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ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS2
User Guide
A
B
C
Channel types.
A.
Color channels
B.
Spot channels
C.
Alpha channels
You can use the palette to view any combination of channels in the document window. For example, you can view an
alpha channel and the composite channel together to see how changes made in the alpha channel relate to the entire
image.
Individual channels are displayed in grayscale. In RGB, CMYK, or Lab images, you can view the individual channels
in color. (In Lab images, only the
a
and
b
channels appear in color.) If more than one channel is active, the channels
always appear in color.
You can change the default to show the individual color channels in color. When a channel is visible in the image, an
eye icon
appears to its left in the palette.
In alpha channels, selected pixels appear as white; unselected pixels appear as black (partially selected pixels appear
as gray). These are the channel default options.
If you display an alpha channel at the same time as color channels, the alpha channel appears as a transparent color
overlay, analogous to a printer’s rubylith or a sheet of acetate. To change the color of this overlay or set other alpha
channel options, choose Channel options from the Channels palette menu.
Viewing thumbnails is a convenient way of tracking channel contents; however, turning off the display of thumbnails
can improve performance.
To display the Channels palette, choose Windows > Channels.
To resize or hide channel thumbnails, choose Palette Options from the Channels palette menu. Click a thumbnail
size or click None to turn off the display of thumbnails.
To show or hide a channel
❖
Click in the eye column next to the channel to show or hide that channel. (Click the composite channel to view all
default color channels. The composite channel is displayed whenever all the color channels are visible.)
To show or hide multiple channels, drag through the eye column in the Channels palette.
