How to make colors pop in Photoshop

How to make colors pop in Photoshop

Selective color enhancement transforms dull photographs into vibrant, dramatic images by targeting specific areas like hair, skin, eyes, and clothing. This non-destructive approach uses precise selections and adjustment layers to boost colors naturally.

The technique creates professional results by treating each element separately, allowing you to enhance blue sweaters, brighten eyes, warm skin tones, and intensify hair colors without affecting the entire image.

Watch the Tutorial

Video by Kelvin Designs. Any links or downloads mentioned by the creator are available only on YouTube

Practical Tips for Color Enhancement

These techniques help you achieve natural-looking color enhancement without over-processing your images.

  • Create separate groups for each element (hair, skin, eyes, lips, clothing) to maintain organized, non-destructive editing
  • Use Select and Mask for hair selections and refine edges with the dedicated brush tool for smoother transitions
  • Apply S-curves to increase contrast by darkening shadows and brightening highlights within each selected area
  • Reduce opacity of color correction layers to 30-70% when effects appear too strong or artificial
  • Paint on black masks with low opacity brushes (20-50%) to selectively reveal adjustments only where needed

Explore more techniques for creating vibrant, eye-catching images in Photoshop.

Saturated Photoshop Action
If you're looking to enhance your photos with a controlled saturated color effect, this free Photoshop action is a fantastic option. It allows you to achieve vibrant results without complicated steps or advanced skills. Once applied, this action transforms your images, making colors pop while maintaining a balanced look. This is especially useful for those who want to draw attention to certain elements without overwhelming the viewer. Using this action is straightforward. Simply load it into P
Add creative lights and colors to your image in Photoshop
You're about to learn how to transform your images with creative lights and colors in Photoshop. This tutorial will guide you through the process of adding vibrant hues and eye-catching effects to your photographs. First, you'll explore the use of gradients and brushes to enhance your image. These tools will allow you to layer different colors and luminous accents, creating a visually striking result. With a few simple steps, you'll be able to turn your ordinary image into an impressive work of
Create a colorful Pop duotone in Photoshop
In this Photoshop tutorial, you are heading straight back to the 80s to play with fluoro colors, a trend that transforms modern-day photos into intense, oversaturated images with a retro twist. You'll learn how to effortlessly recreate this duotone effect, allowing you to infuse your photos with a bold and sensual visual style. Whether you're looking to evoke nostalgia, add vibrancy to portraits, or simply experiment with striking color palettes, mastering this technique empowers you to create
Add Striking Light Effects to Your Photos in Photoshop
In this Photoshop tutorial from PSD Box, using the "Colors in Motion" textures pack and a model image from deviantArt or ISO Stock, you'll create a vibrant digital artwork. Start by meticulously removing the background with the Pen Tool and placing the model on a new canvas with a gradient backdrop. Enhance the image with non-destructive adjustments for color and contrast, adding realistic shadows for depth. Integrate various light effects from the packs, adjusting blending modes and using tool

Get tutorials & freebies delivered to you.

Subscribe to the Photoshop Roadmap newsletter, a weekly roundup of new tutorials, insights and quality downloads, trusted by 6500+ readers.

You might also like

Basic Photoshop techniques you really need to learn

Photoshop hasn’t changed as much as it looks. New features come and go, but the same core techniques keep showing up in real work. If you skip them, everything feels harder than it should. This post focuses on those basics, not as isolated tricks, but as skills you’ll...

How to Use Select Subject for Background Removal and Edge Refinement

Background removal becomes effortless when you know how to use the right tools. AI-powered selection can instantly isolate subjects from their backgrounds, but the real skill lies in refining those selections to create professional results. This guide covers the complete workflow from initial selection to edge refinement, plus creative techniques...

How to Wrap Text Around Any Shape in Photoshop

Creating text that flows naturally around irregular shapes transforms static layouts into dynamic, professional designs. This technique works particularly well for posters, magazine layouts, and editorial designs where text needs to integrate seamlessly with complex subjects rather than simply sitting in rigid rectangular boxes. The process combines selection tools, path...

How to Edit Text in Images Using Generative Fill

Changing text within existing images has traditionally required complex masking and reconstruction techniques. Modern AI-powered tools now make it possible to seamlessly replace words and phrases in photographs while maintaining realistic typography, lighting, and perspective that matches the original scene. This technique works particularly well for signs, storefronts, billboards, and...

How to Remove Dust and Sensor Spots Using Photoshop Tools

Dust spots and sensor particles are inevitable challenges in digital photography, appearing as dark specks that distract from otherwise clean images. Camera sensors collect dust over time, creating consistent spots that show up across multiple photos, particularly in bright sky areas or uniform backgrounds. Both Lightroom and Photoshop offer specialized...

Photoshop vs Affinity Photo: Feature Comparison and Professional Analysis

When choosing professional photo editing software, the decision often comes down to comparing features, performance, and value. This detailed comparison examines the core capabilities of both applications across noise reduction, smart selections, object removal, masking, and AI-powered tools. The analysis covers real-world scenarios that professionals encounter daily, from complex background...

You’ve successfully subscribed to Photoshop Roadmap
Welcome back! You’ve successfully signed in.
Great! You’ve successfully signed up.
Success! Your email is updated.
Your link has expired
Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.