Use Levels in the GIMP Application

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Steps

Video: Use Levels in the GIMP Application

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You're watching VisiHow. In this tutorial, we're going to show you how to adjust "Levels" in GIMP in Windows 7.

1. 1
   You should have the program open and an image ready to use

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   You can refer to our other tutorials to find out exactly how to do that.

   

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2. 2
   First, click "Colors" in the horizontal toolbar along the top of the screen

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   If "Toolbox" is covering it, move "Toolbox" away by dragging the window.

   

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3. 3
   Then, click "Levels" in the drop-down menu

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   A dialogue box will appear where you can start adjusting levels.

   

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4. 4
   Click the "Presets" drop-down menu and select a preset if you have it

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5. 5
   You can add a preset later by clicking the plus icon next to the drop-down menu

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6. 6
   Next, you can change the "Channel" by clicking the drop-down menu below "Presets"

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7. 7
   Click "Red", "Green", "Blue", or "Alpha"

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   You can also reset the channel by clicking the "Reset Channel" button.

   

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8. 8
   Now, you can begin experimenting with your levels by clicking and dragging the triangles below the "Input Levels" graph

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   If you drag the left triangle to the right, the dark areas of the photo will become darker. If you drag the right triangle to the left, the white, or lighter, areas of the photo will be highlighted.

   

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9. 9
   Click and drag the triangle in the middle

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   It is the grey triangle that will adjust midtones, giving a more realistic effect.

   

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10. 10
    You can also manually type the numbers below the bar

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11. 11
    There are color picker icons that you can click

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    These tools will allow you to specify where exactly in your image you'd like to focus.

    

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12. 12
    You can then change "Output Levels" by typing values manually or by using the scroller

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    "Output Levels" affect the whole image rather than just highlights or shadows.

    

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13. 13
    Ensure that "Preview" is checked

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14. 14
    You can click "Reset" to reset all of the changes

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15. 15
    Click "OK" once you're satisfied with the changes

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This is a VisiHow tutorial, and we've just shown you how to use "Levels" in GIMP in Windows 7. If you have any questions or comments regarding this tutorial or the program used, just add them to the section below. As always, thank you for choosing VisiHow!

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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