How To Add A Filter In Krita

What are Filter Layers and why should I apply them?

Let'due south say you want to turn a photo black and white and apply some tone adjustments. You turn the photograph black and white, ready the dissimilarity and you are happy with information technology so you save information technology. Then you lot think actually peradventure I overdid the contrast and actually I liked the colour version. If you saved over the original and then I'k afraid there is no going back.

This is what is known as destructive editing. Each change you make alters the original file and can only be undone by pressing Undo (if you haven't saved over it).

This is the bad style of editing files.

Non Destructive Editing

Not Destructive Editing is the opposite of this approach. With this method, every single change can be toggled, changed or removed at whatsoever time. If you lot work professionally this is the only fashion to organise your work.

Rather than edit the original image this approach stacks the alterations on top of the image only leaves the original image unchanged. This is where Filter Layers come up in.

If you are already familiar with Photoshop this is the aforementioned thing equally Adjustment Layers.

So allow me to demonstrate a non-subversive way of editing a photo in Krita.

I open up up my original epitome in Krita.

Now rather than select the filters from the tiptop menu, I am going to create a new filter layer.

Then first I am going to add a desaturate filter.

This has created a new layer which sits above the original prototype. Although the end upshot is a desaturated image the original image is unaffected and I can toggle the effect on/off.

And then next I am going to tweak the levels a bit so in one case again I create a new filter layer and select the levels adjustment filter. Once once again a new filter layer has been created leaving the original intact. I select Automobile Levels.

Applying the same steps I used on the two previous filters, I finally add a sharpen filter to finish the prototype off.

The reason this is the best mode to work is because every filter can be removed or toggled on and off. I can even alter the settings of the filters by right-clicking on the filter layer and then selecting properties. This brings upwards the Filter options, I can now change the original settings I selected when I created the Filter Layer.

You tin too suit the opacity of the Filter layer which gives you the option of easing in the effect. You can re-society the layers too, this will as well affect the cease result.

Adding Masks to Filters

Let'southward say yous merely want to adjust ane area of the photograph. For instance, it's incredibly common for the sky to be overexposed in a photo. And so in lodge to set this issue, you would want to darken the sky but leave the land unaffected because the land is already correctly exposed.

This is where you lot introduce a transparency mask to the filter layer. The transparency mask allows you to select which area of the image is affected and past how much. Let me to demonstrate.

In this photo, the sky is as well bright (to be honest the whole photograph is a bit too vivid). And then I add a filter layer with a levels aligning and tweak the settings until I like the way the sky looks. I ignore the basis because I know I will mask it out.

With my levels filter practical I next create a new Transparency Mask. This mask volition determine the coverage of the levels aligning. What I am going to practice is create a slope over the heaven of the photograph. This will ease in the effect over the heaven so it doesn't look also harsh.

To do this I select the new mask layer and draw a slope with the gradient tool. The gradient goes from black to white. Black existence transparent and white being opaque.

If you want to isolate the mask layer so you tin can work on it without distractions, right click on it and toggle isolate layer.

Finally, pick the blend fashion which suits your photo best, normal is what I picked.

As y'all can see above the sky has been gradually darkened just the residual of the photo has been left alone.

Finally, make sure you save your file as a Krita Document so you can edit it in the hereafter. Every bit long as y'all keep your Krita Document, you can export multiple variations of the aforementioned paradigm forever.

Another reason it is a good idea to work non-destructively with photos like this is due to the variance of figurer screens. Y'all could piece of work on ane monitor which is too vivid (often laptops) and cease up darkening the photo more than needed. Then when you lot get on to another estimator with a better screen fix you realize your photo is too dark.

This happens a lot when people impress their photos, the prints come out too dark because the photo was adapted with a screen that was too bright.

Thanks for reading.