Music
This Photoshop trick shows you how damaged used vinyl is
by Mark Teo
March 3, 2015
If you’ve ever bought rare records from eBay or Discogs, then you’re surely aware of the risk that you’re receiving a damaged record. Yes, sellers use a vinyl grading system—F, G, VG, NM, M, and so on—but until you actually have the LP in your hands, it’s hard to tell its conditions from photos alone.
The problem? In photos, vinyl records, even if they’re in poor condition, can still look completely glossy. (Something that you’ve probably learned if you’ve ever photographed your own LPs.) Thankfully, Redditor Remain_in_light has found a solution: Use Photoshop to help you make an informed decision. The process is simple: Adjust the levels of on the image, and, if you’re working with a high-rez, well-lit image, any imperfections on the vinyl should appear.
Here are the specific instruction: Hit CMD+L to bring up the Levels toggle. Then, simply tweak the sliders to see if you notice imperfections. Check the gallery above for a few stark examples—and thanks to FactMag for the tip.
