Image filters (exposure, contrast) in Figma - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

This data represents an image's original brightness value and the adjustments for exposure and contrast to be applied.

Cell	Value
A1	Original Image Brightness
B1	100
A2	Exposure Adjustment
B2	1.2
A3	Contrast Adjustment
B3	1.5
A4	Adjusted Brightness
B4

Formula Trace

Adjusted Brightness = ((Original Brightness * Exposure) - 128) * Contrast + 128

Step 1: Original Brightness * Exposure

Step 2: 120 - 128

Step 3: -8 * Contrast

Step 4: -12 + 128

Cell Reference Map

    A       B
1 |Original| 100
2 |Exposure| 1.2
3 |Contrast| 1.5
4 |Adjusted| ???

Cells B1, B2, and B3 provide the original brightness, exposure, and contrast values used in the formula.

Result

    A       B
1 |Original| 100
2 |Exposure| 1.2
3 |Contrast| 1.5
4 |Adjusted| 116

The final adjusted brightness value after applying exposure and contrast filters is 116.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What is the result of multiplying the original brightness by the exposure value?

A 120

B 100

C 128

D 150

Key Result

Adjusted Brightness = ((Original Brightness * Exposure) - 128) * Contrast + 128

Practice

1. What does the exposure filter primarily adjust in an image?

easy

A. The size of the image

B. The sharpness of the image edges

C. The color saturation of the image

D. The overall brightness of the image

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand exposure effect

   Exposure changes how bright or dark the entire image looks by adjusting light intensity.

2. Step 2: Compare with other filters

   Contrast changes difference between light and dark areas, not overall brightness.

3. Final Answer:

   The overall brightness of the image -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Exposure = brightness [OK]

Hint: Exposure means brightness, contrast means light-dark difference [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing exposure with contrast
• Thinking exposure changes color saturation
• Assuming exposure changes image size

2. Which of the following is the correct way to increase contrast in Figma's image filter settings?

easy

A. Set contrast slider to 0

B. Set exposure slider to a value less than 0

C. Set contrast slider to a value greater than 1

D. Set exposure slider to a value greater than 1

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify contrast slider usage

   In Figma, contrast values above 1 increase difference between light and dark areas.

2. Step 2: Differentiate exposure and contrast sliders

   Exposure affects brightness, not contrast; setting contrast to 0 removes contrast.

3. Final Answer:

   Set contrast slider to a value greater than 1 -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Contrast > 1 increases contrast [OK]

Hint: Contrast > 1 means stronger contrast [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using exposure slider to change contrast
• Setting contrast to 0 thinking it increases contrast
• Confusing slider values less than 0 as valid

3. If an image in Figma has exposure set to 0.5 and contrast set to 2, what is the expected visual effect?

medium

A. Image will be brighter with high contrast

B. Image will be darker with high contrast

C. Image will be brighter with low contrast

D. Image will be darker with low contrast

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze exposure value 0.5

   Exposure 0.5 means increasing brightness moderately (above 0 is brighter).

2. Step 2: Analyze contrast value 2

   Contrast 2 means doubling the difference between light and dark areas, so high contrast.

3. Final Answer:

   Image will be brighter with high contrast -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Exposure 0.5 = brighter, Contrast 2 = high contrast [OK]

Hint: Exposure > 0 brightens; contrast > 1 increases difference [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking exposure 0.5 darkens image
• Confusing contrast 2 as low contrast
• Mixing effects of exposure and contrast

4. A user sets the contrast slider to -1 in Figma but sees no change in the image. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. Contrast values below 0 are invalid and ignored

B. Exposure must be set before contrast works

C. The image file is corrupted

D. Contrast slider only accepts integer values

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand valid contrast range

   Figma contrast slider does not accept negative values; values below 0 are ignored.

2. Step 2: Rule out other causes

   Exposure setting or file corruption does not affect slider acceptance; contrast accepts decimals.

3. Final Answer:

   Contrast values below 0 are invalid and ignored -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Negative contrast ignored [OK]

Hint: Contrast slider values must be ≥ 0 [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming exposure affects contrast slider
• Thinking image corruption causes no change
• Believing contrast slider only accepts integers

5. You want to make an image in Figma look clearer by increasing brightness but without losing detail in shadows. Which filter settings should you choose?

hard

A. Increase exposure a lot and decrease contrast

B. Increase exposure slightly and increase contrast moderately

C. Decrease exposure and increase contrast a lot

D. Set exposure and contrast both to zero

Solution

1. Step 1: Increase brightness carefully

   Increasing exposure slightly brightens image without washing out details.

2. Step 2: Increase contrast moderately

   Moderate contrast increase enhances difference between light and dark, preserving shadow details.

3. Step 3: Avoid extremes

   Too much exposure or contrast can lose shadow details or cause harsh image.

4. Final Answer:

   Increase exposure slightly and increase contrast moderately -> Option B

5. Quick Check:

   Balanced exposure and contrast improve clarity [OK]

Hint: Brighten with exposure; keep contrast moderate for detail [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Increasing exposure too much losing shadows
• Decreasing contrast losing image depth
• Setting filters to zero causing flat image