Hue/Saturation

You can modify the tint and purity of specific colors with the Hue/Saturation command. In terms of image editing, saturation refers to the amount of gray in colors.

The Hue/Saturation dialog box varies slightly depending on the color mode. For RGB Color and CMYK Color images, you can modify red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, or magenta color ranges. For LAB mode images, you can modify blue, magenta, yellow, or green color ranges.

The Hue/Saturation command is available when you work with CMYK, RGB, or LAB Color mode images. Before choosing the Hue/Saturation command, make the composite channel active. For more information, see Activating Channels.

Hue/Saturation Dialog Box

To Adjust the Hue of a Color Range:

1. Select a paint object to adjust. You can select an area in the image to adjust the selected area only.
2. Choose Image | Adjust | Hue/Saturation.
3. On the left of the dialog box, click the color range to adjust, or click Master to affect all colors equally.
4. To change the selected color, enter the amount of the color shift, from -180 to 180°, in the Hue text box. Negative values indicate a counter-clockwise shift around the color wheel; positive values indicate a clockwise shift; e.g., with the Master option selected, setting Hue to 60 changes red to magenta, magenta to blue, blue to cyan, and so on.
5. Click OK to apply the current settings to the image.

To Adjust the Saturation of a Color Range:

1. Select a paint object to adjust. You can select an area in the image to adjust the selected area only.
2. Choose Image | Adjust | Hue/Saturation.
3. Click the option button of the color you want to adjust, or click the Master option button to affect all colors equally.
4. Enter a value from -100 to 100 in the Saturation text box or drag the slider. Positive values decrease the amount of gray in the selected colors. Negative values increase the amount of gray.
5. Click OK to apply the current settings to the image.

To Adjust the Brightness of a Color Range:

1. Select a paint object to adjust. You can select an area in the image to adjust the selected area only.
2. Choose Image | Adjust | Hue/Saturation.
3. Choose a specific color range or choose Master to affect all colors equally.
4. Enter a value from -100 to 100 in the Lightness text box or drag the slider. Positive values increase the amount of white in the color range. Negative values decrease the amount of white.
5. Click OK to apply the current settings to the image.

For more control of brightness adjustments, use the Levels or Curves command. (See Levels and Adjusting Brightness Curves.)

To Colorize an Image:

Use the Colorize option in the Hue/Saturation dialog box to tint an image. This applies the same hue and saturation to all pixels that are not 100% black or white. The Colorize option does not affect the lightness levels of pixels.

1. Select a paint object. You can select an area in the image to adjust only the selection.
2. Choose Image | Adjust | Hue/Saturation.
3. Select the Colorize option.
4. Enter a value from -180° to 180° in the Hue text box. Positive values shift counter-clockwise around the color wheel, negative values shift clockwise around the color wheel. For example, Hue 120 creates a green-toned image.
5. Enter a value in the Saturation text box or drag the slider.
6. After entering the settings you want, click OK.

See also:

• Customizing Alpha Channels
• Levels
• Adjusting Brightness Curves
• Color Equalization
• Color Balance
• Changing Color and Contrast