Quick links to procedures on this page:

 
 
 


Using individual color-adjustment effects and tools

Corel PHOTO-PAINT provides you with filters (adjustment effects) and tools to make adjustments to the color and tone of images. When you adjust the color and tone, you adjust elements such as hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, or intensity. If you want to adjust the color and tone of the entire image, you can apply an adjustment filter directly to the image or apply a lens which exists on a separate object layer and can be edited without changing the original image. For information about lenses, see “Working with lenses.”

You can adjust part of an image by editing the size and shape of a lens or by creating an editable area before applying an adjustment filter. For information about editable areas, see “Working with masks.”

Before you start working with individual filters, try using the Image Adjustment Lab. For information about the Image Adjustment Lab, see “Using the Image Adjustment Lab.”

The table below lists the filters that can be used to make adjustments to images.

To adjust
Use the following filters
Photo Paint corr tone curve before Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

Exposure, shadows, midtones, and highlights
Photo Paint arrow Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
Photo Paint corr tone curve after Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

Auto adjust, Tone curve, Gamma, Sample/Target balance, Auto balance tone, Histogram equalization
Photo Paint corr color hue before Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

Overall color
Photo Paint arrow Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
Photo Paint corr color hue after Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

Color hue, Color balance, Channel mixer
Photo Paint corr replace color before Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

Specific colors
Photo Paint arrow Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
Photo Paint corr replace color after Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

Selective color, Replace colors
Photo Paint corr contrast enh before Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

Dull images that lack contrast
Photo Paint arrow Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
Photo Paint corr contrast enh after Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

Color tone, Brightness/Contrast/Intensity, Contrast enhancement, Local equalization
Photo Paint corr desat before Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

Saturation
Photo Paint arrow Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
Photo Paint corr desat after Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

Hue/Saturation/Lightness, Desaturate


Choosing color and tone filters

Some filters adjust an image automatically, while others give you various degrees of control. For example, the Auto adjust filter adjusts the tonal range across all color channels automatically, while the Tone curve filter lets you use separate color channels to pinpoint and adjust tone or color. More advanced filters, such as the Tone curve filter and the Contrast enhancement filter, are precise and can correct many different problems, but using them requires practice.


Using histograms

You can view the tonal range of an image by using a histogram to evaluate and adjust the color and tone. For example, a histogram can help you detect hidden detail in a photo that is too dark because of underexposure (a photo taken with insufficient light).

A histogram has a horizontal bar chart that plots the brightness values of the pixels in your image on a scale of 0 (dark) to 255 (light). The left part of the histogram represents the shadows of an image, the middle part represents the midtones, and the right part represents the highlights. The height of the spikes indicates how many pixels are at each brightness level. For example, a large number of pixels in the shadows (the left side of the histogram) indicates the presence of image detail in the dark areas of the image.

Photo Paint corr histo normal photo Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
Photo Paint corr histo normal Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
Photo Paint corr histo light photo Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
Photo Paint corr histo light Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
Photo Paint corr histo dark photo Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
Photo Paint correct p61 Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

Each photo above has a different exposure: average (top), overexposed (middle), underexposed (bottom). The histograms for each photo (on the right) show how the pixels are distributed, from dark to light. In an average photo, pixels are more evenly distributed across the tonal range.

A histogram is available with the following filters:

 
Contrast enhancement
 
Histogram equalization
 
Sample/Target balance
 
Tone Curve


Adjusting color and tone by using brush effects

You can adjust the brightness, contrast, hue or saturation in part of an image by applying brush effects. For example, if you want to lighten one object in a photo, you can use the Brightness tool to lighten the area you want without affecting the surrounding area.

You can use preset brushes or create a custom brush. For more information, see “Creating custom brushes.”


To adjust image color and tone

Photo Paint btnbacktotop Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
1.
 
Click Adjust, and click an adjustment filter.
2.
 
Specify the settings you want in the dialog box.

Photo Paint note Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

 
For descriptions of adjustment filters, see “Exploring adjustment filters.”

Photo Paint tip Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

 
You can compare the original image with the adjusted image by clicking the Dual window preview button Photo Paint pgx dual window preview Using individual color adjustment effects and tools in filter dialog boxes.
 
You can adjust the color and tone in an editable area by defining an editable area before you click an adjustment filter.

To adjust image tone interactively by using a histogram

Photo Paint btnbacktotop Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
1.
 
Click Adjust Photo Paint onestep Using individual color adjustment effects and tools Contrast enhancement.
2.
 
Move the Input value clipping arrows Photo Paint pgx input value clip Using individual color adjustment effects and tools to adjust shadows and highlights.
The arrow on the left lets you darken shadow areas. Drag the arrow until it points to the area where the histogram starts to spike.
The arrow on the right lets you lighten highlight areas. Drag the arrow until it points to the area where the histogram stops spiking.
3.
 
Move the Gamma slider to adjust the midtones.
4.
 
Move the Output range compression arrows Photo Paint pgx output range comp Using individual color adjustment effects and tools to fine-tune the contrast.
To lighten dark areas, move the left arrow to the right.
To darken light areas, move the right arrow to the left.

You can also
Adjust image color
Before adjusting the tone, choose a color channel from the Channel list box.
Automatically redistribute pixels across the tonal range
Enable the Auto-adjust check box.
Set input and output values by sampling pixels in the image
Enable the Set input values or Set output values option from the Eyedropper sampling area. Click the Shadow eyedropper button Photo Paint pgx set white pt button Using individual color adjustment effects and tools to sample shadow areas, or click the Highlight eyedropper button Photo Paint pgx set black pt button Using individual color adjustment effects and tools to sample highlight areas.

Photo Paint note Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

 
The histogram displays adjusted values as a black outline and original values as gray shading.

Photo Paint tip Using individual color adjustment effects and tools

 
You can compare the original image with the adjusted image by clicking the Dual window preview button Photo Paint pgx dual window preview Using individual color adjustment effects and tools in filter dialog boxes.

To adjust image color and tone by using brush effects

Photo Paint btnbacktotop Using individual color adjustment effects and tools
1.
 
Select an object or the background image.
2.
 
In the toolbox, click the Effect tool Photo Paint pgx effect tool Using individual color adjustment effects and tools.
3.
 
On the property bar, open the Effect tool picker, and click one of the following:
Brightness tool Photo Paint pgx brighten tool Using individual color adjustment effects and tools — brightens or darkens the image
Contrast tool Photo Paint pgx contrast tool Using individual color adjustment effects and tools — increases or decreases the contrast
Hue tool Photo Paint pgx hue tool Using individual color adjustment effects and tools — shifts all hues along the color wheel by the number of degrees that you specify in the Amount box
Hue replacer tool Photo Paint pgx hue replacer tool Using individual color adjustment effects and tools — retains the brightness and saturation of the original colors, but replaces all hues with the current paint color
Sponge tool Photo Paint pgx sponge tool Using individual color adjustment effects and tools — saturates or desaturates the colors
Dodge/Burn tool Photo Paint pgx dodgeburn Using individual color adjustment effects and tools — brightens (overexposes) or darkens (underexposes) the image
Tint tool Photo Paint pgx tint tool Using individual color adjustment effects and tools — uses the current paint color to tint the image
4.
 
Choose a preset brush from the Brush type list box on the property bar.
If you want to customize the brush, specify the settings you want on the property bar.
5.
 
Drag in the image window.

You can also
Increase the effect of a brush tool without clicking multiple times
In the Brush settings docker, click the Cumulative button Photo Paint pgx cumulative button Using individual color adjustment effects and tools on the Stroke attributes bar. This option is available for only some of the Effect tools. If the Brush settings docker is not open, click Window Photo Paint onestep Using individual color adjustment effects and tools Dockers Photo Paint onestep Using individual color adjustment effects and tools Brush settings.
Apply the effect to both an object and the background simultaneously
In the Brush settings docker, click the Merge source button Photo Paint pgx merged source Using individual color adjustment effects and tools on the Dab attributes bar. This option is available only when the Cumulative button is disabled.

Using individual color-adjustment effects and tools