Effectively remove chromatic aberrations in images

There are few things as frustrating as unwanted color fringes in photos. These chromatic aberrations can severely detract from an otherwise successful image. If you’re struggling with these image errors, you’ve come to the right place. In this detailed guide, I will show you how to remove chromatic aberrations using Affinity Photo. You will learn both the use of live filters and manual techniques to eliminate these color fringes. Let’s get started with editing your images!

Key insights

• Chromatic aberrations are unwanted color fringes that occur particularly at contrasting edges.
• With the live filter "Remove Fringes" in Affinity Photo, you can precisely eliminate these image errors.
• It is important to optimize the sliders for tolerance and radius to achieve the best results.
• For complex image scenes, you can also use manual techniques to correct the colors.

Step-by-step guide to removing chromatic aberrations

Step 1: Activate Live Filter

First, you need to activate the background layer and create the live filter for removing color fringes. To do this, go to the live filter layer icon and activate the "Remove Fringes" option.

Step 2: Define Fringe Color

In the filter dialog box, you now have the option to set the fringe color you want to remove. In this case, select a cyan/greenish hue. You can do this manually or by clicking on the image to determine the color. However, note that there may be technical issues in some versions of Affinity Photo.

Step 3: Adjust Tolerance

The tolerance determines how many similar color shades should also be removed. You should increase this slider to eliminate as many unwanted color fringes as possible. Experiment a bit to find the best setting for your image.

Step 4: Adjust Radius

The radius defines how wide the area to be corrected around the color fringes is. Set the slider to 0 pixels at first, then drag it to the right. A higher value will ensure that the correction is extended more widely. Be careful not to go too far, as this can also affect other color tones in the image.

Step 5: Edit Brightness Limit

The brightness limit helps determine how strong the contrast at the edges needs to be for the changes to take effect. This slider may vary depending on the image. However, in many cases, it doesn't make much difference if you leave it at maximum.

Step 6: Check Results

After the adjustments, it is advisable to check the results. Compare the original and final version of your image to ensure that the color fringes have been effectively removed without negatively affecting other areas of the image.

Step 7: Manual Correction

For more complicated images where the live filter does not work optimally, you can also work manually with a new, transparent pixel layer. Create a new layer and set the blending mode to "Color." With the brush tool, select the color you want to replace in the image, and paint over the areas affected by chromatic aberrations.

Step 8: Ensure Color Quality

It is important to keep an eye on color quality at all times. Hold down the Alt key to quickly pick up the color from the image and ensure that you are painting the correct color.

Step 9: Fine-Tuning

When working with the brush, you can decrease the opacity to achieve smooth transitions. This allows you to precisely apply the correct color for shaded areas or skin tones. The goal is to maintain a natural look while eliminating unwanted color fringes.

Step 10: Review Final Result

After you have removed the color fringes in your image, you should double-check everything. If necessary, make adjustments to restore the natural details of your image.

Summary - Effectively Remove Chromatic Aberrations in Affinity Photo

In this guide, you have learned how to effectively remove chromatic aberrations in Affinity Photo. You have become familiar with the functions of the live filter "Remove Fringes" and learned how to make manual corrections to optimize your images. With these techniques, you should be able to significantly improve your photos.