While Fisher’s Digital Zone System can be well worth the effort, I found setting-up and installing his tools confusing. However, you can avoid some of my frustrations by using these hints to make that one-time process much easier. While I provide the detail for CS5 only, I do have references to CS6, and the process should be similar to CS5.
Download the actions DZS.zip from the website rockynook.com/dzs.
Unzip the DZS.zip file to produce the DZS.atn file, which contains four actions: Zone Masks, Zone Mask Cleanup, Luminance Layer, and Luminous Masks and Hue/Sat.
- Copy DZS.atn to the subdirectory of CSx. For my directory of CS5, it is Applications\Adobe Photoshop CS5\Presets\Actions. Your CS6 version will be similar.
For Mac Users only, you need to follow these instructions for downloading the HSB/HSL filter. This filter, also called HSBHSL by Adobe, requires a download of the Adobe Optional File Formats, by NOT following the instructions in the book, which provides the URL for the Windows zip version. Instead, download the CS5_Optional_Plug-Ins_Manual_Install.dmg file (Mac installation file).
- Use the URL for CS5_Optional_Plug-Ins_Manual_Install: http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4964
- For Mac CS6 users, I refer you to the info page (which has the download dmg) http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/plug-ins-photoshop-cs61.html
- The CS5 Optional Plug-Ins download results in a dmg file, which, when double-clicked, provides 3 subdirectories (CS6 version may be different).
- Go the the CS5 Optional Plug-Ins\File Formats subdirectory.
- Select Optional Multiplugin.plugin. (BTW, peruse ReadMe-CS5_Manual-Install_Mac.pdf to see that both the HSBHSL and Electric Image filters are in this plugin.).
- You will be installing the HSBHSL by manually installing the Optional Multiplugin.plugin.
- Copy the Optional Multiplugin.plugin to your CSx Plugin subdirectory. For mine it is: Applications\Adobe Photoshop CS5\Plug-ins.
- Restart Photoshop, and you will find the HSB/HSL in the Filter\Other menu bar.
Whew! And I haven’t even started to apply the process. But now everything should be fairly straightforwards, as the supplied DZS.atn actions and HSB/HSL are installed.
….to be continued
