How to Create Color Isolation for Beginners in Photoshop
Color isolation refers to having one element of a photograph stand out in color by making the rest of the image black and white. It has a striking effect and was very difficult to do before photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop came along. The key is selecting an image that will work particularly well with this technique. For example, a photo of a graveside shown in stark black and white with only a handful of flowers in color.
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Instructions
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Select a color digital image, from a camera or a scan. Make standard adjustments for size and save a copy of the image. If you plan to print your image, it should be 300 dots per inch (dpi) resolution. If it is for the Web, it should be 72 dpi. The width and height are up to you. To change the size, go to "Image," then "Image Size" and select the width and height you choose, then type "300" or "72" in the box next to "Resolution." Save a copy by going to "File," "Save As."
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Choose the portion of the image you want to be in color, say the flowers at a graveside. Using the "Rectangular Marquee" tool from the side toolbar (it looks like dotted lines in a box), draw as close as you can a rectangle around that part of the image. You also can use the "Lasso Marquee" tool, the "Polygonal Lasso" or the "Magnetic Lasso" tools, but the simplest is the standard rectangle. When you have selected the area, the marquee will appear to move like a movie theater marquee. Copy the selected area by pressing "Command" and "C" (Mac) or "Control" and "C" (Windows).
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Use "Command" and "D" (Mac) or "Control" and "D" (Windows) to deselect the area. Then go to "Image," "Adjustments" and "Desaturate." This will turn the image to a grayscale. You may need to tweak the black and white image to get a little more distinct blacks and whites. Go to "Image," "Adjustments," "Levels." Open the "Info" box ("Window," then "Info") and watch the "K" portion of "CMYK." In the "Levels" pop-up window, select the left eyedropper, then move the mouse around the image to the darkest area. This will register close to "100" in the "K." Click the mouse. Then select the right eyedropper and find the lightest area (zero in "K") and click. If this does not give you the best image, you can use the sliders under the histogram (bar graph) to adjust it.
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Paste ("Command" and "V" for Mac or "Control" and "V" for Windows) the portion of the image you previously selected. Use the "Move" tool (looks like an arrowhead) in the side toolbar to move it back over the area where you got it from. Line it up so it exactly covers the black and white version of itself.
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Use the "Eraser" tool from the side toolbar to remove any unwanted color. Since pasting the selected portion has created a new layer, you only will erase the color part of the image. This may take using several brush sizes. You can choose brush sizes from the top toolbar by clicking next to "Brush:" and selecting a different one.
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Flatten the image ("Layers," then "Flatten") when you have it exactly as you want it. Then save it as a ".tiff" file. If you want to make other alterations at a later time, do not flatten the image and save it as a ".psd" (Photoshop) file which will retain the layers. Print or post your image.
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