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How to Use the Replace Color Command to Maximum Effect
By
Karl Rosencrants, Shutterstock Contributor
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Stock images are occasionally not exactly what we need them to be – you need an object to be a different color, for example. Learning this simple technique will help you create the perfect image for your designs.
In the below layout, we have found the exact stock photo of a model we were looking for, but the color of her shirt doesn't match the colors the client has chosen for their publication. Changing the color of her shirt to match will be an easy edit using Replace Color.
Note: To make the Replace Color easier, select an image that has consistent color throughout; in this case, the yellow of the shirt is not greatly varied in color.
With the layer of the model selected, select Image > Adjustments > Replace Color. The Replace Color dialog box will appear. The first step is to select the color you want to replace using the eye dropper tool. You can see a preview of your selection in the dialog box. The white area of the preview is the color range that is selected and will be changed and the black area represents what is not selected. If you do not see this kind of preview, make sure that the "selection" option is chosen just under the preview. Move your color selection point to change the selection area.
Once you're happy with your selection point, move to the bottom of the dialog box and, using the sliders or color picker window, choose the replacement color. At this point, the color change probably won't look very good.
Don't give up yet. Still inside the Replace Color dialog box, use the Fuzziness slider above the preview to adjust the size of the selection. The higher the fuzziness value, the larger the color range for the original selection. Adjust the slider until the image looks pretty good. Chances are it still might need a little work. Get it as close as you can, then select OK. As you can see in this image, there are still a few spots that look yellow, like under her arms and the wrinkle across her belly.
Using the Color Picker, select the main color of the shirt. Activate the Brush Tool and change the blend mode to Color and the opacity to around 50%. Then simply brush in the areas that needed to be touched up. The more consistent the starting color of the shirt, the easier this change can be made.
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