Add style to a photo using color tone in Photoshop

Add style to a photo using color tone in Photoshop

Color toning transforms ordinary photos into stylized images with distinct mood and atmosphere. Using solid color fill layers with blend modes creates subtle color shifts that enhance your photographs without overwhelming the original tones.

This technique works particularly well when you want to add warmth to highlights and coolness to shadows, or vice versa. The method is completely non-destructive and easily adjustable, making it perfect for experimenting with different color combinations.

Watch the Video

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

Practical Tips

Here are key techniques for effective color toning with fill layers:

  • Set your solid color fill layer to Soft Light blend mode for natural-looking color integration
  • Use the Blend If sliders in Layer Style to restrict colors to highlights or shadows only
  • Hold Alt/Option while dragging Blend If sliders to create smooth transitions
  • Always mask out skin tones when using cool colors like green or blue to maintain natural skin appearance
  • Lower layer opacity if the color effect becomes too strong or overwhelming

Explore more color correction and toning techniques to enhance your photo editing skills.

How to Color Correct Photos in Adobe Camera Raw
Color toning in Photoshop is an essential skill for anyone looking to enhance their images. With the Camera Raw Filter, you can easily adjust the warmth and coolness of your photos, bringing out the desired mood and atmosphere. This feature allows you to go beyond basic edits and introduce a dynamic range of tones that can transform your work. In addition, creating custom presets can simplify your editing process significantly. By saving your favorite adjustments, you can apply them to future p
Beautiful Warmtone and Cooltone Photo Effects Photoshop Tutorial
Back in the day, when one would print their own black and white prints, you had a choice of a zillion different papers. They basically boiled down to cooltone and warmtone papers. This combined with different developers gave one an array of tones to choose from for any given picture. Sadly, nowadays it's getting harder to find specific papers and certain developers are no longer being manufactured. In the digital era, most people who might not have gone through the trouble of trying different to
One click instantly fixes color in Photoshop
In this tutorial by Colin Smith from Photoshop Cafe, you'll learn how to instantly fix the color of your photos in a single click using Photoshop and Lightroom. Colin introduces a powerful tool that can correct color issues effortlessly, making your images look more natural and vibrant. This quick tutorial focuses on achieving perfect color balance with minimal effort. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned Photoshop user, Colin's method is straightforward and effective, allowing you to enhanc
The easiest way to change any color in Photoshop
Changing the color of specific elements within an image can often be a frustrating challenge for designers and photographers. Achieving a precise color shift without affecting surrounding areas, or dealing with complex selections, often leads to a time-consuming and imperfect process. This guide introduces a highly efficient method utilizing Photoshop's latest updates, specifically the "Adjust Colors" feature found in the contextual taskbar. This technique simplifies accurate color manipulation
Turn White into Any Color in Photoshop
In this tutorial, WebFlippy demonstrates how to effortlessly transform white areas into any color using blending modes in Photoshop. This technique is especially useful for photo retouching and product photography, allowing for versatile color adjustments without affecting the overall image quality. The tutorial provides a straightforward approach to applying this method, ensuring that you can quickly adapt white elements in your photos to match your desired color scheme. With clear instruction
How to Colorize a Old Black and White Photo in Photoshop
Bringing vintage photos into life in Photoshop is fun, especially if it involves old family pictures and portraits. Your first attempts probably were a mess. Don't worry, it's not that simple without the proper knowledge, but it isn't a complex task either. In fact, after watching this video tutorial chances are that you'll become a serial colorizer. John Shaver from Photoshop Video Academy, explains in this detailed tutorial how to colorize photos using a 100% non-desctrucive technique, wich w
Black Moody Color Grading in Photoshop
In this comprehensive Photoshop tutorial from WebFlippy, you'll learn how to create a stunning black tone moody color grading effect. This technique is perfect for adding depth and atmosphere to your photos, giving them a dramatic and sophisticated look. The tutorial provides a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to achieve this effect, making it accessible even for those new to Photoshop. You'll also discover how to save your adjustments as a preset, which allows you to quickly apply the same
Add Creamy Tones to a Photo for a Vintage Look in Photoshop
This Photoshop tutorial by JustThisGood teaches you how to add creamy tones to your photos, achieving a vintage aesthetic that many find appealing. With clear and simple steps, you'll be guided through the process, making it easy for anyone to follow along. You will explore various techniques for adjusting color balance and applying soft filters to create that perfect aged look. The tutorial emphasizes accessibility, allowing even beginners to achieve stunning results without extensive experien
How to Change Black into Any Color in Photoshop
In this tutorial, Aaron Nace demonstrates how to transform black elements in your images into any color using Photoshop. This technique involves utilizing Levels and Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layers to achieve the desired color changes. Aaron guides you through the process of adjusting these settings to effectively modify black areas in your photos. This method is particularly useful for fashion and product photo retouching, allowing you to customize colors for creative or branding purposes. T
How to Change Black and White to Any Color in Photoshop
Standard color adjustment tools fail when you try to change pure black or white elements in your photos. These neutral tones lack the hue and saturation data that typical color replacement methods require. This technique uses Hue/Saturation adjustment layers with strategic lightness modifications to transform both black and white areas into any color you need. Watch the Tutorial Essential Tips for Changing Black and White Colors * Use the Object Selection tool with rectangle mode for fast

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

How to Check Your Generative Fill Credit Balance in Photoshop

Keeping track of your AI credit usage becomes essential when working with premium generative features. Understanding your remaining balance helps you budget your edits and avoid unexpected interruptions during important projects. The credit system divides features into standard tools (like basic generative fill) that don't consume credits, and...

How to Create Realistic Depth Blur Effects in Photoshop

Creating professional depth of field effects can transform flat images into dynamic photographs with natural-looking focus transitions. Two powerful methods in Photoshop offer different advantages: Neural Filters provide automated depth detection with atmospheric effects like haze, while Camera Raw Filter delivers precise manual control with customizable bokeh shapes. Both techniques...

Three Professional Methods to Fix White Balance in Photoshop

Color casts can ruin even the best photographs, making whites appear yellow, blue, or green instead of neutral. Poor white balance destroys the natural look of your images and creates an unprofessional appearance that's immediately noticeable to viewers. These three techniques provide increasingly precise control over white balance...

Creating Dark Moody Wildlife Photo Edits in Photoshop

Dark, moody wildlife photography transforms ordinary animal portraits into dramatic, atmospheric pieces that capture the mystery and power of nature. This editing approach combines strategic lighting placement, careful color grading, and atmospheric effects to create compelling images that draw viewers into the scene. The workflow begins with essential noise reduction...

How to Create Professional Photo Composites in Photoshop

Creating compelling photo composites requires more than simply placing images together. This comprehensive tutorial demonstrates how to blend multiple elements seamlessly, from matching lighting and color to painting realistic shadows and highlights. The project showcases a dramatic scene inspired by Stranger Things, combining buildings, characters, and atmospheric effects with precise...

How to Create High-Converting YouTube Thumbnails with AI and Photoshop

YouTube thumbnails serve as the first handshake between your content and potential viewers. A well-crafted thumbnail can mean the difference between a scroll-past and a click, directly impacting your video's success regardless of content quality. This comprehensive workflow combines AI image generation with traditional design principles to create...

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.