You can access Camera Raw filter settings in Photoshop in two primary ways: through the Camera Raw dialog itself or via Photoshop's preferences.
Here's a breakdown of each method:
1. Accessing Camera Raw Settings via the Camera Raw Dialog:
This is the typical method when you want to adjust settings for a specific image. The Camera Raw dialog appears when:
- Opening RAW files: Photoshop automatically opens RAW files (e.g., .CR2, .NEF, .ARW) in the Camera Raw dialog.
- Using "Filter > Camera Raw Filter": You can apply the Camera Raw filter to other image types (like JPEGs and TIFFs) by selecting "Filter > Camera Raw Filter" from the Photoshop menu. This applies the filter nondestructively as a Smart Filter.
Once the Camera Raw dialog is open, all of your filter settings are readily available within the interface. These settings are organized into several tabs, including:
- Basic: Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks, Texture, Clarity, Dehaze, Vibrance, and Saturation
- Curve: Tone Curve adjustments
- Detail: Sharpening and Noise Reduction
- Color Mixer: Adjustments to individual color channels (Hue, Saturation, Luminance)
- Color Grading: Color adjustments in shadows, midtones, and highlights
- Optics: Lens corrections (profile and manual)
- Geometry: Perspective corrections
- Effects: Grain, Vignette
- Calibration: Camera calibration profiles
2. Accessing Camera Raw Preferences through Photoshop:
You can find the Camera Raw Preferences by navigating through Photoshop's menu:
- (On Windows): Edit > Preferences > Camera Raw
- (On macOS): Photoshop > Preferences > Camera Raw
The Camera Raw Preferences dialog lets you customize how Camera Raw works generally, including:
- Default Image Settings: How images are initially processed when opened in Camera Raw.
- Cache Settings: How Camera Raw handles cached image data for performance.
- DNG Handling: Options for handling DNG (Digital Negative) files.
- GPU Acceleration: Whether to use your computer's graphics card for faster processing.
- Workflow Options: Settings for how Camera Raw interacts with Photoshop.
In summary, use the Camera Raw dialog (Filter > Camera Raw Filter) to adjust settings for individual images. Use Photoshop Preferences (Edit > Preferences > Camera Raw or Photoshop > Preferences > Camera Raw) to configure general Camera Raw settings that apply to all images.
