Capture One Tutorial.
Compare before and after.

It is always a good idea, at various points in the post-processing process, to compare the modified image with the original. This can often prevent any over-adjustment of parameters. Capture One offers various methods to carry out this comparison effectively, whether for a specific setting or for all the adjustments applied to the image.

This tutorial summarises the various possible methods, including the possibility of permanently cancelling one or more settings.

Compare the original image with the processed image.

The button on the toolbar displays a slider over the photo currently being edited (in the viewer). The original image is displayed on the left of this slider, while the image with its adjustments is displayed on the right. The slider can, of course, be moved with the mouse.

Settings can be changed while the before/after comparison is displayed.

To deactivate the comparison, click the button again.

Temporarily cancel the effect of a single setting.

Simply click on the name of the setting (not the cursor), in our example, the contrast setting. As long as the mouse button is held down, the setting is reset to its initial position. Simply release the button and the selected value will be reapplied.

Temporarily cancel the effect of a setting or of a tool.

Capture One calls a set of related settings "Tools". For example, the Exposure tool groups together the following settings: Exposure, Contrast, Brightness, Saturation.

You can easily temporarily cancel the effect of a tool (i.e. all the settings included in that tool) by holding down the ALT key while clicking on the "Reset" icon. As long as the mouse button is held down, the effect of all the tool's settings is cancelled.

Notes and attention :

• Do not confuse the button on the toolbar with the button displayed in the title of each tool. These two commands have a similar role but function differently.
• If you click on of a tool without pressing the ALT key, you permanently cancel all the tool settings.

Compare two different treatments of the same photo.

We've already talked about the button, which compares the processed photo with the original. Let's now look at a method which allows you to keep the original image and the processed image, or more generally, the same image with two different treatments. To do this, we're going to create one or more variants:

Click on then picture in the browser.

 

Press F7 or right-click on the image and choose the "New variant" command.

 

To display two images in the viewer for easier comparison : right-click on the image and select the et as comparison variant command.

Note: pressing F8 or choosing the Duplicate variant command creates a new variant with the same settings as the original image.

Here's how the variants appear in the browser :

The screenshot above shows an image and its variant as they will be presented in the browser. The name of the image is displayed "straddling" the 2 images, clearly showing that it is a single photo.

There are several symbols to know :

This symbol (which only appears on the original image) indicates that variats have been created on this photo. Clicking on this icon allows you to toggle between hiding the variants and displaying each of the variants separately.

Variant numbers.

Indicates the comparison variant (the one that is permanently displayed in the viewer. The comparison variant is also identified by its orange border. By clicking on this icon, you cancel the comparison variant.

Let us also point out the two commands Promote variant and Downgrade variant, which simply have the function of changing the order of the variants.