Cross Processing
Note: Roll your mouse cursor over the effects names to see the indicated PhotoKit Color effect.
Simulating film cross process effects
It was around the 1980s that photographers began experimenting with film cross processing. The basic idea was to take a color emulsion film and develop it using the wrong chemical process. For example, you would develop color negative (C41) film as if it were a color transparency (E6). And vice versa, one could develop color transparency film as if it were a color negative. The results were unpredictable and only a few film types were suitable for the cross processing treatment.

The PhotoKit Color 2.0 Cross Processing series will enable you to recreate these types of film effects in Photoshop. Also included are some interesting variations of the basic cross processing technique, including six Lab Color effects, that take the concept of cross processing to a new level.

Cross Processing Layers
When you apply a Cross Processing effect, it will create a layer set containing three separate layers. The lowest of these is always the base effect layer. This contains the main color effect and is set to an opacity of 75%. You can adjust the layer opacity to increase or decrease the effect's strength.

The layer above that is the tint layer. This is a semi-transparent layer which adds a highlight tint color to the base effect. The default opacity is 50%. You can increase or decrease the opacity to strengthen or lessen the tint color. Try experimenting by varying the opacities for both these layers to obtain different variations of each effect.

The uppermost layer is called the contrast layer, which will enable you to restore all the luminosity information in the original image. The default opacity is 0%. This default setting will produce a recognizable cross processing effect, which will include the characteristic pale yellow/orange coloring in the whites. The E6-C41 effects will also have a more pronounced high contrast at this 0% setting. Raising the opacity of the contrast layer can help soften the contrast and remove the white cast color, if so desired.

Lab Color Layers
The Lab Color effects produce a layer set containing two layers marked A and B channel layers. Again, you can vary the layer opacities to obtain different results. It is particularly worth while experimenting with these, because you can obtain a wide range of variations within each Lab Color effect.

Of all the effects in PhotoKit Color 2.0, the Lab Color effects produce the most dramatic color changes. Some images will look great afterwards, but others may show noticeable blotches or banding, particularly in areas of gentle, tonal transition. This is because there is always a trade-off between pushing the colors to extremes to achieve dramatic color results and amplifying defects, which are caused by 'stretching' the levels in the original image. For best results, don't use the Lab Color effects with low resolution pictures or images that have been saved as JPEGs with heavy compression. As with all the other PhotoKit effects, if you don't like the result, just delete the layer set. Applying a PhotoKit effect will never damage the original image.