How To Replace Color Photoshop

If you lot work as an artist, graphic designer, or lensman, you will likely need to modify the color in your images. Perhaps the bride'south clothes didn't turn out white plenty in the photos you took, or peradventure your company changed its branding requirements, and the colors you used for your logo no longer piece of work. When unforeseen circumstances similar this arise, you can utilise Adobe Photoshop to correct the upshot or to alter portions of your image.

Photoshop replace color features

Although you lot tin can use it for many dissimilar purposes, Photoshop is primarily a class of editing software. This does not hateful users are limited to simply working with existing images, however. Many artists, graphic designers, and web developers employ Photoshop to create custom graphics, logos, website designs, and even manus-drawn objects. Applying the Photoshop supercede color tools is like regardless of the type of images you change or create.

Photoshop offers several methods for changing colors in an image. This ways you lot can experiment with dissimilar techniques and choose the approach best suited to your needs. It also gives you more control over the issue. Some of Photoshop'southward tools require image editing feel, particularly if changes are complex or you demand several layers to create the desired upshot. However, many of Photoshop's features are usable with but a basic understanding of the software. For beginners or anyone who needs a refresher, Udemy offers Photoshop tutorials as well as an overview of Photoshop's resources and features.

Getting started with Photoshop

Earlier you begin to explore the editing and color features in Photoshop, first determine which software version yous are using. You tin can use whatever version that includes the color tools discussed here; all the same, older versions of Photoshop may not include as many features as the latest offer. You can access version information through the help bill of fare. If you notice that you accept an earlier version of Photoshop and want to upgrade, visit Adobe'southward website to view the latest features and pricing information.

Before starting time, yous also need to identify several sample images to use. Past working with samples first, you tin can perfect the color-irresolute techniques without impacting your source files. If yous have a prepare of sample images on hand, yous're all set up! Otherwise, download a few copyright-free pictures from Pixabay, unSplash, or Adobe Stock to get started.

Photoshop colour terms

It is of import to understand the color terminology used in Photoshop and how it impacts your creative efforts.

Here are some of the terms:

Blend: This term refers to the merging of pixels. Sometimes blending is intentional, such as when you desire colors to run together to create a specific result. Also much blending, however, distorts the image edges. This occurs when you are not careful with the selections you make prior to changing colors.
Face-to-face colour: This term describes pixels of the same colour that touch one another in an image. Near use it with the magic wand tool.
Fill: This is another way to bespeak the addition of color, as in "filling in" an expanse. This term is often associated with the paint bucket tool.
Hue: This is another term for colour. You tin specify hue settings via the hue slider in the adjustments panel.
Lightness: This term refers to intensity, which is adamant past how much black and white is in an image. If you increase lightness too much, the motion picture may appear washed out. Also, when you decrease the lightness, you lot must be careful non to make the image as well night.
Opacity: This term refers to how much low-cal passes through an epitome. Images with low opacity are more than transparent, allowing yous to come across through them. Images with college opacity are harder to run into through.
Saturation – This term refers to a color'southward purity. Using low levels of saturation diminishes the colour in an image, whereas high levels make the color more pronounced.
Tint – Adding tint to an image in Photoshop means you colorize it. This option tin exist manually applied or adjusted through smart filters, which are accessible via the adjustments panel.

Understanding layers and layer masks

At present that you lot have a better understanding of the terminology used in Photoshop for colour management, let's review the purpose of layers. Layers provide a means by which to build on an existing epitome. Layer masks allow you to accommodate images without affecting the original files. Both layers and layer masks are essential features in the editing process that you lot tin can find in the layers panel.

Smart objects are also office of the layers panel. You can use them to modify objects in groups, which saves time and helps to ensure consistency across projects. Refer to the Udemy articles on how to use Photoshop and how to resize layers to further refresh your knowledge.

Color replacement tool

Photoshop provides multiple means to alter color within an image. Let's first with the colour replacement tool. Access this tool through the brush icon in the side bill of fare or by pressing B or Shift-B on your keyboard (depending on your operating system).

We volition use this photograph of strawberries as our example. After you access the color replacement tool, select the castor size dropdown to open the preset window. Here, you tin choose from the available brushes and adapt the tip size and hardness of your brush. Drag the slider to the right to increase brush size or to the left to subtract it. Practice the same with the hardness slider to adjust the brush tip. A harder brush produces a tighter tip, which makes your selections more accurate.

You tin also use keyboard shortcuts to adjust brush settings. Pressing the left bracket key ( [ ) makes your brush smaller, while the right bracket key ( ] ) makes it larger. Concord down the shift key while selecting the brackets to suit castor hardness in the same way. If none of the existing brushes work, you lot tin import your own custom brushes.

To alter the color of the strawberries in our example, permit'south set the foreground to the color we want the strawberries to exist. There are two overlapping squares, or swatches, at the bottom of the side carte. The topmost swatch represents the foreground color; the one below it represents the background. For this example, nosotros volition click or tap the elevation square.

A new window appears. We will choose the new color, then tap or click OK. Additional options appear for fashion, limits, and tolerance, also as brush size and hardness. Ensure that mode is set to color and that limits is set to face-to-face. You can arrange the tolerance as needed, but for this instance, we will place it at 38%. This allows us to paint over the strawberry edges without the colour bleeding into the hand.

Next, paint the area of the photograph you lot desire to change. For this example, nosotros changed the color of the berries from red to blue, equally indicated in the new prototype.

Using adjustment layers

Adjustment layers provide additional options for modifying images, such as changing color photos to blackness and white or adding tone. To create a new adjustment layer, select the window carte du jour and so select adjustments. You can now change the image backdrop, including brightness, vibrancy, exposure levels, and hue/saturation.

To use a sepia tint, which makes an image yellowish-brown, open up the properties console and select the sepia preset.

Aligning layers are too helpful when making selective color options. Open the layer card, select a new adjustment layer, then choose selective color.

new adjustment layer navigation, photoshop

Select OK if a popular-upwards box appears. Now, utilize the dropdown menu to choose a specific color set up. You tin can likewise use the sliders to customize your color options. Since we are trying to manipulate the green background, select green.

customize color options, layers, navigation, photoshop

Using the original strawberry paradigm, let'due south continue the colour selection red and elevate the unlike color sliders until we detect the shade we desire to comprise. The revised image looks like this:

If the colors in your prototype are too like, this tool may alter more of the image than you intend. If this happens, use one of Photoshop's selection tools to offset identify the area to be adjusted. You tin can and then use the selective color tool without impacting the rest of the image.

You tin also utilize adjustment layers to alter epitome hue and saturation. Simply select the new adjustment layer option from within the layer card, then click on hue/saturation. In the backdrop panel, elevate the hue and saturation sliders to the left or right to increase or decrease the settings. You can do the same for the lightness setting. You lot can also colorize an prototype past selecting the checkbox within the properties panel. Just exist mindful that any changes you make here volition directly impact your prototype.

Replace colour tool

The supercede color tool is a quick way to replace big sections of color in your prototype. Y'all can access this tool through the paradigm menu. Select adjustments, then select the replace color choice to open the replace color window. Here, you tin can alter several color characteristics within the image. Let's review the various options.

Preview area

The preview area displays selections as you lot make them, without altering the image. You can specify whether y'all desire to preview a section or the entire epitome. You can also switch from choice view to original image view.

Dropdown menus

The color range window includes several dropdown menus. The select dropdown identifies which colors to incorporate in your choice. Here, you tin can select all pixels of a specific color set, such equally reds or yellows, rather than manually identifying a single color. To sample colors directly from your image, use the sample colors dropdown option.

Eyedropper tools

The eyedropper tools indicate which color you want to replace in the paradigm. 3 options are available:

Eyedropper tool: To use this tool, click or tap the color you want to target in the preview area.
Positive eyedropper: Use the eyedropper with the (+) to adjust or expand your color pick.
Negative eyedropper: If you lot select besides much, employ the eyedropper with the (-) to remove colors from your selection. You tin can ever use the (+) dropper to reselect an surface area, if needed.

Fuzziness slider

Drag the fuzziness slider to the left or right to indicate the desired level. The preview area adapts as you drag the slider back and forth. The higher the value, the fuzzier the choice will be, as the colors you select leak into the nearby colors. A zero value means the option has hard edges that prevent the color from bleeding over. A value of 100 produces a very fuzzy image.

If you have like colors in your image, you'll notice that having the fuzziness level ready to 200 changes those colors as well. Setting the fuzziness level lower helps to define the area you want to select.

Replacement area

Hither, you tin select the replacement color y'all desire. Use the result color box to choose 1 directly from the color mixer or utilise the sliders to modify the hue, saturation, and lightness to customize your color selection.

To supervene upon colour using this method, ensure that the beginning eyedropper tool is selected and click on the color you want to alter in the image. The preview area changes to reflect the color you select. To expand the selection, either apply the positive color dropper or drag the fuzziness slider to let the selection bleed into the surrounding colors.

Selection tools

Use option tools in Photoshop to produce more accurate results. If you lot don't indicate a selection before changing colors, and the colors inside an image are similar, y'all may edit more you intend. Notice the color of the manus and the background in our strawberry image. Encounter how off the residue of the colour seems? We did not make a selection before changing colors in this image.

change color photoshop without selection

To ascertain and place the areas to accommodate in accelerate, use the lasso tools, the quick selection tool, or the magic wand. These tools help to ensure that you do not place color where you lot practice not want it. They also help create edges in your image, preventing colors from bleeding into other colors in your photo.

Using the aforementioned strawberry prototype, let's use the magnetic lasso before nosotros make a color selection. Select a point to the right of the area in which you want to utilize the change. Move the mouse around the area until you arrive back to the starting bespeak. Photoshop follows the contours of what you select, every bit indicated by this sample paradigm:

When we change the color now, information technology volition only touch on the highlighted department.

Changing background colour

You may also need to change the groundwork color, not just adjust colors within the image. Remember, the swatches at the bottom of the side menu console represent the foreground and background colors. Nosotros will tap the pointer icon to the upper right, placing the groundwork color upfront.

The modest box to the upper left of the swatches indicates the default color option. To modify color, select the default color pick box. This opens the color picker. When you brand your choice, the new colour shows in the swatch. You can also employ the eyedropper tool to select a color from within the image, but you must select the swatch to change before you lot make this selection.

Color range tool

The color range tool is useful when working with elaborate designs in which selection tools such as the lasso or magic wand are not practical. Access this tool through the select menu. The color range window opens, and it includes many of the aforementioned options every bit the color replace window.

To select multiple ranges of color, be certain to check the localized colour clusters box. One time you complete your selection and close the window, an outline appears effectually the selected portion(s). You lot can either change the color for the highlighted part or utilise the motility tool to transfer the selection to a different layer.

The colour range tool is versatile, but it does non provide much flexibility in the number of colors you tin can select. It's also not the easiest way to select non-contiguous colors simultaneously.

Practice makes perfect

Photoshop provides several ways to alter image color. If you find it difficult to alter colors with the castor replacement tool, try using one of the selection tools or the replace color method instead. As y'all test the different options, it may be helpful to start with larger objects earlier moving to more complex parts of an image, such as hair and skin tone. Ultimately, the cardinal to mastering the utilise of Photoshop color replacement techniques is to continue practicing until you find what works best for y'all.