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Manage Settings
The Settings tab in each filter window lets you create, manage, download, share and back up your favorite filter recipes.
To apply a setting, click the Settings tab and select the desired setting in the list.
Film Settings
The most important settings are named after film stocks and begin with the word "Film." Selecting one of these settings sets many parameters throughout the tabs. Each of these settings encompasses many effects that add up to a certain look.
To imitate film stocks that were available during creation of Exposure, we did test shoots with the film and with a Canon 20D digital camera. We shot a special chart, as well as scenes including flesh tones and colorful natural objects. We then measured differences between the film and digital images using custom software we created. This enabled us to create settings that mimic the look of these film stocks. Most of the film settings control warming/cooling (or sometimes filter color), saturation (for color films), RGB sensitivity (for black and white films), a curve in the Tone tab, and grain parameters. We chose to leave black and white colorization and focus controls untouched in the film settings. Those controls are more for special effects.
For film stocks that were discontinued years go, like GAF 500 and Kodak EES, we obtained archival photos and experimented until our settings closely matched the images. For these settings, we owe Greg Myhra and Larry Ketchum a debt of gratitude.
We are glad those guys never throw anything away! If you would like us to generate settings for any film stocks that are not in our list, please show us some high-resolution examples, and we will give it a shot.
Compared to digital sensors, film has a less linear response to light. Below is a characteristic curve for a film stock.
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If this curve were a straight line, the response would be perfectly linear, and the film would reproduce a perfectly realistic image within that brightness range. Whenever the curve is shallower than 45°, contrast is lowered. Areas steeper than 45° designate increased contrast. This S-shaped curve would increase contrast in midtones, block up shadows, and blow out highlights. Expect to see varying amounts of these effects from all of the settings based on real film stocks. If these effects bother you, simply reset the curve in the Tone tab after loading the settings.
The Grain tab is the most unique part of Exposure. We put film grain under a microscope, literally. There we found that real grain can be larger than one pixel, has subtle color characteristics, and often appears with different strengths in the highlights, midtones, and shadows. Below are some examples of our microscope photos. As you might expect, the higher speed film has larger grains.
Above are photomicrographs that we took while studying film grain. From left to right they are Kodak TRI-X 400, Fuji Velvia 100, and Ilford Delta 3200.Note that the film settings are designed to be applied to images that have received very little manipulation. If these are applied to an image that has boosted color and/or contrast, the result will appear quite extreme.
Image Enhancement Settings
If you want to use Exposure for specific image enhancement tasks rather than full-blown film simulation, then look for the settings that begin with "Modify." These settings usually control a subset of parameters, making them much easier to understand than the film settings.
Special Effect Settings
These settings are for creative work rather than accurate simulation of film stocks. Their names begin with "Special." This category encompasses a wide range of effects such as cross processing, selenium/sepia toning, and glamour shots soft focus.
Saving Settings
To save a setting:
- Adjust sliders to taste.
- Click the Settings tab.
- Click Save.
- Type a name for your new setting into the Save Setting window.
- Click OK.
You can also save a setting by pressing Command + S (Macintosh) or Control + S (Windows) any time while previewing an effect. The Save Setting dialog box will appear.
Renaming Settings
To rename a setting:
- Click the Settings Tab.
- Click Manage.
- Select the setting that you want to rename.
- Click Rename.
- Type in the new name.
- Close the Manage Settings dialog.
Deleting Settings
To delete a setting:
- Click Manage.
- Select the setting you want to delete.
- Click Delete.
- Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
Exporting Settings
When you export a setting, Exposure packages the recipe in a tiny file that you can share with friends. You can also use the export feature to back up settings that you cannot live without.
To export a setting:
- Click Manage.
- Select the setting you want to export.
- Click Export.
- Navigate to the location where you want to store the settings file.
- Click OK.
Importing Settings
There are two ways to route settings to Exposure. The first method is the simplest way to import shared or archived settings:
- Find the setting that you want to add.
- Double-click it.
- Click OK.
If you prefer doing things the hard way, use the following method:
- From within the user interface, click the Settings tab.
- Click Manage.
- Click Import.
- Navigate to the location where you have stored the setting.
- Click Open.
- Close the Manage Settings dialog.
E-mailing Settings
To e-mail a setting:
- Click Manage.
- Select the setting you want to e-mail.
- Click E-Mail.
If your e-mail client is compatible with our settings manager, a message will pop up like magic, with the setting attached. Eudora, Outlook, Microsoft Entourage (Mac), Apple Mail and Outlook. Express work great. Netscape Mail is not compatible with our e-mail feature.