The Hidden Power Tool List

The complete listing of tools installed with the Hidden Power tool set and descriptions of each tool appear below. The listings are by set and tool name as the name appears when using the List View option for display on the Styles and Effects palette. Listings are generally alphabetical, except in the Power_Separations, where it seems to make more sense to group by separation type.

Set: Power_Adjustments

Channel Mixer
This action will create a multi-layer scenario for mixing color channels into a monochrome (black-and-white) image, with -200 to 200% of any component. The image will be converted to 8-bit RGB and flattened before continuing.

Custom Black-and-White
This tool can be used on any RGB image to convert it to black-and-white. It is a complete process that separates RGB components and combines them using layer properties.

Fade
This tool will fade the effect of your last tool application. Undo the step you want to fade before clicking Continue. If the step is not undone, click Stop, undo (Ctrl+Z), then re-start the Fade tool. This will work on 8-bit RGB images with a Background layer.

Gradient Map Curve
This tool inserts a new Gradient Map layer into the present image with 11 preset tone points for complex tone adjustments. This image will be converted to 8-bit RGB on Continue.

Hidden Power Sharpen
This tool creates a multi-layer sharpening scenario, using both hidden power sharpening and the Unsharp Mask filter. Your image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB on Continue.

Highlight Color Balance
This tool will set up a layer-based color balance scenario for image highlights. Your image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before continuing with the setup for Highlight Color Balance. You may want to work with a duplicate of the image if this is an original or has adjustments you want to save.

Midtone Color Balance
This tool will set up a layer-based color balance scenario for image midtones. Your image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before continuing with the setup for Midtone Color Balance. You may want to work with a duplicate of the image if this is an original or has adjustments you want to save.

Reduce Color Noise
This tool will help mitigate color noise using blur and Median filter together. Your Image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before proceeding. You may want to save a layered version before continuing.

Reduce Color Noise Blur
This tool will help mitigate color noise, using blur only. Your Image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before proceeding. You may want to save a layered version before continuing.

Reduce Color Noise Median
This tool will help mitigate color noise using Median filter only. Your Image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before proceeding. You may want to save a layered version before continuing.

Reset Channel Mixer
This tool should be used for resetting adjustments made to layers after running the Channel Mixer tool. It will reset layers to their original state prior to adjustments.

Reset Simple Channel Mixer
This tool should be used for resetting adjustments made to layers after running the Simple Channel Mixer tool. It will reset layers to their original state prior to adjustments.

Set All Channel Mixer 100
This tool changes all the channel mixer layer opacities to 100% rather than the default (subtract = 0%; add = 100%). It can be run after the Channel Mixer tool.

Set All Simple Mixer 100
This tool changes all the channel mixer layer opacities to 100% rather than the default (subtract = 0%; add = 100%). It can be run after the Simple Channel Mixer tool.

Shadow Color Balance
This tool will set up a layer-based color balance scenario for image shadows. Your image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before continuing with the setup for Shadow Color Balance. You may want to work with a duplicate of the image if this is an original or has adjustments you want to save.

Simple Channel Mixer
This action will create a multi-layer scenario for mixing color channels into a monochrome (black-and-white) image, with -100 to 100% of any component. The image will be converted to 8-bit RGB and flattened before continuing.

Simple Color Balance
This tool will set up a layer-based color balance scenario affecting all tones at the same time. Your image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before continuing with the setup for Simple Color Balance. You may want to work with a duplicate of the image if this is an original or has adjustments you want to save.

Simplify Color Balance
This tool can be run after adjusting Simple Color Balance layers to simplify the layers. Simplifying the layers will make them easier to move (i.e., if you correct in a duplicate image you can drag and drop a single layer to adjust the original).

Simplify Highlight Balance
This tool can be run after adjusting Highlight Color Balance layers to simplify the layers. Simplifying the layers will make them easier to move (i.e., if you correct in a duplicate image you can drag and drop a single layer to adjust the original).

Simplify Midtone Balance
This tool can be run after adjusting Midtone Color Balance layers to simplify the layers. Simplifying the layers will make them easier to move (i.e., if you correct in a duplicate image you can drag and drop a single layer to adjust the original).

Simplify Shadow Balance
This tool can be run after adjusting Shadow Color Balance layers to simplify the layers. Simplifying the layers will make them easier to move (i.e., if you correct in a duplicate image you can drag and drop a single layer to adjust the original).

Snapshot
This tool will create a snapshot of the current state of the image and hide it in the Layer stack.

Set: Power_Extras

Align Bottom Edge
This tool will align linked layers according to the bottom edge of the content. Be sure the layers to be aligned are linked using the linking tool in the Layers palette.

Align Horizontal Centers
This tool will align the horizontal centers of linked layers. Be sure the layers to be aligned are linked using the linking tool in the Layers palette.

Align Left Edge
This tool will align linked layers according to the left edge of the content. Be sure the layers to be aligned are linked using the linking tool in the Layers palette.

Align Right Edge
This tool will align linked layers according to the right edge of the content. Be sure the layers to be aligned are linked using the linking tool in the Layers palette.

Align Top Edge
This tool will align linked layers according to the top of the content. Be sure the layers to be aligned are linked using the linking tool in the Layers palette.

Align Vertical Centers
This tool will align the vertical centers of linked layers. Be sure the layers to be aligned are linked using the linking tool in the Layers palette.

Color Picker
This action creates a Color Picker that can be left open in your work area.

Convert to Blue Tone
This tool converts the content of the current image to a grayscale blue component in a separate image. The new image will be 8-bit RGB.

Convert to Green Tone
This tool converts the content of the current image to a grayscale green component in a separate image. The new image will be 8-bit RGB.

Convert to Red Tone
This tool converts the content of the current image to a grayscale red component in a separate image. The new image will be 8-bit RGB.

Del Selections and Alphas
Separates out the alpha channels in your image from the RGB, and simplifies the image. Your Image will be flattened before proceeding. You may want to save a layered version before clicking Continue.

Delete Duotone Bar
This tool will delete the duotone bar preview created with the Duotone Bar tool.

Delete Guide
This tool will delete one of the guides that has been created with the Hidden Power Guide Vertical or Guide Horizontal tools.

Duotone Bar
This tool works in conjunction with the Basic Duotone Setup tool to create a gradient preview. Your tone layers should be named Black and Spot 1, and you will need to have a Background layer (not Source) for this preview bar to work correctly.

Guide Horizontal
This tool creates a single row of blue pixels to use as a guide for alignment in your images. Your image will be converted to 8-bit RGB to allow layers, and adjusted for proper view.

Guide Vertical
This tool creates a single row of blue pixels to use as a guide for alignment in your images. Your image will be converted to 8-bit RGB to allow layers, and adjusted for proper view.

Inner Shadow (Glow)
This tool creates an inner shadow or glow effect (based on the foreground color). Isolate the area where the effect will be applied by copying it to its own layer. That layer should be active and visible. Set the foreground color to the effect color. Click [Stop] and do it now, or [Continue].

Outer Shadow (Glow)
This tool creates a drop shadow or glow effect (based of the foreground color) outside an isolated image area. The image area that you want to apply the effect to should be isolated on (copied/pasted to) its own layer. That layer should be active.

Preview Selection
This tool will allow you to preview any selection saved in the current image. Be sure to save selections you want to keep and view before running this preview. Choose the Selection to preview when the Load Selection dialogue appears.

Sample Analysis
This tool will break down any sample into swatches of its grayscale tones in RGB. This will allow you to analyze the tone easily.

Shadow (Glow) Color
This tool allows you to change the color of drop shadows or glows created with Hidden Power tools. Be sure the Shadow (Glow) Layer that you want to change is active. Change the foreground color to the color you want before continuing."

Target All - Reset
This tool resets targeting applied with the Target Red/Green/Blue tools so that a layer affects all components.

Target Blue
This tool confines the effect of any currently active layer to the Blue component. To apply to a Background layer, you must first convert to a layer. Apply clipped layer adjustments to apply adjustments to the Blue component only.

Target Green
This tool confines the effect of any currently active layer to the Green component. To apply to a Background layer, you must first convert to a layer. Apply clipped layer adjustments to apply adjustments to the Green component only.

Target Red
This tool confines the effect of any currently active layer to the Red component. To apply to a Background layer, you must first convert to a layer. Apply clipped layer adjustments to apply adjustments to the Red component only.

Transform Selection
This tool will allow you to apply transformations to a current selection. Be sure the selection is currently active in your image. Adjust the bounding box using handles and the Shift, Alt and Ctrl keys.

Trim
This tool will allow you to trim your image based on transparency or corner color. Your image will be converted to 8-bit RGB before continuing.

Set: Power_Masking

Add Mask Content
Use this tool after Commit Transparency to add a snapshot of your image to the mask you have created. Be sure the mask layer is active and ungrouped.

Blend Mask
This tool will create a mask based on the luminosity of a layer named Blend Mask. Be sure that you have created the "Blend Mask" layer, and that the content to which you want to apply the mask is visible. The Blend Mask layer should be hidden.

Color Masking
This tool will lead you through the process of making a mask based on color. Your Image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before proceeding. You may want to save a layered version before continuing.

Commit Transparency
This tool commits the temporary transparency of layers created with the Drop Black, Clear White, Clear Grayscale, and Clear Black tools.

Clear Grayscale
This tool creates transparency in the active image layer based on grayscale. Dark tones remain opaque.

Clear Black
This tool creates transparency in the active image layer based on pure black. All other tones remain opaque.

Clear White
This tool creates transparency in the active image layer based on pure white (RGB: 255, 255, 255). All other tones remain opaque.

Drop Black
This tool creates transparency in the active image layer based on the darkest eighth of the image. The image becomes gradually more transparent toward black. Use this during CMYK black generation.

Highlight Mask
The Highlight Mask tool creates a selection of the shadows in the image, masking the highlights from change.

Inverted Transparent Grays
This tool makes a layer-based transparency mask from the highlights in the current image. The image will be converted to 8-bit RGB and flattened before continuing. You may want to duplicate the image and apply the tool to a copy then move the result back.

Layer Mask
This tool adds a layer mask to any layer (cannot be applied to Background layers).

Remove Transparency
This tool removes temporary transparency in the image that was created using Drop Black, Clear White, Clear Grayscale, and Clear Black tools.

Selection to Layer Mask
This tool converts any selection to a layer mask for the current layer (cannot be a Background layer). The selected area will be masked.

Shadow Mask
The Shadow Mask tool creates a selection of the highlights in the image, masking the shadows from change.

Transparent Grayscale
This tool makes a layer-based transparency mask from the shadows in the current image. The image will be converted to 8-bit RGB and flattened before continuing. You may want to duplicate the image and apply the tool to a copy then move the result back.

Set: Power_Paths

Combine Paths
This tool will combine paths. Be sure the paths to be combined are on the same shape layer and active.

Delete Clipping Path
This tool will delete any clipping path assigned to the current image with the Make Clipping Path tool. If no clipping path exists, an error message will appear.

Make Clipping Path
This tool will create a clipping path for your image. Be sure a path is visible and active in the current image.

Shape From Selection
This tool will make a path and shape layer based on any selection. The selection should be active in your image. Choose the Tolerance and color in the dialogs that follow.

Shape From Text
This tool will create path outlines from any text on a currently active text layer.

Set: Power_Playback

Play Accelerated
This tool will reset playback speed of Effects to normal (accelerated) speed.

Play Palette
This tool allows the user to set custom playback for Effects.

Play Slow
This tool will slow the playback of any Effect action, so that each step re-draws on screen before continuing to the next step.

Step and Long Pause
This tool will slow the playback of any Effect action to 5 seconds between steps. This is handy for using Effects as learning tools.

Step and Pause
This tool will slow the playback of any Effect action to 3 seconds between steps. This is handy for using Effects as learning tools.

Set: Power_Separations

(1) RGB_Separation_Setup
This tool creates the setup for layer-based RGB separations. Your image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before continuing. You may want to work with a duplicate of the image if this is an original.

(2) RGB_Red_Component
This tool creates a red component from the current image after using the (1) RGB_Separation_Setup tool. This is the second step in creating layer-based RGB separations.

(3) RGB_Green_Component
This tool creates a green component from the current image after using the (2) RGB_Red_Component tool. It is the third step in creating layer-based RGB separations.

(4) RGB_Blue_Component
This tool creates a green component from the current image after using the (3) RGB_Green_Component tool. It is the forth step in creating layer-based RGB separations.

(1-4) RGB_Components
This tool completes parts 1 through 4 of the RGB separation, including setup, and separation of red, green and blue tones. It can substitute for playing steps 1 to 4 separately when creating layer-based RGB separations.

(5) RGB_Separation_Color
This tool adds color to separated RGB tones and should be used following the (1-4) RGB_Components or (4) RGB_Blue_Component tools.

RGB_Components_Only
This action will create the Red, Green, and Blue image components without color or template layers. Your image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB when you continue.

RGB_Separation
This Effect will separate any image into red, green and blue color components by filtering the image source. The effect does not contain notations for how to use the tool. Your image will be converted to 8-bit RGB before continuing. You may want to work with a duplicate of the image if this is an original.

RGB_Separation_Complete
This Effect will separate any image into red, green and blue color components by filtering the image source. The effect contains notations for how to use the dialogs as it goes. Your image will be converted to 8-bit RGB before continuing. You may want to work with a duplicate of the image if this is an original.

RGBL_Components_Only
This action will create the Red, Green, Blue and Luminosity image components without color or template layers. Your image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB when you continue.

(A) Luminosity
This tool will create the luminosity component for the two-part Luminosity and Color separation. Your image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before continuing. Work with a copy of the image if it contains important layered corrections.

(B) Color
Use this tool after the (A) Luminosity tool to add a color component to the Luminosity separation.

Color Only
This tool will create a separated color component layer at the top of the layer stack without flattening the current image. Your image will be converted to 8-bit RGB if necessary.

Luminosity and Color
This tool will flatten and convert your image to 8-bit RGB before continuing. You may want to work with a copy of the current image if it contains important layered corrections.

Luminosity Only
This tool will create a separated luminosity component in a layer at the top of the layer stack without flattening the current image. If necessary, the image will be converted to 8-bit RGB.

(I) Toning Setup
This tool will complete initial setup for toning. Your Image will be flattened, converted to 8-bit RGB and then to black-and-white using luminosity. You may want to save a layered version of corrections or make your own B&W conversion before continuing.

(II) New Toning Layer
This tool is made to work in conjunction with, and after application of, the (I) Toning Setup tool.

Basic Duotone Setup
This tool creates a basic setup for making a separated duotone. Your Image will be flattened and converted to an 8-bit RGB image before proceeding. You may want to save a layered version before continuing.

(i) CMY Setup
This tool will set up the CMY conversion and it is the first step in the process of separating your image into CMYK. Your Image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB when you continue. You may want to save a layered version before continuing.

(ii) CMY Separation
This tool is the second stage of converting your image to a CMYK separation, and should be used after applying the (i) CMY Setup tool.

(iii) CMY Component Tone
This is the third stage of converting your image to a CMYK separation. This tool should be used after applying the (i) CMY Setup and (ii) CMY Separation tools. It will convert the filtered tones to grayscale CMY components, and add color back.

(i-iii) CMY Components
This tool will run through the CMY conversion parts i-iii. Your Image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before proceeding. You may want to save a layered version before continuing.

(iv) CMYK Black
This tool will continue the CMYK separation by initiating the creation of a black component, and should be used after parts (i), (ii) and (iii) of the process. A new image will be created temporarily in the process.

(i-v) CMYK Process
This tool will run through parts i-v of the CMYK conversion. Your Image will be flattened and converted to 8-bit RGB before proceeding. You may want to save a layered version before continuing.

(v) CMYK Apply Black
This tool can be used after parts (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) of the CMYK component separation to apply the generated Black component and remove color under black areas.

(vi) CMYK Component Split
This tool will create separate image files for the CMYK separation created with parts (i) to (v) of the CMYK separation process.

Preview CMYK
This tool can be used to preview the results of your CMYK file separations on screen. It should be used after running parts i-vi of the CMYK separation.