Apply color adjustment effects

The Color Adjustments category features effects that let you change the colors, light, and contrast of an image or add special effects.

Adjust the colors of an image

Color Adjustments effects can be applied directly to a single layer or, using an effects layer, to multiple layers in a composition.

1. Select the layer or layers you want to edit.

2. Do any of the following: Apply effects to a currently selected layer:

   • Click Effects in the Tools sidebar, then click Add Effect and select an effect from the Color Adjustments collection.

   • Choose Format > Effects > Color Adjustments and choose an effect.

   • Press F on your keyboard, click Add Effect, and select an effect from the Color Adjustments collection.

   Apply effects to multiple layers:

   • Choose Insert > Effects from the Insert menu at the top of your screen, click Add Effect, and select an effect from the Color Adjustments collection.

   • Click Insert a layer at the top of the Layers sidebar, choose Effects, click Add Effect, and select an effect from the Color Adjustments collection.

   • Press Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + F on your keyboard, click Add Effect, and select an effect from the Color Adjustments collection.

Color Controls effect

The Color Controls effect lets you adjust the saturation, brightness, and contrast of your selected layer.

Customize the effect:

• Move the Saturation slider to the right to make colors more intense, or to the left to reduce their intensity. You can also enter a value from 0% to 200%. Moving the slider all the way to the left (or entering 0%) will remove all color, turning the image black and white.

• Move the Brightness slider to the right to make colors lighter or to the left to make them darker. You can also enter a value from -100% to 100%.

• Move the Contrast slider to the right to increase contrast or to the left to decrease it. You can also enter a value from 20% to 400%.

Hue Adjust effect

The Hue Adjust effect shifts all the colors in an image along the color spectrum.

• Move the Angle wheel to change the hues of every color in the image. You can also enter a value from 0.0º to 359.9º.

Apply an Exposure Adjust effect

The Exposure Adjust effect works in a similar way to changing the exposure settings of a digital camera — it makes the entire image (the shadows, midtones, and highlights together) brighter or darker.

• Move the EV slider to the right to make the entire image brighter or to the left to make it darker. You can also enter a value from -1000% to 1000%.

Apply a Color Monochrome effect

The Color Monochrome effect converts an image to black and white while also adding a color tint.

Customize the effect:

• Move the Intensity slider to the left to bring back some of the original colors to the image. You can also enter a value from 0% to 100%.

Apply a False Color effect

The False Color effect lets you recolor an image using two colors.

Customize the effect:

Sepia Tone effect

The Sepia Tone effect maps the colors of an image to various shades of brown.

• Drag the Intensity slider to control the strength of the Sepia effect.

Threshold effect

The Threshold effect converts all the colors in an image to high-contrast, black-and-white colors.

• Drag the Threshold slider to the right to increase the Threshold level, or to the left to decrease it.

Invert effect

The Invert effect inverts image colors. The Invert effect is not customizable — you can either turn it on or off. To have more control over how the adjustment blends with the layer, use the Invert adjustment in Color Adjustments or add it as an adjustments layer.

Gradient Map effect

The Gradient Map effect maps out the color values of an image and replaces them with the colors of a selected gradient. Used in combination with different blend modes, the Gradient Map effect can be used to subtly tint colors or give images an entirely different look and feel.

Customize the effect:

• Click the gradient well to choose a gradient preset or click the existing color stops to choose your own colors.

• Move the Opacity slider to the left to bring back some of the original colors to the image. You can also enter a value from 0% to 100%.

• Click the Blend Mode pop-up menu — the words "Opacity (Normal)" — and choose a blend mode.

Show before and after or reset effects

Show Original: Click the Show Original button or press Control ⌃ + M on your keyboard to see what the image looks like without any effects.

Show Split Comparison: Option ⌥ – click the Show Original button, press Control ⌃ + C on your keyboard, or force-click the canvas.

To reset all effects, click Reset at the bottom of the Tool Options pane.