10 Photoshop Techniques You Can't Work Without:

 

7. The Colorize Checkbox:

Summary: The Hue/Saturation pop-up menu is great for creating quick color varitions of any image. But, what if you want to colorize a grey, or monochromatic image? That's where the colorize checkbox comes into play. The "Colorize" checkbox adds color to regions of an image that lack it.

 

 

 

Shown: Here we have a layer containing an image of silver button. Notice the image has no inherent color.

 

 

Step 1: Hit CTRL+U or go to Image >> Adjustments >> Hue/Saturation to open the "Hue/Saturation" pop-up menu. Click the "Colorize" checkbox.

Tip: If you want to change the color of an non-monochrome image, do not check the "Colorize" checkbox. Doing so is typically undesirable because grey or white areas -- like a white background -- will receive tint.

Tip: Black, or very dark portions of an image are difficult to colorize without first lightening them.

 

 

Step 2: Notice how a red tint has been added the monochromatic image. Increase "Saturation" to 50 by dragging the Saturation slider to the right. Notice the red tint becomes more apparent.

 

 

Step 3: Play with the "Hue" slider to change the color of the tint. Here the Hue is set to 207 for a blue tint.