Remove gradients to get an even color distribution

To achieve an accurate color representation of a scanned fabric, it's essential to have proper control over the scanning process's light. This means that controlling the light source is crucial for achieving even color distribution.

However, there could be various factors that may cause uneven distribution of light during the scanning process. Below are some of the common reasons:

• Light leakage due to design issues when closing the scanner lid.
• The scanner lid not fully closing the gap.
• Using the edge of the scanner platter instead of the center.
• LED lights in the light bar not functioning properly.
• LED lights in the light bar do not provide accurate color.

While the reasons listed above are some of the most common causes of uneven light distribution during the scanning process, there are numerous other factors that could also contribute to this problem. Dealing with these issues can significantly affect the quality of the resulting image, especially when it comes to tiling properly.

In some instances, the issue may only become noticeable after repeating the image. Although a single image may seem to lack a gradient, it can become more evident when replicated.

For this reason, Textura counts with a powerful tool to remove gradients in two different ways.

To select the gradient removal tool, click on the remove gradient tool icon . As soon as you do, you can use a toggle button to switch between 2 modes . "Solid" and "All fabrics" mode.

"Solid" fabrics mode

If you are not the reading type, check our 2 min video.

The "Solid fabrics" option in this tool is essentially the same as the "High pass filter" used in other image editing software. It works best with fabrics that have a dominant color, such as solid fabrics. To use this mode, select the "Solid fabrics" option and choose the largest area of the image that you believe represents the correct color. The tool will then calculate the average color values and apply them to the entire image.

For instance, if there is a gradient effect throughout the image, select the entire image to extract the average color value, as shown in the example below.

When selecting the lower area where you think the color is more accurate, the average color value s spread,

Results may not be perfect on the first try but try playing with the sensitivity slider to adjust the sensitivity or selecting different areas until you get the desired result.

"All fabrics" mode

If you are not the reading type, check our 2 min video.

The solid fabric mode is suitable for fabrics with a single dominant color. However, when an image has multiple colors, it becomes challenging to correct them all with the same average color value. In such cases, using the All fabrics gradient removal filter is recommended. This filter is specifically designed to handle the most complex cases.

Applying the gradient mode requires more expertise as it is more sensitive. Achieving good results may require more trial and error, but it is possible in most cases. The behavior of this mode is the opposite of the solid fabric mode. For multi-color fabrics, select the smallest area that contains all the colors in the image. Before selecting the area, keep the following in mind:

• The area must contain all major colors.
• The area must be as small as possible.
• The area must contain the colors in the correct tone.

For example, in this case, it was necessary to use zoom and select the smallest area containing all the right colors and tones.

After a couple of tests with different sizes and variations in the selection, this is the end result.

IMPORTANT: Gradient removal tools are only available for images that are smaller than 2500px by 2500 pixels. For this reason it is recommended that the image is cropped before the gradient removal tool. If you need to apply gradient removal tool to larger samples, please contact support.

Here are some additional links where you can see some of our experts using the gradient removal tool in different fabrics.

Remove gradient in a Linen fabric with color variations

Remove gradient in a 2 color fabric

Remove gradient in a satin gradient correction