting the gym hard lately, apparently we got front row seats to your gun show with as well as our learning!!!

@MidwestModjewski 3 года назад

Your analogy at the end about the Bass/Treble knobs VS Full Eq. is SPOT ON!

@Cirocoleman 3 года назад

Great tutorial!! Concise, easy to understand and, as Mr Spok used to say - Logical!! Nice analogy at the end, too. Trouble with most software is that there are sometimes too many options to choose from so you end up just using the basic stuff. It might be simpler if Adobe simply removed Levels and others of the same ilk. As you say, just learn to Master the one - the 'equalizer' asit were!! I've been using Photoshop for awhile now and in all honesty hadn't really even 'seen' those other aids that make Curves the obvious choice. A new convert!!! Cheers!!

@Kurtolla1 3 года назад

I was a bit enraged by the title of this video but as i watched i understood what the aim of the video is. I use levels quite often , mainly to get a simplified view of the colour structure of the image especially for litho printing and do very quick minor adjustments to to the overall composition of the picture. Thank you for all the interesting videos, keep t up.

@williaml1551 3 года назад

When Unmesh says that selecting a point on the curve and moving it will only darken the highlight on the forehead for adjustment that isn't 100% correct. That adjustment occurs on everything in the photo at that tone level. That's why I choose to use targeted selections by various methods to only select the forehead.

@ThisIsJessPaul 3 года назад

That audio equalizer metaphor at the end was so perfect. Like every PixImperfect vid, I learned more about Photoshop in a few minutes than I knew working with it for a decade. Thanks, Unmesh!!

@hollyperret 3 года назад

I’m still a beginner at photoshop and I use levels all the time. When I saw this I knew I had to watch it to see what I was missing. I wasn’t offended. This is enormously helpful. I think you just rescued my workflow.

@melindawolfUS 3 года назад

Ok, you've convinced me to try curves instead of levels. Thank you for the clear explanation and thoughtful demonstrations of the ways the two are different

@girardjeremie1939 4 месяца назад

I knew this video would be pertinent (like always!). Can't wait to try your horizontal curve, by the way, it looks so convenient to use!

@Glenao_ 3 года назад

i always like everytime u explain and share anything in youtube . its so easy to understand how you talk . and i see most people even not everyone said they could use photoshop because of watching your youtube channel .

@wilco737 3 года назад

THanks a lot for that insight. I usually used levels for basic edidint and then for more details I went to curves. Now I can save that one step. Thanks again. Was very helpful

@royz_1 3 года назад

I used levels until now because it's really easy to use. Your comparison between the two tools will help me remember what each point of the level is for. Thank you!

@ivangutierreztellez803 3 года назад

Change log in the Next update in photoshop 22: -We have just deleted levels. -other minor fixes.

@RobertDettmanImages 3 года назад

🤣🤣🤣

@f3rzz476 3 года назад

😎F

@jameselliott983 3 года назад

Crystal clear explanation. I thought I was taking the easiiest route, and I was missing too much. Great. Thanks.

@imyasharya 3 года назад

I think level exists just how you can do things in ways in any OS, one is CLI and another is GUI, giving freedom to the people what they're comfortable with. And also not having this feature doesn't make Photoshop less bloated because I have seen that similar features can be packaged into much smaller size written in the same language (i.e mostly C and C++).

@MrMadvillan 3 года назад

its a 32 bit tool for clamping and gamma. his argument is misplaced. what's more evident to me is how incomplete the coloring tools are.

@PL-808 3 года назад

I agree you can do all with curves. You can still combine curves to make overall tonal/contrast/color adjustments together with levels to (manual) set the black- and whitepoint. I use it at the “end” of editing. Of course you can do it with curves as well, but I think levels is a simpler tool for maximizing contrast in the end of the editing. Press alt (Mac) when adjusting, then you see when clipping highs/lows. Then it works perfect 👌 in my opinion. Happy photo editing, with or without levels! 😊

@kokomon_desu Год назад

i'm not an expert in color grading or color correcting, all i do just click here n there not knowing what i'm doing. so i say level gives me limited move so i don't get wild in the process. i tried multiple times working with curves and just messed up things >.< but it's pretty clear now after i watch this and i'm grateful to find this gem.

@subratkumardas1881 3 года назад

Best photoshop teacher found in youtube. Respect ❤️

@AYMAN_RAQUIB 3 года назад

Yes 😃

@satishsvernekar 3 года назад

From my side too.

@MrMadvillan 3 года назад

he's partially wrong though. While you shouldn't use levels for 8bit work, its real purpose is for clamping and adjusting gamma in raw 32bit images. You can try it yourself - there is no curves option in 32bit color space. Its simply the wrong tool for the kind of work he's describing. It's like 'hey guys, you should ride a bike to school, rolling to school in a barrel is a terrible way to get to school, we should ban barrels. Why do barrels even exists.' derp

@jynt_vrma 3 года назад

@@MrMadvillan Alright, I converted an image to 32 bits, and still, I could use curves. Maybe you are saying something more advance that's beyond my understanding.

@MrMadvillan 3 года назад

@@jynt_vrma you’re right, it’s new for CC2021. however technically speaking it’s still limited to 0-255 which is 8bit color space or just what your screen can display. Regardless levels is a basic Lift-Gamma-Gain tool. It’s one of the most basic tool editors and colorists use for lossless editing. but this channel is more about finishing 8bit images, which levels isn’t appropriate for.

@kkrad1 3 года назад

Thanks for explaning it so clearly ; Keep up the great work.

@ravikumar-wk4ji 3 года назад

"Almighty Curves laughs in corner"

@kamaleshwaranHC 3 года назад

Lel

@hasibgns 3 года назад

Lil

@jynt_vrma 3 года назад

Lul

@abhijeetgawade 3 года назад

😂😂👍

@debmalyadas6562 3 года назад

Lol 🤣

@tdeepankar 3 года назад

It is really helpful and unlocking lots of concepts. Thank you for sharing it up

@s.d.1740 3 года назад

Thanks Unmesh. Learnt a lot through this one. I didn't know so much could be done with curves. Keep going brother!

@MrToroburn 3 года назад

Just wanted to say your presentation style is exemplary. You are a precise and clear communicator and an excellent educator. Keep up the great work.

@colorwithkurt 3 года назад

Fantastic info! Thanks so much, Unmesh.

@saifullahabbas 3 года назад

Thankyou dear. I always wondered why these two tools are used for same purpose. Now I understand the difference..💓

@EmmaArtois 6 месяцев назад

I love you Unmesh! This was so helpful for my experienced beginner skill level. Thanks for the thorough explanations and thoughtful thinking process.

@lightpicture2465 3 года назад

I just started to learn curves yesterday . This video is so full of information . Thank you

@billgz7841 3 года назад

Wow the treble-bass analogy at the end summed it up perfectly for me. SOLD. Thanks for great informative video.

@csasevilla Год назад

Really amazing. Thank you very much for the tips.

@reptilesalonica 3 года назад

You already convinced me from the 1st reason. I was using mainly the midtones from the *Levels* tool, and that because it seemed quicker to work with. But the fact that I can choose to brighten only a portion of the image with *Curves* tool is promising. However, the *Scrubby hand* affects the rest of the image as well, not only the selected area, as I see @ 7:50 Am I missing something?

@scottsbr8076 3 года назад

Great video, Learned a lot about curves that I didn't know you could do. Thanks!

@TheGazmondo 3 года назад

Point number 7 is possibly one of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard for years in photography. Probably your best and most useful videos to date !!

@gangstagrandma 3 года назад

You explained the difference perfectly (never mind the grammar). I'll be using curves from now on. I never really understood before this video. Thank you.

@iMoOnshine 3 года назад

I noticed you never put your adjustment layers to a layer mode here. E.g. when you use the luminosity mode for your curves adjustments, it won’t affect your colours much but only, obviously, the luminosity (brightness, darkness). Like this you avoid unwanted colour changes and don’t have to readjust those.

@ivadimus 3 года назад

you are so professional! Simple, easy, smooth, amazing!

@davidfain1454 3 года назад

Unmesh-- I appreciate your tutorials and your presentation technique. Very professional and well-paced. I am also a big believer in cuves. Thank you!

@vidalstudio 3 года назад

00:56Razón # 1: Todo lo que tú, puedes hacer con los niveles; tú, lo puedes hacer con las curvas y, mucho Más.

@realadultactionman Год назад

Very interesting and well presented. Thank you.

@jaredskeen6986 Год назад

Ok the scrubby hand sold me… that’s so simple!!!!

@sanjibdey61 Год назад

Never found curves useful, I grown up in this field watching you using that mighty curve tool....so I love it from beginning.... ❤️❤️☺️☺️

@deekshagoyal8086 3 года назад

To piximperfact i came here to learn photoshop but always forgot that and focus on your voice your voice goes directly into my ❤

@catarodriguez2264 3 года назад

Thank you for all these amazing free content!!

@DesignRicardo 3 года назад

Tks a lot man, real cool tip! Congratulations for the channel. 👏👏👏👏😉

@randelcooprider6013 3 года назад

Great video. You show so many things to try that I will be using it for a long time.

@Rdavis6593 3 года назад

Thanks. Excellent video. I learned something new about curves.

@jeanyvesdana1917 3 года назад

Great tuto. Simple - Clear - straight to the point - THANK YOU 😉

@ArtdesTests 3 года назад

I'm sold! Thanks Unmesh!

@keypiece7563 3 года назад

Your teaching style is excellent. I learned so much from you! You are clear and detailed. I love watching your videos!

@Stratelier 2 года назад

The flipside is that for simple, broad adjustments the simpler tool can be just faster to use (sometimes even by magnitudes). Just as a traditional painter likely wouldn't claim that the greater precision of a small paintbrush renders their larger brushes redundant, right? Also, yes, "GIMP" is commonly pronounced with the hard G (as in "ghost").

@FoxxDaBest 3 года назад

Fantastic video, best explanation about how to "do stuff" in Photoshop that I've seen. Subbed.

@treadingtheboards2875 3 года назад

I have spent the last week or so getting rid of color casting on scanned photos and slides, using levels I have had around 80% success, but there have been some that levels just wont do anything. Yesterday my son told me that curves works better and showed me, then this morning I found your video, thank you so much for posting this brilliant tutorial.

@robertwhitemoto 3 года назад

Great stuff Unmesh! Thanks!!

@brucekennedy5274 3 года назад

Superb. You explain so well. Thankyou

@vladgubanov5508 Год назад

I was asking myself for such a long time about this!!! Thank you so much!

@ruperterskin2117 Год назад

Right on. Thanks for sharing.

@scopher911 3 года назад

Excellent video Mr Unmesh! Thank you.

@JgHobley 3 года назад

Another great video. Thank you. I'm a sports photographer covering football. I only shoot jpg but use ACR to edit before opening in to Ps where I run a save action. This suites my workflow. I have previously used levels but always found it more difficult to adjust the WB in Ps than in ACR. I like the speed of just using Ps and speed is key for editing in a live situation. Do you think Curves still offer a better alternative? Can you do a video on setting up a workspace for live work? I prefer to use sliders but wonder if these can be incorporated into a workspace? Thanks

@PresencePhotography 3 года назад

You just changed my editing style for the better! I love the way you break it down and make it fun

@goomyz 3 года назад

The most important reason is Levels discards whatever detail falls outside the adjustment triangles. This was much more critical before adjustment layers were invented, but it still needs more emphasis.

@satishsvernekar 3 года назад

Myself use lavels all the time. But there are so much advantages of using curves. Thanks Unmesh for uploading this vdo, showing the advantages of curves.

@edwardanderson3506 3 года назад

Love the bass and treble analogy!

@sidney.heiderscheid 3 года назад

Man, glad for you sharing all this! Best regards from Brazil!

@jaybillups2063 3 года назад

Great. Very helpful. Thank you very much.

@Shmeeeps 3 года назад

You answered questions I had about Curves that I was too embarrassed to not know, after using Photoshop for over 20 years. Finally saying goodbye to Levels!

@thefoofanman 3 года назад

Best explanation on curves. Now i think i am comfortable using the curves. Thank you

@eleonorara5316 Год назад

I saw many videos of you. You are a SUPER TEACHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The best I have seen until now. You make everything to look easy! Thank you for your knowledge sharing! 🎖🎖🏆

@jswanson859 3 года назад

This video is FANTASTIC! Curves rocks. Thanks for sharing. I needed these tricks.

@DanielaAlarconilustracion 3 года назад

You are soo the best thank you so much for this I've been using levels and didn't understand really curves, this is so much better!!!

@rafag.7673 2 года назад

Great video. I learnt a lot. Thanks!

@lancelenoir2875 3 года назад

Great analogy at the end.

@idontwantacallsign 3 года назад

That is also what I learned 15 years ago. Thanks for cementing the facts. Just gotta love this channel💚💚

@ShinDongJi 3 года назад

Just dropped by to say Thank you Unmesh. I am one of those people you mentioned who live and die with levels. My knowledge with curves is mediocre, but this really got me hooked to it. All the best and Stay safe!

@marionwood3986 3 года назад

I just love watching your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us.

@deepaksamani 3 года назад

Awesome explanation, thankyou

@BESTIAL_BEAST 3 года назад

Gracias, excelente explicación.

@edwardcottrill584 2 года назад

You should make a full video of the watercolour effect tutorial (starting around 11:00) -- it was very difficult for me to find this again! 😊😊

@renedayrit9578 3 года назад

So many things I haven learnt to your channel and tutorial In PS your the best of all God Bless You Bro.. More many tutorial and more power...

@morizanova8219 3 года назад

Really love your EQ analogy!

@BitAnBobs 3 года назад

Hi Unmesh. I've been using curves for a long time. You've just shown me things I didn't even know were possible with curves. Thank you. Sometimes I use levels to correct white balance with the middle picker. It does a good job most of the time. Is it possible to use curves to correct white balance? Thanks

@QuickR 3 года назад

Thanks. I really needed this eyeopener.

@marcmartel2829 2 года назад

You, sir, are a master communicator. Really enjoying your channel.

@Haz1Art 3 года назад

Yea this are definitely not for everyone, or specificly every type of editing job. The fact that Levels are simplified version of curves are exactly what I need. I dont need all those extra adjustment when im working with most of my job that require me to edit over 600 images. Levels get the job done by half the time than working with curves. There are times to use these tools, levels or curves, even when YOU PERSONALLY think they're not. I dont like the tone in this tutorial. Its like you're so personally attached to it. When you should just treat it as tools to optimize your workflow. They're just tools with same function suited for different situation. Same case with the Magic Wand. That thing saved me a lot of time by a huge margin compared to using Object Selection tool where I have to go back fix the selection even on a high contrast images.