Photoshop: Color Highlights in Black & White Images
October 2nd, 2007 at 3:00 PM - Tips by Jeff Gamet
Black and white or full color photos can be striking on their own, but mixing the two draws your vieweris eye exactly where you want it -- and with dramatic effect. Itis actually really simple to create this striking effect in Photoshop without much effort. All you need is a color image.
![]() This is an easy effect to create in Photoshop. |
|---|
For this example, I spent some time trolling through iStockphoto and came up with an image of a woman holding balloons. Iill Highlight a balloon, and leave everything else black and white.
![]() Start with a color image. |
|---|
- Start by opening a color image in Photoshop.
- Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation, and move the Saturation slider as far to the left as it will go to make your color image black and white. Click OK.
![]() Create a new Adjustment Layer. |
|---|
![]() Move the Saturation slider to the left to pull the color out of your image. |
|---|
When you create an Adjustment layer, it automatically creates a Layer Mask. Weill use that to add some color back in the highlight area.
- Select the Brush tool.
- Make sure your selected color is black because that will let us hide, or paint out, the parts of the layer we want to see color through. White has the opposite effect. Use it to add back to your mask and hide the color areas.
- With the Adjustment layer mask still selected, paint where you want the color to show through. If you make a mistake, switch to white to paint back in and hide the color you donit want to see.
![]() Use the Brush tool to "paint" where you want to see color. |
|---|
![]() Color shows through when you paint black on the Adjustment layer mask. |
|---|
![]() The original image (left) and final (right). |
|---|
The great thing about this technique is that it doesnit harm your original image. Since all of your changes are on an adjustment layer, the original photo remains untouched.
<!--#include virtual="/includes/newsite/series/quicktip.shtml"-->Recent Headlines - Updated November 9th
- Mon, 7:20 PM
- Rumor - Apple May Update iPod touch in December
- 6:45 PM
- Product News - MacUpdate Desktop Updated to 5.0.1 with New Features, Bug Fixes
- 5:16 PM
- Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.6.2 - Guest Account Bug Fixed, Much More
- 4:12 PM
- Games - New For iPhone: Star Rangers, Air Force Supremacy, Blood Beach, More
- 2:51 PM
- Apple Stock Watch - Radio Shack Jumps 14% on iPhone Deal, Apple Up 3%
- 2:25 PM
- Games - EA Scoops Up Social Games Publisher Playfish
- 1:51 PM
- Deal Brothers - Western Digital 1TB SATA Intellipower Hard Drive: $84.99
- 10:58 AM
- News - StarHub Signs Singapore iPhone Deal
- 10:36 AM
- Hot Forum Topic - Reader Speculation: What’s in Apple’s Tablet?
- 10:08 AM
- News - Apple Kicks Off New Credit Program
- 9:26 AM
- News - Apple Launches Reserve and Pick Up Program
- 8:49 AM
- News - ikee Worm Rickrolls Jailbroken iPhones
The Mac Observer Reader Specials
- TypeStyler For Mac OS X is Now Shipping! Download The Free Fully Functional 60 Day Tryout at www.typestyler.com
RamJet Memory: Mac Pro 8-core 8GB Kit $199.99, 4GB Kits $109.99! Sale on MacBook and MacBook Pro 8GB kits $549.99! New MacBook DDR3 2GB for $49.99. iMac and Mac mini 4GB Kits for $79.99! 1TB SATA Hard Drives for $109.99! Click here
OWC: Get the Right Memory / Ram for your Mac. Top Quality, Competitive Prices, Lifetime Warranty. Expert Support and Video Installation Guidies too! 4.0GB Matched Sets from $87.99, Options up to 32GB. Click here
If you're using a Mac, then you've gotta check out Full Tilt Poker for Mac. This Full Tilt Poker bonus code does the unthinkable, it actually rewards!For the latest Apple products use Ciao, a price comparison website, to find laptops like MacBook Air. Then find the best prices on MP3 players and use our comparison tool to evaluate mobile phones like the Apple iPhone.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.








