3 Steps on How to do Photoshop Cross Processing and What is its Uses on Graphic Design – Image Cross Process

Pictures was crossed process by enhancing warm colors.

Pictures was crossed process by enhancing warm colors.

What is Cross Process in Graphic Design?

What is cross processing, also known as (x-pro) back in the days were photographs are needed to be developed on dark rooms to make the picture visible. Cross processing was an effect that is accidentally discovered on developing pictures by combining different chemicals. The results vary in their contrasts and colors.

In modern day, Digital images were produced instantly, right before your fingers pressed the button. In that sense, how can we produce the same effect of cross processing as before? It is important to know how the image were produced. In digital process when you combine RGB Red, Green and Blue colors the picture become clear and visible, easy as that.

To achieve the cross processing on already processed picture, we need an editing tool. One of the most popular tools I have known was Photoshop, there could be other tools for this, but our tutorial is for Photoshop. Let’s have a look on how we cross process in Photoshop using layers. This can also be done using channels tab but if you wish to do it in multiple images, it is recommended to do it in layers.

3 Steps to do the cross process in Adobe Photoshop

Brightness & Contrast Fill, Blending Option

1.       Create a new fill > Brightness/Contrast > Blending Option > Tick only the red box in Advance blending section and channel.

To organize the layer, you may change the layer color in according to its color channel if its red channel, change the color layer to red.

Tip: you can just double-click the layer to open the Blending Option window

Legacy Option

2.       Still on the selected fill layer see the properties panel and tick the Legacy box to drastically change the colors

Legacy box – when unchecked, legacy option preserves the tone of image.

Duplicate Fill Layers – Red, Blue, Green

3.       By dragging or right-click Duplicate Layer, create 2 more fill layers for Blue and Green Channels.

Finally, to achieve the color temperature you need to balance each fill layers.

keep in mind that depending on the percentage of the highlights and shadows of the image you’re working on, you may want to base the fill properties adjustment to the biggest percentage.

From the sample image I have you can see from the overall that the picture has a lot of dark areas which means If I want to make the picture cooler, I first pick the cooler fill layer Blue and Green and slide it to the left, so it affects more areas from the picture.

On how to control each fill layers, when the slider goes right where you are looking it determines the light part of the image in other direction when you slide left the fill will affect the dark parts of the image. You can play with the slider to achieve more creative results.

Cross Processing usage on graphic design

1. gives a vintage retro or vintage effect due to low contrast and specific color imbalance
2. gives specific color temperature - warm or cool color effect to adapt the image to preferred design style