The fastest way to change one object's color
Open your image in Photoshop and use the Hue/Saturation adjustment on a selected object. Select the object first using the Quick Selection tool or the Free Select tool, then go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation. Move the Hue slider left or right to shift the color, adjust Saturation to make it more or less vivid, and Lightness to brighten or darken it. This method works best when the object is a single, distinct color and is separated from the background.
If the object has multiple colors or sits against a complex background, use the Select by Color tool instead. Click the tool in the toolbar, then click on the color you want to change within the object. Photoshop selects all pixels of that color. Increase the Tolerance slider if the selection misses similar shades, or decrease it if it selects too much. Once you have the right selection, apply Hue/Saturation as described above.
For the most control, use the Color Range selection (Select > By Color Range). This lets you pick a specific color from your image and adjust how strictly Photoshop matches it. After you select the color range, apply Hue/Saturation or use the Colorize option to replace the color entirely with a new one.
Key Takeaways
- Hue/Saturation is the standard tool for changing object color and works on any selected area of your image.
- Select the object first using Quick Selection, Free Select, or Select by Color, depending on how distinct the object is from its background.
- The Hue slider shifts the color around the color wheel, while Saturation controls intensity and Lightness controls brightness.
- For objects with multiple colors, select each color separately and adjust them one at a time, or use Color Range to select similar tones in one step.
Using the Color Range tool for precise selection
The Color Range dialog gives you more control than the Select by Color tool because you can see a preview of what you are selecting and fine-tune the match before you commit. Go to Select > By Color Range. A dialog box opens with your image displayed. Click on the color in your object that you want to change.
Three sliders appear: Fuzziness (how similar colors have to be to get selected), Localized Cluster (whether to select only nearby pixels or all matching colors in the image), and Range (which part of the color spectrum to include). Adjust Fuzziness first — move it right to include more similar shades, left to be stricter. The preview shows you in white what will be selected and in black what will not. Once the selection looks right, click OK.
After Color Range closes, you are back in the main image with your selection active (shown by the marching ants border). Now apply Hue/Saturation or any other color adjustment. The adjustment only affects the selected pixels.
Replacing a color entirely with the Colorize option
If you want to change a color to something completely different rather than shift it slightly, use Colorize instead of Hue/Saturation. First select the object or the specific color within it using any selection method. Then go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, and check the Colorize box at the bottom right of the dialog.
When Colorize is on, the Hue slider no longer shifts the existing color — it sets the new color from scratch. The Saturation slider controls how vivid the new color is (0 is grayscale, 100 is full color). Lightness controls brightness. This method is useful when you want to turn a red object blue or a brown object green, rather than making a red object slightly more orange.
Colorize works best on objects that are already a single, uniform color. If your object has highlights and shadows, Colorize will turn all of them the same hue, which can look flat. In that case, use Hue/Saturation without Colorize so the highlights and shadows stay visible.
Changing color with the Selective Color adjustment
Selective Color is another adjustment tool that targets specific color ranges without requiring a selection first. Go to Image > Adjustments > Selective Color. A dialog opens with buttons for Reds, Yellows, Greens, Cyans, Blues, and Magentas. Click the button for the color range you want to change.
Four sliders appear: Cyan-Red, Magenta-Green, Yellow-Blue, and Black. Move each slider to shift that color range in your image. For example, if you click Reds and move the Cyan-Red slider toward Cyan, all the red tones in your image shift toward cyan. This method affects the entire image, not just a selection, so it is best used when your object is the dominant color or when you have already selected it.
Selective Color is more subtle than Hue/Saturation and preserves the tonal range of your image better. It is useful when you want to shift a color without making the object look obviously edited.
Using the Replace Color tool for one-step color swaps
The Replace Color tool combines selection and color adjustment in one step. Go to Image > Adjustments > Replace Color. A dialog opens with a preview of your image and three sliders: Hue, Saturation, and Lightness.
Click on the color in your image that you want to change. Photoshop selects that color (shown in white in the preview) and lets you adjust it immediately. The Fuzziness slider controls how similar colors have to be to get selected, just like in Color Range. Move the Hue slider to shift the color, Saturation to change intensity, and Lightness to brighten or darken.
Replace Color is faster than selecting first and then adjusting, but it gives you less control over the selection. If the selection includes parts of the background or misses parts of your object, switch to Color Range or Hue/Saturation instead.
Protecting highlights and shadows when you change color
When you shift the color of an object, the highlights (bright areas) and shadows (dark areas) can lose their depth and look flat. To keep them visible, use a layer mask or adjustment layer instead of adjusting the image directly.
Create an adjustment layer by going to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation. Photoshop adds a new layer above your image with a Hue/Saturation dialog. Make your color changes as usual. The adjustment layer sits on top of your image without changing the original pixels. If the adjustment is too strong, lower the Opacity of the adjustment layer to blend it with the original image below.
You can also use a layer mask to apply the color change to only part of the object. With the adjustment layer selected, click the layer mask (the white rectangle next to the adjustment icon). Paint with black on the mask to hide the adjustment in that area, or paint with white to show it. This lets you keep the original color in the shadows while changing the color in the highlights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my selection include the background when I use Select by Color?
The Tolerance setting is too high. Lower it by clicking the tool options and dragging the Tolerance slider to the left. Start at 10 and click on your object again. If it still selects too much, lower it further. If it misses parts of your object, raise it slightly. You can also use Color Range instead, which gives you a preview before you commit to the selection.
Can I change the color of part of an object, like just the shadows?
Yes, by making a separate selection for the shadows. Use the Free Select tool to draw around just the shadow area, or use Select by Color and adjust the Tolerance to select only the darkest pixels. Then apply Hue/Saturation to that selection alone. Repeat for the highlights and midtones if needed.
What is the difference between Hue/Saturation and Colorize?
Hue/Saturation shifts the existing color around the color wheel while keeping the tonal range. Colorize replaces the color entirely with a new hue, turning everything the same color. Use Hue/Saturation to make a red object more orange. Use Colorize to turn a red object blue.
How do I change the color of an object with a gradient or texture?
Use Hue/Saturation with a selection, or use Selective Color without a selection. Both preserve the gradient and texture while shifting the color. Avoid Colorize, which flattens gradients. If the gradient has multiple colors, you may need to select each color separately and adjust them one at a time.
Can I undo a color change if I do not like it?
If you used an adjustment layer, delete the layer or lower its opacity to blend it back. If you adjusted the image directly, go to Edit > Undo or press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) to step back. For future edits, use adjustment layers so you can change or remove the color adjustment without affecting the original image.