Snapseed Tips

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MobiLifer
Mobi Veteran
Real Name
Ted
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iPhone 14 Pro
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I think the brush tool that would work best is the one you find in the effects stack.

As you apply effects in Snapseed, they get added in layers. At the top right of the screen, next to Save, is a number that shows the number of effects layers you've applied. If you tap on that number, you get a pop up in the lower right that shows the stack of effects layers. If you tap on one of those layers, you get a fly-out menu with a brush icon. Tap that, and you can apply that layer's effect to any part of the image with the brush.

So if you want to brighten the face by raising the Brightness setting, for example, you apply the Brightness to the whole image until the face looks right (even though other parts of the image will now be too bright). Once that's applied, you then go to the layer stack, pick the brush for the Brightness effect, and brush it on the face just where you want it. (When you select the brush icon, the effect gets masked off the entire image, and your brush strokes bring it back.)

It's not intuitive, but once you get the hang of it, it works very well.
 
I think the brush tool that would work best is the one you find in the effects stack.

As you apply effects in Snapseed, they get added in layers. At the top right of the screen, next to Save, is a number that shows the number of effects layers you've applied. If you tap on that number, you get a pop up in the lower right that shows the stack of effects layers. If you tap on one of those layers, you get a fly-out menu with a brush icon. Tap that, and you can apply that layer's effect to any part of the image with the brush.

So if you want to brighten the face by raising the Brightness setting, for example, you apply the Brightness to the whole image until the face looks right (even though other parts of the image will now be too bright). Once that's applied, you then go to the layer stack, pick the brush for the Brightness effect, and brush it on the face just where you want it. (When you select the brush icon, the effect gets masked off the entire image, and your brush strokes bring it back.)

It's not intuitive, but once you get the hang of it, it works very well.
you learn new things everyday. haven't tried this work flow before. I'll give it a try.
 
I think the brush tool that would work best is the one you find in the effects stack.

As you apply effects in Snapseed, they get added in layers. At the top right of the screen, next to Save, is a number that shows the number of effects layers you've applied. If you tap on that number, you get a pop up in the lower right that shows the stack of effects layers. If you tap on one of those layers, you get a fly-out menu with a brush icon. Tap that, and you can apply that layer's effect to any part of the image with the brush.

So if you want to brighten the face by raising the Brightness setting, for example, you apply the Brightness to the whole image until the face looks right (even though other parts of the image will now be too bright). Once that's applied, you then go to the layer stack, pick the brush for the Brightness effect, and brush it on the face just where you want it. (When you select the brush icon, the effect gets masked off the entire image, and your brush strokes bring it back.)

It's not intuitive, but once you get the hang of it, it works very well.
Been playing with it a bit more. realised what I was craving, a touch pen. that I have, somewhere. want more precision then my fingers can achieve. [emoji12]
 
I think the brush tool that would work best is the one you find in the effects stack.

As you apply effects in Snapseed, they get added in layers. At the top right of the screen, next to Save, is a number that shows the number of effects layers you've applied. If you tap on that number, you get a pop up in the lower right that shows the stack of effects layers. If you tap on one of those layers, you get a fly-out menu with a brush icon. Tap that, and you can apply that layer's effect to any part of the image with the brush.

So if you want to brighten the face by raising the Brightness setting, for example, you apply the Brightness to the whole image until the face looks right (even though other parts of the image will now be too bright). Once that's applied, you then go to the layer stack, pick the brush for the Brightness effect, and brush it on the face just where you want it. (When you select the brush icon, the effect gets masked off the entire image, and your brush strokes bring it back.)

It's not intuitive, but once you get the hang of it, it works very well.
Wow!!! :notworthy: Thanks for this detailed explanation....I'm not sure I would have figured that out very quickly. I'm going to go try it now!!

EDIT: Mind.Blown. :notworthy:

I had no idea how the brush worked.... I'm pretty sure I'd tried it before and said "Huh?!?!?" and that was that. I would never have tried things in the proper order as you explained them. The only thing I don't like is there is no erase tool.... if you smudge the mask onto an area you don't want, I couldn't see any way to erase it, other than starting over. :barf: I had to zoom way in for detail, but still you could easily paint a piece that you don't want masked.

Also, what is that very annoying rectangle that is always present in the lower left when you zoom in? It obviously has something to do with zooming, but so far it just annoys the <blank> out of me. :mad:
 
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The only thing I don't like is there is no erase tool.... if you smudge the mask onto an area you don't want, I couldn't see any way to erase it, other than starting over.
You can -- it's just not obvious. At the bottom center on the brushing screen, there are up and down arrows that raise or lower the intensity of the brush. It starts all the way up. You'd think that when you down arrow it to zero, that'd mean the brush has no effect -- but in fact that turns the brush into an eraser. (Whoever designed the interface tripped up there, I'd say.)
 
You can -- it's just not obvious. At the bottom center on the brushing screen, there are up and down arrows that raise or lower the intensity of the brush. It starts all the way up. You'd think that when you down arrow it to zero, that'd mean the brush has no effect -- but in fact that turns the brush into an eraser. (Whoever designed the interface tripped up there, I'd say.)
[emoji33]

Again, I would never guess that in a million years. You rock!!! Thank you!! This has added a whole new dimension to my most-used app!!!!

EDIT: Dumbest way to have an eraser. :barf: But at least I know.

Here's a glitch I found: I added the Grunge filter, which has a very loud, distinct texture, and when I tried brushing the mask, it only put the color on the image and no texture at all.
 
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Also, what is that very annoying rectangle that is always present in the lower left when you zoom in? It obviously has something to do with zooming, but so far it just annoys the <blank> out of me. :mad:
That rectangle marks out the portion of the image you're seeing on the screen when you're zoomed in. It has only one purpose as far as I can tell -- you can drag it around within its box to pan the zoomed image. You can also pan the image by placing two fingers on the zoomed part and sliding them around, but then you run the risk of accidentally brushing on the image if your two-finger touch is a bit sloppy.
 
That rectangle marks out the portion of the image you're seeing on the screen when you're zoomed in. It has only one purpose as far as I can tell -- you can drag it around within its box to pan the zoomed image. You can also pan the image by placing two fingers on the zoomed part and sliding them around, but then you run the risk of accidentally brushing on the image if your two-finger touch is a bit sloppy.
I really wish you could turn it on/off. It gets in the way and covers part of the image one is trying to work on....very annoying to me. :mad:
 
That is a great explanation. My one pieve about Snapssed was how to do select edits. Now I can do them and i would never have figured out the eraser. Thanks Ted
 
After working with Photoshop on the computer for several years I find the methods used to do certain familiar tasks in apps seem very much like work-arounds. It's like coaxing the program to do something by indirect means that it was never designed to do.
The way I'm used to doing local burning & dodging is like taking a lightening or darkening brush and setting it at 5%, for example, and progressively painting on various parts of the image whatever amount of adjustment that part needs, building it up locally and progressively by the selected % at each stroke. Is there a parallel to this in Snapseed or iColorama?
Mostly what substitutes for burning & dodging in many apps is one overall adjustment and masking out the parts you don't want adjusted. It would take numerous layers of this type of adjustment to be similar to traditional burning & dodging.
Another of my favourite adjustments is gradient exposure or colour layers.
Another thing I find missing in blending modes is the "blend if" settings.
 
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Oh, never say that. Somebody can always do it dumber. But it's pretty opaque, yeah.

Hehe. Thanx for the detailed explenations. really bumped up my game with snapseed. Snapseeds finer tools are not intuitive but, useful when you finally learn them. :thumbs:
 
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