How to change the color of a picture in Photoshop. Description of the Color Replacement tool in Photoshop

Beginners often think that Photoshop’s “smart” tools are designed to make their life easier by eliminating tedious manual work. This is partly true, but only partly.

Most of these tools ( "Magic wand", "Quick Selection", various correction tools, for example, tool "Replace color") require a professional approach and are absolutely not suitable for beginners. It is necessary to understand in what situation such a tool can be used and how to configure it correctly, and this comes with experience.

Today we'll talk about the tool "Replace color" from the menu "Image - Correction".

This tool allows you to manually replace a certain shade of an image with any other. Its effect is similar to that of an adjustment layer "Hue/Saturation".

The tool window looks like this:

This window consists of two blocks: "Selection" And "Replacement".

Selection

1. Tools for taking a shade sample. They look like buttons with eyedroppers and have the following purposes (from left to right): main test, adding a shade to the set for replacement, excluding a shade from the set.

2. Slider "Scatter" determines how many levels (adjacent shades) are to be replaced.

Replacement

This block includes sliders Hue, Saturation, and Brightness. Actually, the purpose of each slider is determined by its name.

Practice

Let's replace one of the gradient fill shades with this circle:

1. Activate the tool and click with the eyedropper on any part of the circle. A white area will immediately appear in the preview window. It is the white areas that need to be replaced. At the top of the window we will see the selected shade.

2. Let's go to the block "Replacement", click on the color box and set the color with which you want to replace the sample.

3. Slider "Scatter" adjust the range of shades to replace.

4. Sliders from the block "Replacement" finely adjust the shade.

This completes the manipulation of the tool.

Nuances

As already mentioned at the beginning of the article, the tool does not always work correctly. As part of preparing materials for the lesson, several experiments were carried out on replacing colors in various images - from complex (clothing, cars, flowers) to simple (one-color logos, etc.).

The results turned out to be very contradictory. On complex objects (as well as on simple ones), you can fine-tune the shade and area of application of the tool, but after selection and replacement you have to manually modify the image (eliminating halos of the original shade, removing the effect on unwanted areas). This moment negates all the advantages that a “smart” tool provides, such as speed and simplicity. In this case, it is easier to do all the work manually than to redo it using a program.

Things are better with simple objects. Halos and unwanted areas, of course, remain, but are eliminated more easily and quickly.

The ideal use of the tool is to replace the color of an area surrounded by a different shade.

Based on all of the above, we can draw one conclusion: it’s up to you to decide whether to use this tool or not. It worked well on some flowers...

Instructions

For the background of the image in an element such as its first layer responds. By default, the program offers the user three background options: white, transparent, and color. These parameters can be set at the stage of creating a new project using the appropriate application functions (“File” - “Create”). background color when the PSD document is already open in front of you? Everything is quite simple here.

First of all, you need to find the layer that would be the background of your image. This layer is usually located at the very bottom of the form that displays the total number of layers. If the background is locked (the lock icon next to the background layer), you need it to be able to make changes.

To unlock a layer, right-click on it. A menu will appear in which you can find the “From Background” option. Click on this item. The layer will now be unlocked and available for further correction.

If you have a transparent background, you can use a tool such as an eraser. Once you select it, set the cursor to a large diameter and erase all the contents of the layer (make sure that the background layer is selected). If you want to change the color itself, select the fill tool. Determine the desired color using the appropriate program capabilities. Once the color is selected, fill the background layer. To cancel the action (in case of an error), press the key combination “Ctrl+Z”.

An alternative to filling can be the brush tool. Having selected this tool, set the desired color and diameter of the brush, and then paint over the old background.

Video on the topic

note

↓ Video - “How to change the background in Photoshop.” How often do we look stunning in photographs where the background leaves much to be desired... But we will not put up with the “law of meanness”! Let's learn how to change the background in Photoshop, making the image natural.

Helpful advice

After we changed the color of our eyes, changed our complexion, you are probably asking the question “How to change the background in Photoshop?”. Changing the background in Photoshop is quite simple with some effort and skill. By actively working with layers, all this can be done quickly, the main thing is to understand the principle of layers, which are arranged not like onions, but like in a Napoleon cake.

Sources:

photoshop how to change background

To achieve a special artistic effect, to attract the viewer's attention to the foreground of the photograph, to align the color composition of the image or for other artistic purposes, the designer may need to change the background color of the digital image. Adobe Photoshop has a sufficient number of tools in its arsenal to easily carry out such an operation.

You will need

In order to begin following these instructions, you need to have basic knowledge of the Photoshop program - have an idea of what layers are, transparency masks, types and methods of editing layers. In addition, it is assumed that you have already learned how to separate the main image from the background, which now needs to be recolored.

Instructions

First of all, we need to have two layers. One layer from the foreground - characters, objects and other fragments that, according to the author's intention, are not . And, in fact, the background layer, the color of which must ultimately be changed.
How to highlight an image and separate it from the background has been written repeatedly throughout the vast expanses. We hope you have already managed to complete this operation. Let us briefly recall that for this you need to somehow create a transparency mask and apply it to the foreground layer. The second layer, located in the list of layers below the previous one, may not have transparency, but, in any case, will be the base for the entire composition. In fact, these can be two identical layers, it’s just that the first one will have areas through which the underlying background will be visible.

To correct the background color, create a special adjustment layer. This operation is available through the main menu Layer > New Adjustment Layer, or by clicking the button with a black circle divided in two at the bottom of the layers panel. Photoshop provides a whole arsenal of different types of such layers: these are layers for simple color adjustments, such as Hue/Saturation or Color Balance, as well as more “abstruse” types of layers, such as such as, for example, Levels ("Levels") or Curves ("Curves"), with the help of which the dynamic range of the image is adjusted, and for each color channel this procedure can be carried out separately, these are also specialized types intended for color correctors - such as Vibrance (" Color Resonance") or, for example, Gradient Map, with which you can rearrange the color palette of the image. What type of layer you need depends on the task at hand: do you want to change the color scheme of the background, make it lighter or darker relative to the foreground elements, radically change its color - turn it black and white or monochromatic, etc. .

It must be remembered that in order for all the effects described above to become possible, first of all, it is necessary that the created adjustment layer occupies the desired place in the list of layers. It should be above the background layer, but below the foreground layer. Create a layer, look at the list in the corresponding panel (it opens and closes by pressing the F7 key), and, if necessary, drag the lines with the names of the layers with the mouse so that the desired order reigns in the list.

Of course, any number of adjustment layers that control the background color can be created. Some of them may be responsible for brightness, others may make the necessary adjustments to the color tone. Of course, like any other layers in Photoshop, adjustment layers have their own transparency masks - this gives additional opportunities to individually control the color of various sections of the background image; it is enough to select or, conversely, mask this or that fragment on the mask of the corresponding layer. Remember that the layers that should be responsible for correcting the background must be in the list of layers above the specified one, then they will have an effect on it.
Don’t be afraid to experiment, give it a try, gain experience in color correction, then soon any task, even the most complex “elements of aerobatics” in digital image processing, will be within your grasp.

Video on the topic

Sources:

how to change the background in photoshop

The capabilities of Photoshop allow you not only to improve the existing image, but also to make it more interesting and memorable. Highlighting color in a black and white photo helps emphasize certain elements and makes the photo more creative and vibrant.

Namely about the team Replace color. This tool is located in the menu.

Let's look at the dialog box.

At the top Selection There is a tab from the “Color Range”.

Using an eyedropper, a sample of the color that needs to be changed is marked on the picture sample. Pipette with plus adds an area pipette with minus- subtracts.

Setting the parameter Fuzziness.

Using the slider, you define the boundaries within which the color shades will change. With maximum variation, the replacement will include almost all shades of the selected color present in the image. With minimal scatter, only those pixels that exactly match the sample will be replaced.

An additional option has been added to Photoshop CS4 Localized Color Clusters, designed to define areas of the same color. Its use allows you to more accurately highlight the color in the image.

In the lower part Replacement In the “Replace Color” dialog box, there is a tab called “Hue/Saturation”, with the help of which, based on the name, you select the color and shade to replace.

Let's look at color replacement using a specific example.

Step 1.

Open the image in Photoshop. We immediately create a duplicate of the main layer.

Step 2.

Let's go to Image - Correction - Replace Color. I want to change the color of my T-shirt.

Step 3.

If you have CS4, then immediately put a tick opposite Localized Color Clusters. I increase the Scatter to the maximum value. Using an eyedropper, mark an area on the image. Next, I choose the color I want to change to. I click on the colored square labeled “Result” and select the shade I need.

It can be seen that in the shadow area the color is not highlighted enough. I select the Eyedropper “+” and click on the image in the area of the folds on the T-shirt.

The T-shirt was completely dyed, but at the same time, unnecessary areas, for example, the face, were dyed. I select the Eyedropper “-” and click it in the face area.

As you can see in the image itself, the lips and ears are still painted; this defect can be corrected with the help of an eraser.

This color changing method works most successfully on contrasting images. Also in images where there are few related shades to the color being changed.

And finally, one more piece of advice. If the image still contains several areas of the same color, and only one of them needs to be changed, for example, then before using the command Replace color, you should highlight the area that requires color replacement. Any selection tool can help you with this.

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The brilliant developers of Adobe's pearl probably had no idea that the Color Replacement tool in Photoshop would become, among other functions, one of the leaders in frequency of use.

Recolor brush

You will find a brush called “Color Replacement” in the “Brush” tool group (in Photoshop CS3 and earlier). This tool is good for its simplicity (you can do without laborious selection to recolor objects), but at the same time it is not entirely predictable.

Essentially, this color replacer with a circle-and-X cursor works like a regular brush, painting an area first while preserving the textural and structural features of the image, but with some caveats.

Firstly, unlike a normal brush, in its settings, in addition to size and hardness, you can set intervals (when moving), tilt angle and shape of the print, and also adjust pen pressure (when using graphics tablets).

During the painting process, the program continuously analyzes the paint within the brush mark, replacing it with the specified primary color in accordance with the selected mode.

The default mode is "Chroma", which changes the color and saturation, but the brightness remains the same, and the new hue, of course, will not exactly match the selected color.

In Brightness mode, the original tone is maintained, but the brightness changes.

In the "Color Tone" mode, the color will change tonally to the declared paint, but the original brightness and saturation will be preserved.

By selecting the "Color" option, we will also change the saturation, maintaining the brightness of the original paint.

Saturation mode maintains brightness but changes the hue and saturation of the original color.

To the right of the mode window in the settings panel at the top there are three sample selection options.

By selecting the first ("Continuous"), we instruct the program to continuously scan the color in the area of the brush mark while we hold down the button, painting the object.

If we specify "One time", the color sample selected on the first click will be used as a sample. This option is suitable for uniformly colored areas.

In the third option (“Background Sample”), only areas related to the background color will be repainted.

The Constraints setting determines the extension of the substituted color as stated in the hover tooltip.

The “All pixels” option provides for the replacement of all pixels in the “cursor-sight” area of the brush. By selecting "Adjacent Pixels" (the default), we will paint within the brush mark only those that are adjacent to the color pixels directly below the cross. Edge Enhance mode will recolor all pixels in the sample, but with an emphasis on the edges.

In principle, by choosing the appropriate brush size, you can confidently repaint in the boundary zones of the object, even accidentally getting into a different color, if only the “Tolerance” parameter is selected correctly, which determines the error in choosing relative colors, as the hint says. As the tolerance increases, the range of tones to be replaced expands, and vice versa.

Thus, we can conclude that the “Color Replacement” brush in Photoshop is a fairly flexible tool, and, despite its “straightforwardness,” it can do a lot of “mischief” in the right hands.

All commands that can radically change the color without destructive consequences for the image are in the "Correction" list in the "Image" menu. These functions include Color Balance, Hue/Saturation, Selective Color Correction, and Replace Color.

In the "Color tone" mode - the "chameleon" object

Another unfairly rarely mentioned and infrequently used method of color transformation lies in the modest “Color Tone” blend mode. Selecting the “Color” adjustment layer and specifying the desired paint, then change the blending mode on this layer to “Hue”. The object, of course, will not be repainted exactly the given color, but the hue will change. If you then double-click on the adjustment layer's fill thumbnail, a color palette will open, and you can cycle through the options, observing the chameleon effect on the canvas.

The excess is erased with a soft black brush on the adjustment layer mask, which is good for it.

With variegated objects, of course, there will be more fuss, so it is better to repaint objects that are more or less uniform in color this way.

Instead of an adjustment layer, you can create a new layer, change its blending mode to “Color Tone” and, having selected the desired color, paint over the object with a brush, then correcting the flaws with an eraser.

A little about color balance

By selecting "Color Balance", we can pre-color the selected object using the "Cyan - Red", "Magenta - Green" and "Yellow - Blue" color pair sliders. Tonal balance is adjusted in shadows, highlights and midtones.

Hue and saturation

The hue correction and saturation adjustment functions are very often used for tasks such as color replacement in Photoshop.

The algorithm for changing color in the dialog box called up by the "Hue/Saturation" command is based on adjusting the hue, saturation and brightness parameters. Here we can shift the overall color scheme of a picture or a selected fragment (object) and adjust colors individually in different parts of the color range by selecting the desired tone with an eyedropper.

In the list of ranges below (under "Style"), where the default is "All", there are six more color ranges that can be processed simultaneously, but with separate parameters.

Given the power of the tool in terms of color correction, recoloring the selected object here will not be difficult.

Selective color correction

This feature allows you to change colors using a CMYK model rather than an HSB (hue, saturation, brightness) model, controlling the amount of cyan, magenta, yellow and black in the selected color. Having selected the object to be repainted in the image, select the required color group in the “Colors” window and use the sliders to adjust its composition.

Sometimes, instead of the Selective Color command in the Image > Adjustments menu, it is better to use an adjustment layer of the same name (Layers > New Adjustment Layer or the button in the Layers panel at the bottom). In this case, it becomes possible to correct the effect on the adjustment layer mask by removing all excess with a black brush.

Replacing white and black

When changing the color using the correction functions, you may have noticed that white does not lend itself to recoloring in this way. Replacing the white color in Photoshop is very simple: if you first select this area, and then, after removing it, repaint it.

However, this drastic decision is destructive. It is justified only when it is not the original drawing itself that is important, but its color. And if you just want to give the white color a different shade, try converting the image to CMYK mode and using the Selective Color Correction function, and then returning to the RGB color space.

Depending on the uniformity of the color, you can use any tool from the extensive arsenal of Photoshop tools to select “Quick Selection”, “Background Eraser”, “Magic Eraser”, etc.), but the best option most often turns out to be “Color Range” in the “Color Range” menu Selection". And how the new color takes root in place of the removed white directly depends on the quality of the selection.

By the way, if a replacement is needed in Photoshop, all the arguments regarding repainting white are also valid for this case.

Replace color

This command from the Adjustments list in the Image menu (or its corresponding adjustment layer) is easier to use than Hue/Saturation, and its results are more predictable.

In the dialog box, use pipettes to select the colors to be changed. Using the Hue, Saturation and Brightness sliders we achieve the desired effect. To control the selection, it is better to select the “Selected area” checkbox (the image will be shown as a mask). The Scatter slider is used to correct scattering outside the selected area.

This color replacement method is most effective for contrasting and not very variegated images.

Recoloring in Lab mode

One of the most efficient and relatively simple ways to recolor objects is to replace colors in Photoshop using the Lab color mode, although to effectively use this method it is advisable to have at least some understanding of the Lab color space.

Thus, the L coordinate specifies the brightness (lightness) value, defined in the range from 0 (the darkest) to 100 (the lightest), and the color parameters are given by the coordinates A (color in the range from green to red) and B (color in the range from blue to yellow).

Thus, in Lab, the brightness value is separated from the chromatic color parameters, making it possible to influence the brightness, contrast and color of the image separately. It is this circumstance that sometimes makes it possible to speed up image processing, for example, if it is necessary to replace colors.

True, this option is not suitable for repainting motley multi-colored objects and objects with complex contours (hair, fur). Let's say you need to change the color of a passenger car. In Lab, replacing color in Photoshop involves, first of all, transferring the image to this mode.

We switch the image to Lab mode (Image > Mode > Lab), then select the desired color from the libraries by going to them by double-clicking on the main color in the toolbar, and remember the values of the L, A and B channels.

In the "Pipette" tool group, select "Color Reference" and place a mark (control point) in a representative area of the car color to be replaced, thereby calling up the "Info" panel.

Now add a “Curves” adjustment layer and for each channel we find the position of the curve in accordance with the fixed values, checking the “Info” palette.

The curves of channels A and B must necessarily intersect the center of the graph, and the curve of the brightness channel L must necessarily maintain the angle of inclination.

Now double-click on the image layer to open the “Layer Style, Blending Options” window. Let's move our attention to its lower part ("Overlay if"). Here, by manipulating the sliders for each parameter (L, A and B), we separate the car from the background or other objects.

We repaint everything

Having mastered the above methods of color replacement, you can repaint almost any object. Depending on its complexity, one method or another may be preferable. For example, changing hair color in Photoshop is easily done using the “Hue/Saturation” and “Color Balance” adjustment functions, but here the main task is to qualitatively highlight an object with such a complex (usually) contour.

Most often, a quick mask is used for selection (the button with a dotted ring at the very bottom). Then the selection is completed using the special capabilities of the “Refine Edge” command in the “Selection” menu.

The selected area is usually copied to a new layer (Ctrl+J), then the above-mentioned painting tools are applied to it.

And such simple tasks as changing eye color in Photoshop, which uses standard selection tools, are generally solved in no time. The eye can be selected by selecting the "Lasso" or "Oval Area" (for the pupils), then, as in the previous case, replace the color by applying the "Hue/Saturation" correction.

The Color Replacement brush also works well for this task.

Everything is the same with color

Most user requests related to recoloring objects in Photoshop, as a rule, do not specify the specific version of the editor, and if they do, then changing colors in Photoshop CS6 is of interest much more often than others.

This may be due to a more significant update of the program compared to the previous version than happened before. Changes have been made to the background save and autosave functions, selection tools, cropping tools, Magic Wand and Eyedropper, brush options, some filters, fill functions, layer editing, interface colors and much more.

There are new possibilities for working with RAW files in the new version of Camera RAW7, gradient filling, artistic image stylization, video editing, searching for the desired layer in multi-layer documents, as well as a new color correction Color Lookup, etc.

However, the corrective functions in the "Correction" list in the "Image" menu have not undergone any significant changes in the process of modernizing the program, so recoloring objects, for example, in CS2, and replacing colors in Photoshop CS6 are practically no different in essence. for those owners of earlier versions who believe that the new modifications have more options for changing colors.

Consider the dialog box

At the top " Selection" (Select) is a tab from " Color range».

Using an eyedropper, a sample of the color that needs to be changed is marked on the picture sample.

The plus pipette adds an area, the minus pipette subtracts.

Setting the Fuzziness Setting

Since version Photoshop CS4 there is an additional option “ Localized Color Clusters» (Localized Color Sets), designed to identify areas of the same color. Its use allows you to more accurately highlight the color in the image.

In the lower part " Replacement" (Replacement) dialog box " Replace color"(Replace color) is the tab from " Hue/Saturation» (Hue/Saturation), which, based on its name, selects the color and shade to replace.

Let's look at color replacement using a specific example

Step 1

Open the image in Photoshop. Immediately create a duplicate of the main layer (Ctrl+J).

Step 2

Go through the menu " Image - Adjustments - Replace Color» ().

Let's say I want to change the color of my T-shirt.

Step 3

If you have a version from Photoshop CS4 and above, then immediately put a tick in front of “ Localized Color Clusters» (Localized color sets).

Increasing " Fuzziness» (Scatter) to the maximum value.

Using an eyedropper, mark an area on the image. Next, choose the color you want to change to. Click on the colored square labeled “ Result"(Result) and select the desired shade.

It can be seen that in the shadow area the color is not highlighted enough. Choose pipette « + "and click on the image in the area of the folds on the T-shirt.

The T-shirt was completely dyed, but at the same time, unnecessary areas, for example, the face, were dyed. Choose pipette « - ” and click on it in the face area.

As you can see in the image itself, the lips and ears remain painted; this defect can be corrected using eraser.

This color changing method works most successfully on contrasting images.

Also in images where there are few related shades to the color being changed.

And finally, one more piece of advice. If the image still contains several areas of the same color, and only one of them needs to be changed, for example, then before using the command “ Replace color» (Replace color), you should select the area that requires color replacement. Any selection tool can help you with this.