Photoshop Friday! 2007 #12 - Re-coloring :)

Hi There!

Welcome to another edition of Photoshop Friday! This PSF is a little bit different, in that we won’t be covering one technique, but more of a general how-to with examples. I know a lot of people use PSF as a reference, so this one can go right in the library to refer back to. :)

Today we’ll be talking about one of the more basic questions that gets asked - how to re-color items in Photoshop. The answer to this depends on what you want to re-color. I’ve broken things down into basically 4 categories:

• Solid colored items on their own layer (these are like .png stamp files)
  
• Solid colored, textured items (patterned paper)
• Multi-colored, flat items (digital rub-ons)
• Solid colored, textured items on their own layer (things like buttons, brads, etc)

Let’s get started!

Recoloring PNG stamps

1. Open your item in Photoshop. I used an image from the Art Deco brush set by Anna Aspnes.
2. Drag your item onto your layout or a new canvas.

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3. Go to Edit > Fill. Select a color from the dropdown box
4. Check the Preserve Transparency at the bottom of the Fill dialog box.

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5. Click OK.

Recoloring Patterned Paper

1. Open your item in Photoshop. I used a brown paper from the You and Me Mini Kit by Mindy Terasawa.

2. Drag your item onto a new layout or a new canvas.

3. Select the Foreground color swatch in the toolbar. Choose or dial in the color that you would like your paper to be.
4. Go to Enhance > Adjust Color > Adjust Hue/Saturation (CS2: Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation).

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5. In the Hue/Saturation Dialog box, click the Colorize checkbox. Adjust the Saturation and Lightness sliders until the paper matches.

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5. Click OK.

Re-Coloring Digital Rub-ons

These include any multi-colored item that doesn’t have texture. 

1. Open your item in Photoshop. I used a rub-on from Mindy Terasawa’s super-cute Flutter Butter kit.
2. Drag your item onto your layout or a new canvas.
3. Select the Magic Wand tool.
4. In the Options bar at the top of your screen, uncheck the “Contiguous” checkbox. This will select ALL the instances of the color you click on, rather than only pixels that are touching the one you click on.

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5. Create a new layer (Layer > New > Layer).
6. You can do lots of things to this selection! Try brushing it with a grungy brush to barely change the color, or to change the color altogether, try Edit > Fill.

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Re-coloring textured items on their own layer (like buttons)

1. Open your item in Photoshop. I used a button from Tia Bennett’s Juicy kit.
2. Drag your item onto your layout or a new canvas.

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3. Ctrl-click on the item’s thumbnail in the Layers palette (or if your item has several colors, use the Magic Wand tool to click on a single color as in the previous section) to create a selection of your item.
4. Create a new layer (Layer > New > Layer).
5. With your new layer targeted, go to Edit > Fill (or use brushes, etc). Fill this layer with your chosen color.

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6. In your Layers palette, set the blending mode of your new layer to Hue. The Hue blending mode keeps the Saturation and Luminosity of the bottom layer, but adds in the Hue (or color) of the top layer. Neat!

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 Have a great Photoshop Friday! :D If you have successful experiments in color change, and would like to share them (alone or in a layout), link me up! Can’t wait to see. :)

-J 

Comments

[amore]

Oh my you just solved my dilemma in changing colors.. It took me so much time coloring and I didn't know that by unchecking "Contiguous" will do my work easy. THANK YOU! ;)

[Sylvia]

WOW - you blog is stunning, Jessica - these tips are worth more then each book. And both the video and the written tutorials are GREAT!!! Thanks so much for all (and for the sweet kit too, of course!)

[lauren]

i'm not sure i've ever replied to your blog - but i want you to know that i read it all the time! thanks for the freebie! woo hoo!

lauren aka mlpieters

[jen]

Oh my gosh - what a cute kit! Love it! Ummm, are you making a boy kit anytime soon? Oh and thanks for the great tutorials, I've always wondered how to change the colors on details. Can't wait until tonight when I can play photoshop! Thanks!

[Brooke in Oregon]

Yee haw, sweet kit!! Awesome tutorial, so going to play with this over the weekend!! TY TY TY :)

[Luann McElduff]

As always, I look forward to Fridays to see what wondeful tutorial you will share. I am never disappointed and think you have one of the BEST blogs out there. Thanks for your hardwork, it does not go unappreciated.

Luann McElduff

[clhall]

Thank you!

[Nora]

Thank you again. This tutorial was great, can't wait to play some more with these techniques. Thank you for that wonderful mini kit--it's great. I noticed that there is a full kit available when you order the book. I had already preordered my book, does the offer for the full kit start from today only? Have a great weekend.

[BettyC]

Thank you for the lovely mini-kit, Jessica! And the great tips! I'm wondering if I'd get the new magazine quicker if I pre-ordered or wait for the store copy? When I've pre-ordered things before, they've appeared in the stores before I got mine & it's hard to resist buying the "bird in the hand!" What do you think?
Thanks, BettyC

[DianneT]

I am so excited that I found your website last week. I was unable to download your kit last Fri during the tutorial, but had no problem at all following your posting the next day. You have already answered sooo many questions for me in such a consise way-the vidoe tutorials are GREAT! The written instructions are also wonderful, so easy to follow. THANK YOU! The mini kit is gorgeous, I have the perfect pics for it.

[Barbara]

-yet another informative PSFriday! So thankful to you for sharing your knowledge, upbeat attitude toward life, and of course for the free and adorable mini-kit!
Have a fantastic weekend!

[Sharon]

Another cool tutorial - thanks :)

[Vicki]

Another great tutorial. Love the kit too.
Thanks!!

[Dana]

You are the greatest! Thank you again for all your wonderful PSF's! I just dl your mini kit and can't wait to use it. Thank you for sharing your talent.

[KatieJ]

You are so awesome! Thanks for all the great help- I had so much fun recoloring my stuff! Thanks for the beautiful kit too. Your blog is a lifesaver!!!

[KatieJ]

You are so awesome! Thanks for all the great help- I had so much fun recoloring my stuff! Thanks for the beautiful kit too. Your blog is a lifesaver!!!

[MichelleTW]

Thanks so much. You are an amazing talent and there are no guesses as too why you are in my favourite links

[Cher]

THANK YOU! Again a great tutorial and a Divine kit- I had to use right away.
http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/pg.asp?gallery=4&cmd=display&layout_id=1117172

[Rona]

awesome kit! Thank you!

[Leonie]

Thank you so much for the free kit it is so lovely, & such a big thank you for photoshop Friday, I am learning so much from them & look forward to them each week, you explain things so clearly (a born teacher LOL). Have a great weekend.

[Janie]

Jessica -- you're amazing! Beautiful kit and the tutorial is another classic. Thanks so much for all you do to make digi scrapping more fun and Friday an even BETTER day! Have a good weekend.

[michelle]

thank you!!!

[Cler]

Great tutorial and so helpful! Love the kit, is beautiful! Thank you, Jessica!

[Debra]

Jessica!

That's so pretty! Thank You!


:)

[Mel]

Thank you so much for the tip on recoloring things with texture (button). Just couldn't figure out how to do it! You rock!

[Shari]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the great tutorials. I have learned so much from you. I use PSCS2 and I knew there was so much I could do with it but had no idea HOW to do it. You have just opened my eyes to so many new possibilties! THANK YOU for taking time to share these with everyone!

[Jules]

Thank you for taking the time to explain so many different things which can be done in PSCS - I'm learning lots. Thanks for the kit too!

[Annette]

Is the new mag that is comming out usefull if you don't do hybrid scrapping? Also is the tuturials written for PSE

[Nicole]

I'm downloading the mini kit now. Looks great! Thanks for the instructions for re-coloring. I've been trying to figure it out on my own, but they weren't coming out like I wanted. I'll try these directions.

[heather]

Thank you so much for your photoshop Fridays. I always learn SO much.
Thanks also for the freebies!