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Adjusting the Color of a Photo or Graphic Element

Adobe Photoshop has many ways to alter the colors of a photo or graphic. One method is to choose a command from the (top menu) Image > Adjustments submenu. Adjustment options include hue/saturation, and brightness/contrast. This method permanently alters the color of the image in the Photoshop document.

Another method is to use an adjustment layer. Adjustment layers let you experiment with color and tonal adjustments without permanently changing the image. The color and tonal changes reside within the adjustment layer, which acts as a veil through which the underlying image appears.

To use an adjustment layer, select the layer that you wish to change. (Hold down the CTRL key and click on the area of the document you wish to change -- its layer will highlight in the Layers panel.)

Click on the 'create new fill or adjustment layer' icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.
Choose the layer type you want to create.

Available types are:
Solid color, Gradient pattern, levels, curves, color balance, brightness and contrast, Hue/Saturation, Channel mixer, selective color, gradient map, Invert, threshold, posterize.

Changing the color settings using a Color balance layer

Select your layer in the Layers panel

Click the 'new fill or adjustment layer' icon, as above

Choose Color Balance from the dropdown list

This displays the Color Balance window

Try different settings and notice the different color changes on the image.

Click OK to commit your changes.

The original picture and a modified one with color changes:

Experiment with various other options available under the adjustment layers menu. To discard changes, right-click on the adjustment layer in the Layers panel and select Delete Layer.

Another method is to use a Layer Style effect. As with Adjustment Layers, modifications using the Layer Styles do not permanently effect the original image.

Click on the "fx" icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. --->

Clicking on Color Overlay or on Gradient Overlay will open an options window where you can experiment with different colors and varying degrees of transparency of colors:

The original graphic, and those modified with Color Overlay and with Gradient Overlay:

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