How to Adjust Light and Dark in Photoshop

This guide explains how to adjust Light and Dark in Photoshop, with clear steps, practical tips, and important checks before you begin.

1. Lighten and darken with Blending Mode

Step 1: You right click on the Background layer (1) => Duplicate Layer. (2) .

Next, you name the new layer (3) => OK (4) .

Step 2: Click on the Blend mode (1) and choose a suitable color blending style (2) . Depending on the color of the image, you can choose a suitable color blend. Like the example below, the Screen color blends will be brighter and the Soft Light and Hard Light blends darken the image.

After the color blending is complete, you can Save the image again.

2. Lighten and darken with Brightness / Contrast

Step 1: Click on the menu Image (1) => Adjustments (2) => Brightness / Contrast. (3) .

Step 2: You adjust the Brightness (1) to adjust the brightness and Contrast (2) to adjust the contrast. The Brightness + index will increase the brightness and vice versa, the index - will decrease the brightness. With Contrast (contrast) is the opposite: index + will darken the image and index - brighten. After editing is complete, click OK (3) and save the image.

3. Lighten and darken with Levels

Step 1: Click on the menu Image (1) => Adjustments (2) => Levels (3) .

Step 2: You can set the Input Levels (1) and Output Levels (2) accordingly and you can see the sample image inside the Photoshop editor while editing on the dialog box. After editing is complete, click OK .

4. Lighten the shadows with Curves

Step 1: Click on the menu Image (1) => Adjustments (2) => Curves. (3) .

Step 2: You adjust the graph border (1) curled upwards to lighten the image or curved downwards to darken the image. After editing the picture, click OK (2) to finish.

5. Lighten and darken with Exposure

Step 1: Click on the menu Image (1) => Adjustments (2) => Exposure (3) .

Step 2: You adjust the Exposure lever (1) to the left to darken the photo or to the right to brighten the photo. Once done, click OK (2) to save.

With the instructions in the article, you can easily adjust the brightness for photos in Photoshop. Good luck!