Convert black and white photo to color online. How to colorize a black and white photo

12.10.2019

You will need

To perform the operations of this instruction, it is desirable that you be at least basicly familiar with Adobe Photoshop: you know what layers and layer masks are, you know how to use a brush and other basic tools of this program.

Instruction

To add color to an image - the color of a black and white or faded photograph, to color or recolor a pencil drawing or a solid color, etc. – special technical costs and complex operations not required. It is enough to open the original image in Adobe Photoshop, create a new layer on top of the base image and, setting it to Color mode, apply fragmentary areas of the required colors to it. You can do this with a brush or other program tools. Original image in right places get the desired color scheme.
Of course, the hardest part is actually getting the color layer right, especially if you want to achieve the most photorealistic image.

To begin with, let's analyze: we will study the original image and mentally try to divide it into more or less large fragments, the color inside of which should be fairly uniform. These are, for example, objects made of the same material, or objects that have a completely predictable combination of colors, solid arrays - foliage, grass, walls, floors, etc. The main thing is that the colors inside such a fragment obey a single simple law: dark, shadowy areas tend to one color, medium-light areas have their own approximately the same shade, and light areas have their own.
For each such homogeneous fragment, you can create your own color layer that describes the necessary pattern.
First of all, let's create a layer mask so that the coloring action only applies to the desired fragment of the original image. For example, let's trace the outline of an object with the Lasso tool. After finishing the selection, create a new Gradient Map layer (Menu Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Gradient Map). In the layers panel, set the blend mode switch of the created layer to Color.
Let's start creating a spectrum. On the left in the gradient there will be colors responsible for the dark areas of the image, on the right - for the light ones. If you have a good visual memory and artistic taste, colors can be chosen "by eye", however, a pre-prepared photograph will greatly facilitate the work, the nature of the image in which is similar to the one being recreated. In this sample, already ready-made the main combinations of colors will be presented, therefore, the colors of the gradient can simply be typed with an eyedropper tool from the sample. One way or another, we select the color and location of the markers on the gradient, visually controlling how plausible the result is.

You can create as many layers as you need. Each layer in the layer list above can overlap layers below it, and if the layer masks overlap, then the top layer will be critical in rendering the color cast. Therefore, you can go initially from painting large spaces, to the subsequent creation of smaller color fragments, overlaying new color combinations on smaller and smaller details, creating new and new layers on top.
Of course, layer masks can be created not only by tracing objects along the path. The mask can simply be painted with a black or white brush, respectively, adding or excluding the areas of effect of the color layer. In order to “draw on the mask”, you must first click the cursor on the rectangle on the right - a schematic representation of the mask - in the line of the desired layer on the Layers panel (Layers).
It is very convenient that each created layer can be re-edited at any time, change the colors of the spectrum - for this, just double-click on the line of the layer in the list of the layer in the list of the Layers panel (Layers), and proceed to modify the gradient. Also, the mask of each layer can be erased, corrected, painted over, or even re-created.

Having painted large homogeneous areas of the image in this way, we proceed to the next stage - the stage of manual finishing. This requires observation and logic. The fact is that even identically painted surfaces that have a completely uniform color never look uniform in real optical conditions. Light falls on each surface: direct - from light sources, reflected - from nearby surfaces, in addition, when the observer looks at different angles, the same color tone looks different. Therefore, in addition to color gradients - tending to "flatten" surfaces, because with this method of coloring, the volume and location in space are not taken into account - we will create additional color layers that correct them.
For example, in the proposed picture, the color of the light column in the upper part will gravitate towards blue, because next to it is a large blue wall, reflected cold color which will necessarily fall on the column and illuminate it, changing the color shade. Bottom part columns closer to the floor will take on the reflected tones of orange highlights from the parquet.
To show this in our work, just above the Gradient Map layer defining base color columns, create a new clean layer (Menu Layer>New Layer), and transfer it to the blending mode Color. On it, with a soft translucent brush, carefully apply the necessary spots - a cold shade at the top, a warm orange at the bottom. You can also play along with brown reflexes from a nearby walnut table. By adjusting the parameter Opacity (Transparency) of the created layer, you can reduce and increase the influence of the adjustment layer on the image.
Another law, where there is less illumination - the colors are more faded, where there is more light, in addition to the actual brightness of the image, the color saturation itself will be an order of magnitude higher. This, for example, must be taken into account when giving color to the floor: in the proposed illustration, in the shady areas, the reddish color of the parquet will look more faded. And in the darkest places, the colors of all surfaces can have an almost indistinguishable color tone from each other.
With special attention should be taken into account human skin. First of all, the skin absorbs glare very well, therefore, for example, for a standing character, the side of the face that faces the column will be of a much colder shade than the one on which the light from the red curtain falls. In addition, the skin itself is rarely even in color - the cheeks are usually a warmer shade than the skin around the eyes, the open areas are tanned, through thin skin blood vessels will be visible, etc. Therefore, work on skin color is always very painstaking, but with sufficient observation, with a little practice, you can easily achieve a completely plausible result.

It is recommended to save the final image in two different formats. Firstly, in the format of the Abode Photoshop program, where information about all created layers will be saved, which will make it possible to further modify and supplement the image. And secondly, in a commonly used format, such as JPEG, for quick viewing, and other operations with the file, in which there is no need for layer-by-layer editing. This can be done through the File>Save As menu, specifying the file format, its name and storage location on disk. And in a format suitable for transport on the Internet, it is easy to save the image through the File>Save for Web menu.

1. Grayscale

Image - Mode - Grayscale(Image - Mode - Grayscale)

Very simple, right?

2. Discolor

Image - Correction - Desaturate(Image - Adjustments - Desaturate)

Quick and easy - but the image contrast is very low, the image looks dull and flat. Not at all what we are striving for. What we especially like about quality b&w photos- so it's depth and high contrast. Alright - it's time to introduce you to some more serious techniques!

3. Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer

The method we are going to tell you about is to use multiple adjustment layers. Hue/Saturation. This means that you can return to the original view at any time. Plus, you are NOT modifying the original image. Now go to the menu Layers - New Adjustment Layer - Hue/Saturation(Layers - New Adjustment layer - Hue / Saturation).

Leave all layer properties unchanged. Change the layer blend mode from Ordinary(Normal) on Chroma(Color).

Then add another adjustment layer Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) - but this time move the slider in the layer properties Saturation(Saturation) to -100.

So get ready... This is what the image looks like now:

Now the fun begins! Double click on the first adjustment layer you made, or just open the properties. And now the slider Color tone(Hue) Move to this position until you are satisfied with the resulting effect. You can also work with Saturation ( Saturation ) .

These are the settings we used to get the image you see below. Now it looks much better, although it still seems that something is missing...

Now for this newly created layer, change the blending mode from Chroma(Color) on overlap(Overlay) and scale it down a bit. Opacity(Opacity), in our case up to 65%.

Here's what happened now. The contrast has increased markedly. No detail is lost, giving depth to the image.

Note that each image requires individual approach. What suits this image may not suit yours. So don't be afraid to experiment with settings, layers and modes on your own :)

4. Channel mixing

The last way you'll learn about in this tutorial is to use an adjustment layer. mixingchannels(Channel Mixer). With the original image active, go to the menu Layers - New Adjustment Layer - Channel Mixer(Layers - New Adjustment Layer - Channel mixer).

When this window appears, check the box next to the function Monochrome(Monochrome).

Now adjust the shades of black and white simply by moving the sliders that correspond to the red (red), green (green), and blue (blue) colors of the image. Important: try to keep the total number of values around 100 to avoid blurry areas in your image. We set the red and green channels to 0 and the blue to 100. This gives the skin an intense black and white tone.

Final step: duplicate the adjustment layer. Then change the blend mode from Ordinary(Normal) on overlap(Overlay) and reduce Opacity(Opacity), for example, for this image it turned out 44% - but often it is necessary to lower it to 20-30%. Look - below is the result of our labors.

It's a very atmospheric image. Looking forward to your impressions. We hope this article has given you a lot of useful information.

See you in the next lesson!

Are you curious to see what black and white photographs from your old albums would look like if they were colorized? Think you need to spend a lot of time in Photoshop for this? It turns out that you can make an image in color using a special online program! But let's talk about everything in order.

Colorize a black and white photo online in one click in Algorithmia

In order to make a picture black and white online, dozens of Internet resources have been created, but only one is provided for the reverse function - Algorithmia. The work of this unusual site is built on practical application neural networks. In addition to the fact that he can convert an image from black and white to color, he can also:

determine the area depicted in the photo;
to distinguish the faces of people in the pictures;
analyze the positive/negative mood of the given text;
and much more.

Algorithmia has an English-language interface, but since the section we need - Colorize Photos - implies only one function, working with it does not cause any difficulties.

So, upload your bw photo, which we are going to colorize - this can be done by selecting a picture on a computer or by entering a link to its location on the Internet.

If you just want to test how black and white photography make a color one, you can choose one of the pictures offered here for an example

The coloring process takes about half a minute. Next, we are offered to evaluate the photo before and after.

Move the purple slider to see the effect of the changes

You can save both a fully colored drawing and the comparison itself - a photo partially in color and partially in b/w. I was a little disappointed with the watermark on the finished picture, but it is quite compact and modestly located in the corner. You can get rid of it by simply cropping the image.

Through several experiments, we found out that the service copes best with painting skin, water and trees. The clearer their boundaries, the better the result.

Let's compare - on the left is the original photo, which we discolored and uploaded to the site, and on the right - its colorized version

As you can see, Algorithmia distinguishes people well and automatically colors the skin in beige tones. True, the service does not feel the borders very well, so the cardigan, just in case, was also made flesh-colored.

In the background behind the girl, the editor "didn't recognize" the Christmas tree, so he left it just a dark spot. But he clearly defined the color of the gift and jeans and did almost everything right, except for the beige trouser leg in the foreground and very blurry borders. The service decided to “revive” the bird in the corner of the picture, so it made it yellowish.

In general, of course, there are certain flaws in the result, but all the same, Algorithmia deserves respect, if only because it is the only site that allows you to turn a black and white photo into color.

How to colorize a picture in Photoshop: a simple guide for beginners

We want to say right away that this method will require much more time than the previous one. Also here you will need minimal skills in Photoshop, and the more of them, the more beautiful the result will be.

Load the image into Photoshop and create a new empty layer. Next, use the "Quick Selection" tool and click on the objects that we are going to convert to one color.

Use the Alt key to deselect unwanted area

Select the "Brush" tool suitable color and sketch the selected fragments.

If you want the shades to be not too saturated, you can reduce the opacity and pressure of the brush.
In order to preserve the presence of shadows and color transitions, change the layer blending mode to "Overlay"
It already looks much more natural.

We repeat the same operations with the rest of the objects in the photo. Recall the sequence:

create a new layer;
select a fragment;
apply the desired color;
change the layer's blend mode.

For convenience, it is better to name each new layer in accordance with the fragment being painted.

If the edges are not handled too carefully, then this will definitely be noticeable and the picture will look unnatural. We recommend using the "Gaussian Blur" function with a small radius to smooth out all the imperfections a little.

In the "Filter" section, select "Blur", and then - "Gaussian Blur". Then just control the radius until you achieve an organic result.

Let's see what happened in the end. On the left is the original photo, which we then discolored, on the right is its color version.

In general, the new image looks quite natural, although many shades are different from those in original version

Summing up, we can say that making a black and white photo color in Photoshop is much more difficult and longer than using an online service. For comparison, let's say that the whole process took us more than an hour, although in Algorithmia everything would be ready in a few seconds. True, the result in Photoshop is more organic and predictable, and you can control all the moments yourself.

So far, these are all ways to colorize a black and white photo. Therefore, decide what is more important for you - efficiency or quality of the result, and rather use all the advice received in practice!

Hello, dear readers of my site! Today I will tell you how I add color to b/w photos.

This method is not new and not mine. Once I spied it on YouTube, now I will try to repeat it. During the campaign, I am sometimes asked to add color to old black and white photographs. This was the reason to write this article on the transfer of b / w images to color.

How to colorize a black and white photo in photoshop

1. First we need the original photo. I took a photo from the article "". Here she is:

2. Since old photographs are often digitized using a conventional scanner, they acquire a greenish or bluish tint. Therefore, we translate the photo into black and white using Photoshop, more precisely into shades of gray. This is done in several ways, but for this method better to do it like this. Pressing a keyboard shortcut Ctrl+U and drag the slider to the very beginning, as in the screenshot below:

As a result, my photo has changed a bit:

That's it, now we can quickly and easily turn any photo into black and white in Photoshop.

And we give it a flesh color, as I usually start by painting the skin of the face, arms, legs, etc. Initially choose color with code #ffcc99:

Give it a blending mode Color (“Color” in the Russian version of Photoshop). Who cares what we are doing this mode, then we enter into google search"Color blend mode". The first couple of articles provide an exhaustive answer. In Photoshop, it is at the very bottom:

4. Now select the brush and color white and paint over the areas that we need to color. At the same time, if you made a mistake and painted over the excess, then change the color of the brush to black and adjust it. As a result, I gave the skin color as follows:

Change the flesh color in the new layer to the one with which we will dye the hair and give color to the hairstyle:

6. Now, step by step, we create layers and give color to all objects in the photo. I painted only the bride, since there are a lot of details in the photo, I will have time to color everything and update the article, but now we are making a color portrait from a black and white portrait of the bride. Paint lips:

7. To give the eyes more expressiveness, I simply created a new layer by pressing the keys Shift+Ctrl+N. Selected tool Brush (Brush) and gave it a color close to black (code #161616 ) and summed up the lines of eyelashes, eyebrows and tinted a fountain pen (actually it is ballpoint or gel, I don’t remember already). As a result, I got this photo and the following layers:

8. For comparison, I post the result of how I made a color photo from a black and white photo using Photoshop:

Original black and white photo

Ultimate color photography

If you have any questions about how to add color to a b/w photo, then ask them in the comments or through the feedback tab.

Hello! With you, as usual, I, Dmitry Kostin. And today we will photoshop again. Remember how we did? Be that as it may, this is not surprising, since it is not difficult to discolor an image. But how to make a black and white photo color? Is that possible?

Of course available. Already entire films are coloring. What is there to make some image color? But it's still a very interesting experience. Can you imagine? You can think of the colors you would like to see in this photo. For example, you can set the color of eyes, hair, skin, clothing and much more. This is how I colored old photos. It turned out funny)

Let me not make long introductions. Let's start coloring right now. Open any b/w photo (I chose a photo I found on the Internet).

Just look at what mode the photo is in right away. It's just possible that it is saved in the format "Greyscale", then you just won't be able to work with color.

Change the color mode to RGB. To do this, go to the top menu and select the item "Image" - "Mode". Well, if it's not the RSL, then put it.

Let's look at the first method, namely the familiar one.

Overlay Options

Here is another fairly effective trick for coloring photos. The main thing here is to create a separate layer for each element. I took new photo for these needs.

By the way, this was the very first method that I learned about. When I found out about it, I liked it so much that I colored a lot of photos).

Layer mask

Well, the last way of transformation for today is with the help of a layer mask. Let's get straight to the point.

Well, as a result, a beautiful color photograph is obtained and it already looks completely different. Oops, I just screwed up a little. But you can always fix this.

I never cease to be amazed at the power of Photoshop. Indeed, in many cases the same problem can be solved in several ways, and you yourself can choose the method that suits you best. By the way, which one do you like best? Or do you have your own way of how to make a black and white photo color in Photoshop, which I have not described here? Please write in the comments.

If you want to as soon as possible explore the possibilities of Photoshop and learn how to work with it, I strongly recommend that you look great video course. Everything is told in detail in it, everything is told in human language and laid out on the shelves. The material is easy to digest. So I recommend.

Well, I'm done for today. I hope you enjoyed my article. Be sure to subscribe to my blog updates, then you will always be aware of the most relevant information on the blog. I will not spam. Promise). And I wish you good luck in mastering Photoshop. Bye Bye!

Sincerely, Dmitry Kostin.