How to Match Colors in Photoshop

When working with Photoshop, you may find that you want to change the color of an object. The only problem is the color you need isn't available in the Photoshop Swatches Palette. The color is available in another photo. You have two options. You can either sample the color in the second photo and save it to your Swatches Palette or you can match the color. Matching colors from other photos is quick and perfect if you only need the color for one project. Best of all, it can be done in only six steps.

Instructions

1. Select the "Magic Wand Tool." The "Magic Wand Tool" may be hidden under the "Quick Selection Tool." Click the "Quick Selection Tool" to display a menu featuring the "Magic Wand Tool." Click the tool to select it and you can then begin to match colors.

2. Click the color you wish to match. With the "Magic Wand Tool," select the color you wish to match. You need to be careful not to click on areas that may select other areas you don't need. Instead, select an area that is fully defined. This makes it easier to get the exact color that you are looking for. Once you have clicked the area, the area will feature moving dotted lines, showing you which areas have been selected.

3. Choose the area that you wish to convert. The area you need to convert to the new color may be hard to select. In order to select the exact area you want, you may need to zoom in on the photo. Photoshop allows you to zoom in up to 3200 percent. This makes it extremely easy to match colors.

4. Open the "Image" menu and choose "Match Color" from the "Adjustments" sub-menu. The "Match Color" box opens and allows you to further customize your work. For a simple color match, you will work only with the "Image Statistics" area.

5. State the source of the matched color. Under the "Images Statistics" area, in the "Match Color" box, you will need to define the source of your matched color. This will be the image you got the color from. Select the image from the drop-down box and click "OK."

6. De-select the areas that were used to match the colors. Until you de-select the areas, you will continue to see moving dotted lines over the areas you chose to convert. You will need to de-select the areas by clicking the "Select" menu and choosing "De-select." You will then be able to see how the process changed your photo.