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How to Vignette an Image in PhotoShop

A vignette is a (usually subtle) darker area around the subject, which tends to direct the viewer's attention towards the center of interest, and discourages the eye from wandering away from the subject and into background areas of the photo.

These step-by-step instructions use the drop-down menus commonly found at the top of the PhotoShop screen or window. (It is a separate subject entirely to review all of the many different types of shortcuts available, where they may be located and how to best use them.)

This is the approach most commonly useful to the most people:

1. Open an image in PhotoShop
2. Layer  /   Duplicate Layer   Click  OK   to create a "Background Copy" to protect your original image
3. Click on the Elliptical Marquee Tool and create an oval around the subject
4. Select   /   Inverse  to select the area outside the oval
5. Layer   /   New Adjustment Layer   /   Curves  Click  OK  to bring up the Curves Layer dialogue box
6. In the dialogue box, pull the middle of the diagonal line downwards 1/3 to 1/2 of the way to the "x" axis, then click "OK"
7. Filter   /   Blur   /   Gaussian Blur  to bring up the dialogue box
8. In the Gaussian Blur dialogue box, move the slider to the right to get to a blur number in the 150 - 200 - 250 range, larger for a more gradual darkening
9. To make the vignette darker: Layer / Duplicate Layer to double the level of vignette, or repeat steps 3 thru 8 to apply another, separate vignette layer
   or
   
10. Alternately, making sure you are working on the vignette layer, go to Image   /  Adjustments  /  Shadow/Highlight  and play with the sliders to adjust the "softness" or "hardness" of the vignette, to make it darker or lighter, etc.

You will need to practice this process 10 to 20 times in order to get a "feel" for the following:

• How to use the Elliptical Marquee Tool in Step 3, such as, how much of a margin to leave around the perimeter of your center of interest, or how the oval might include only a part of your subject, for example:
  • How far down to pull the diagonal line in Step 6, in the Curves dialogue box, so that the vignette is not too dark or too light, which is a matter of taste
  • What number works best for you or the image at hand in Step 8, the Gaussian Blur dialogue box, to blur the edge of the darkened oval "peephole" so that the effect is appropriately subtle and not distracting
  • Methods to darken or lighten the vignette (Steps 9 & 10) or to change the coverage area of the vignette to achieve the desired effect on the image

The SCLH Photography Group wants to thank Ron Parker for sharing this technique with the Photo Enhancement SIG.

Any errors, misrepresentations or omissions are entirely the responsibility of the author of this "How to" piece, Patrick Vath.

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