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Collator / Malin Fabbri
Contributors / Jim Read, Grace Taylor, Clay Harmon, David Hatton, Gimp curves by Matthew Miller

Curve corner - Photoshop curves for making digital negatives

A curve could be described as the representation of all the tones in an image, from highlights to shadows. Photoshop curves are a great tool for creating a balanced digital negative. They help you control the tonal values and contrast of an image or a negative. Now you can download ready-made curves here - or upload yours to share with others.

Also send us yours, by email

You can of course adjust the curves to adjust them depending on how you manilpulated your photograph or which paper you will be printing it on. All the same, they are a good starting point.

If you have problems downloading the curves:
On a PC: Right-click with the mouse on the link and select "Save Target As"
On a mac: Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the link. Select "Download Link to Disk".

Specific about Gimp curves:
If you are using Gimp your curves need to be put in /.gimp-2.*/curves/ under your home directory.

Download cyanotype curves for Photoshop and Gimp
Process to use curve for:	Image made using curve:
Cyanotype curve by Jim Read. Click here to download the curve for Photoshop Click here to download the curve for Gimp The curve should look like this:
Download gumprint curve for Photoshop
Process to use curve for:	Image made using curve:
Gumprint curve by David Hatton. Click here to download the curve for Photoshop The curve should look like this:	Note from David: The curve is applied before inversion to a negative and the image should be RGB. When printing these negatives the overall density of the ink laid down can be increased, whilst keeping the densities relative to each other, by using the photoshop 'Apply Image' function set to multiply. This gives better exposure control for me as I use the Sun as my lightsource.
Download photopolymer curve for Photoshop
Process to use curve for:	Image made using curve:
Photopolymer curve by Jim Read. Click here to download the curve for Photoshop Read Jim's article on Photopolymers. The curve should look like this:
Download platinum curves for Photoshop and Gimp
Process to use curve for:	Image made using curve:
Platinum print curve Click here to download the curve for Photoshop Click here to download the curve for Gimp The curve should look like this:	Platinum print curve version 2 Click here to download the curve for Photoshop Click here to download the curve for Gimp The curve should look like this:
Download ratio curve for Photoshop
Process to use curve for:	Image made using curve:
Ratio Curve Works for both Platium, Albumen and Saltprints Read more in Clay's article by Clay Harmon. Click here to download the curve for Photoshop The curve should look like this:	Postive and Negative of Paris Chairs.
Download vandyke curves for Photoshop and Gimp
Process to use curve for:	Image made using curve:
Vandyke curve by Grace Taylor. Click here to download the curve for Photoshop Click here to download the curve for Gimp The curve should look like this:
Vandyke curve by Jim Read. Click here to download the curve for Photoshop Click here to download the curve for Gimp The curve should look like this:

How to import a curve in Photoshop

Importing a curve is easy. Just load the curves menu.

Then press "Load":

Select the right curve:

That's it!

How to save your curves in Photoshop

You can adjust the curves or create your own by pulling the centre or one of the handles at the end:

When you are happy with the settings you have and want to use it for another photograph, just save the settings:

That's it! Now you can reuse it next time you want to make a negative.

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