Here is the general workflow you follow when you correct the tonality and color of an image:

1. Use the histogram to check the quality and tonal range of the image.

2. Adjust the color balance to remove unwanted color casts or to correct oversaturated or undersaturated colors. See Color adjustment commands.

3. Adjust the tonal range, using either the Levels or Curves dialog box.

   Begin tonal corrections by adjusting the values of the extreme highlight and shadow pixels in the image, setting an overall tonal range for the image. This process is known as setting the highlights and shadows or setting the white and black points. Setting the highlights and shadows typically redistributes the midtone pixels appropriately. However, you may need to adjust your midtones manually.

   To adjust the tonality in just shadow and highlight areas, use the Shadow/Highlight command. See Improve shadow and highlight detail.

4. (Optional) Make other color adjustments.

   After you correct the overall color balance of your image, you can make optional adjustments to enhance colors or produce special effects.

5. Sharpen the edges in the image.

   As one of the final steps, use the Unsharp Mask filter to sharpen the clarity of edges in the image. The amount of sharpening required for an image varies according to the image quality produced by the digital camera or scanner you use. See Sharpen images.

6. (Optional) Target the image for press characteristics.

   If are sending your image to a printing press, and you know the characteristics of the press, you can use options in the Levels dialog box or Curves dialog box to import highlight and shadow information into the gamut of an output device, like a desktop printer.

   Because sharpening increases the contrast of neighboring pixels, it’s possible that some pixels in critical areas might become unprintable on the press that you’re using. For this reason, it’s best to fine‑tune the output settings after sharpening. For more information on adjusting the output settings, see Setting highlight and shadow target values.

For videos on making tonal and lighting corrections, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0009 and www.adobe.com/go/vid0010.