© The Author(s), under exclusive license to APress Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022
P. WhittPractical Paint.NEThttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-7283-1_5

5. Enhancing, Correcting, and Working with Color

Phillip Whitt1  
(1)
Columbus, GA, USA
 

Now that we’ve learned about adjusting and correcting contrast and other tonal issues, we’ll look at correcting color problems, as well as other aspects of working with color.

The topics and tutorials covered in this chapter are

  • An Overview of Color Problems

  • Tutorial 8: Reviving a Faded Color Photo Using Levels

  • Tutorial 9: Correcting Color Using Curves

  • Tutorial 10: Color Correction Using Color Balance (BoltBait’s Plugin Pack Required)

  • Tutorial 11: Turning a Color Photo into Black and White (BoltBait’s Plugin Pack Required)

  • Tutorial 12: Using the Sepia Adjustment

  • Tutorial 13: Colorizing a Black and White Photo

  • Chapter Conclusion

An Overview of Color Problems

Photographs can have color problems for a variety of reasons. Older color prints may fade, or the dyes may shift over time. Figure 5-1 shows an old color photograph taken in 1966 that has undergone a loss of color (particularly, the magenta dye in the print’s emulsion has all but faded away). You’ll work with an image similar to this one a little later to drastically improve it.
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig1_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-1

This old color photograph with severe color loss

Digital photos may have a color cast (a preponderance of one color) due to an improper white balance setting. Figure 5-2 shows an image with a magenta color cast (another one you’ll work on a little later in this chapter).
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig2_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-2

This image has a magenta color cast

Tutorial 8: Reviving a Faded Color Photo Using Levels
In this tutorial, we’re going to improve the old color photograph that was discussed earlier using Levels:
  1. 1.

    Open the practice image Ch5_Faded_Color_Fix in Paint.NET.

     
  2. 2.

    Duplicate the Background layer by clicking the Duplicate Layer tab at the bottom of the Layers Window.

     
  3. 3.

    Double-click the duplicate layer’s preview thumbnail to launch the Layer Properties dialog; rename the layer Faded Color Fix, or something similar—then click OK.

     
  4. 4.

    Open the Levels Adjustment dialog (Adjustments ➤Levels)—if necessary, click Reset to restore the dialog to the default settings.

     
  5. 5.

    Disable the green and blue color channels by unchecking their respective boxes, leaving the red color channel active (Figure 5-3).

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig3_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-3

Disable the green and blue color channels

  1. 6.

    On the Input Histogram side of the Levels Adjustment, move the white point (top) slider down until the numeric readout is 235—this is about where the graph representing the lighter image data begins for the red channel (Figure 5-4).

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig4_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-4

Move the slider until the readout is 235

  1. 7.

    Now, make sure the red and blue channels are disabled and make the green color channel active—move the white and black point sliders toward the image data shown in the graph for the green channel until the numeric readouts are 229 and 84 (Figure 5-5).

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig5_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-5

Make the adjustments shown to the green color channel

  1. 8.

    Now, make sure the red and green channels are disabled and make the blue color channel active—move the white and black point sliders toward the image data shown in the graph for the blue channel until the numeric readouts are 191 and 63 (Figure 5-6), then click OK.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig6_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-6

Make the adjustments shown to the blue color channel

  1. 9.

    Sharpen the image slightly (Effects ➤ Photo ➤ Sharpen); set the amount to 2, then click OK.

     
Using the Levels Adjustment allowed the image data of each color channel to be remapped independently, resulting in a vastly improved image (Figure 5-7). When done, save the work as a pdn file (Paint.NET’s native file format) or close it out.
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig7_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-7

The before and after comparison

Note

Even though this image ended up with good results, some photos with severe color loss may be improved, but still need more work than using the Levels Adjustment by itself can completely fix.

Tutorial 9: Color Correction Using Curves
In this lesson, we’ll use the Curves Adjustment dialog to correct a blue color cast in a digital photo. We’ll also use the Gradient Tool in combination with a layer blend mode to make the sky a deeper blue:
  1. 1.

    Open the practice image Ch5_Curves_Color_Correction in Paint.NET.

     
  2. 2.

    Duplicate the Background layer by clicking the Duplicate Layer tab at the bottom of the Layers Window.

     
  3. 3.

    Double-click the duplicate layer’s preview thumbnail to launch the Layer Properties dialog; rename the layer Color Fix, or something similar—then click OK.

     
  4. 4.

    Launch the Curves Adjustments dialog (Adjustments ➤ Curves).

     
  5. 5.

    Set the Transfer Map to RGB—this allows each color channel to be adjusted individually.

     
  6. 6.

    First, disable the green and blue channels, then move the line (adjusting the red channel) to the grid area shown in Figure 5-8—the approximate X/Y coordinates should be 96/158.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig8_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-8

Make the adjustment shown to the red color channel

  1. 7.

    Next, make sure the red and blue channels are disabled, and make the green channel active; move the line just slightly to the grid area to the approximate X/Y coordinates shown in Figure 5-9.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig9_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-9

Make the adjustment shown to the green color channel

  1. 8.

    Next, make sure the red and green channels are disabled, and make the blue channel active; move the line to the grid area to the approximate X/Y coordinates shown in Figure 5-10, then click OK.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig10_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-10

Make the adjustment shown to the blue color channel, then click OK

  1. 9.

    Sharpen the image slightly (Effects ➤ Photo ➤ Sharpen); set the amount to 2, then click OK.

     
  2. 10.

    Now, the color has been balanced and the image looks much better, but let’s add a finishing touch to further enhance it by making the sky a deeper blue; duplicate the layer named Color Fix (or whatever name you gave it) by clicking the Duplicate Layer tab at the bottom of the Layers Window.

     
  3. 11.

    Double-click the layer preview thumbnail image to open the Layer Properties dialog—change the blend mode to Multiply, then click OK (Figure 5-11).

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig11_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-11

Set the blend mode to Multiply

  1. 12.

    Make sure the Primary Color is set to Black.

     
  2. 13.

    Select the Gradient Tool (G); with the tool set to Linear and Transparency Mode, click and drag about 60% of the way down as shown in Figure 5-12 and press Enter to finish the gradient.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig12_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-12

Drawing a gradient with the settings shown makes the sky a deeper blue

Using the Curves Adjustment allowed each color channel to be adjusted independently, offsetting the color cast for an improved image. Using the Gradient Tool in combination with a layer set to the Multiply Blend Mode, the sky was given a deeper blue (Figure 5-13). When done, save the work as a pdn file (Paint.NET’s native file format) or close it out.
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig13_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-13

The before and after comparison

Tutorial 10: Color Correction Using Color Balance (Boltbait’s Plugin Pack Required)
Some color issues can be more easily and quickly corrected using other means. In this lesson, we’ll use the Color Balance Adjustment dialog to correct a magenta color cast in a digital photo (this requires the installation of BoltBait’s Plugin Pack covered in Chapter 1):
  1. 1.

    Open the practice image Ch5_Color_Balance in Paint.NET.

     
  2. 2.

    Duplicate the Background layer by clicking the Duplicate Layer tab at the bottom of the Layers Window.

     
  3. 3.

    Open the Color Balance dialog (Adjustments ➤ Color Balance).

     
  4. 4.

    Move the Magenta/Green slider to the right until the setting is on 20, move the Yellow/Blue slider to the right until the setting is –5, and move the Contrast slider to the right until the setting is 20 (Figure 5-14)—click OK when done.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig14_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-14

Use the settings shown to offset the color cast and boost the contrast slightly

  1. 5.

    Sharpen the image slightly (Effects ➤ Photo ➤ Sharpen); set the amount to 3, then click OK (this image was shot through a glass window, so it isn’t as crisp as it might have otherwise been).

     
Using BoltBait’s Color Adjustment offers a quick and easy way to correct color casts as seen in Figure 5-15 (although Curves is usually more precise). When done, save the work as a pdn file (Paint.NET’s native file format) or close it out.
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig15_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-15

The before and after comparison

Tutorial 11: Turning a Color Photo into Black and White (Boltbait’s Plugin Pack Required)
In this tutorial, we’ll turn a color photograph to black and white using the Black and White + plugin by BoltBait. Paint.NET does have a native Black and White adjustment (Figure 5-16), but it is a one-click operation with no options for adjusting the result, other than using another adjustment such as Curves afterward. The Black and White + plugin offers a choice of preset options with Brightness-Contrast sliders. This allows quick color to black and white conversions, with some latitude for adjusting the result.
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig16_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-16

Paint.NET’s one-click Black and White Adjustment

  1. 1.

    Open the practice image Ch5_Color_to_Black_and_White in Paint.NET.

     
  2. 2.

    Duplicate the Background layer by clicking the Duplicate Layer tab at the bottom of the Layers Window—rename the layer Black and White (or something similar).

     
  3. 3.

    Open BoltBait’s Black and White + dialog (Adjustments ➤ Black and White)—see Figure 5-17.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig17_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-17

BoltBait’s Black and White + plugin

  1. 4.

    As shown in Figure 5-18, select the Average Method setting, and increase the Brightness to 4, and decrease the Contrast to 10.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig18_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-18

Using the Average Method with slight adjustments in Brightness and Contrast

Using BoltBait’s Black and White + Adjustment offers some latitude when adjusting images that have been converted to Black and White—Figure 5-19 shows the before and after comparison. When done, save the work as a pdn file (Paint.NET’s native file format) or close it out.
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig19_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-19

The before and after comparison

BoltBait’s Black and White + plugin has six presets:

  • Paint.NET Method

  • Luminosity Method

  • Average Method

  • Lightness Method

  • Maximum Method

  • Minimum Method

Figure 5-20 shows a comparison—there’s only a slight difference between the Paint.NET, Luminosity, and Average methods, but the Lightness, Maximum, and Minimum methods are more noticeable.
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig20_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-20

The presets used in BoltBait's Black and White + plugin

Note

The G’MIC-Qt plugin for Paint.NET offers a wide variety of filters—among them is a filter for black and white conversions that offers even more control for fine-tuning the results. The G’MIC-Qt plugin will be covered in the Appendix of this book.

Tutorial 12: Using the Sepia Adjustment

This is an easy lesson that you may find useful (and fun) in working with your own family photos.

In this tutorial, we’ll crop a color contemporary image for better composition, then apply the Sepia Adjustment to give it an antique look:

  1. 1.

    Open the practice image Ch5_Color_to_Sepia in Paint.NET.

     
  2. 2.
    We’ll now crop the image for better composition—using the Rectangle Select Tool (S), make a selection (approximate is okay) around the cabin as shown in Figure 5-21, then crop (Image ➤ Crop to Selection).
    ../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig21_HTML.jpg
    Figure 5-21

    Use the Rectangle Select Tool to crop the image as shown

    Note Cropping the image in this manner utilizes (although somewhat roughly) the Rule of Thirds, which is essentially placing the subject off-center using a grid dividing the image into nine sections. There’s a detailed tutorial about using the Rule of Thirds in a Paint.NET forum page that can be found here: https://forums.getpaint.net/topic/12282-cropping-photographs-the-rule-of-thirds/.

     
  1. 3.

    Duplicate the Background layer by clicking the Duplicate Layer tab at the bottom of the Layers Window—rename the layer Sepia (or something similar).

     
  1. 4.

    Apply the Sepia Adjustment as shown in Figure 5-22 (Adjustment ➤ Sepia).

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig22_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-22

Apply the Sepia Adjustment

  1. 5.

    Sharpen the image slightly (Effects ➤ Photo ➤ Sharpen); set the amount to 2, then click OK.

     
The Sepia Adjustment mimics the earth tone finish that was common in older photographs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the before and after example (Figure 5-23), the sepia tone is a good fit for the image of the log cabin. When done, save the work as a pdn file (Paint.NET’s native file format) or close it out.
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig23_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-23

The before and after comparison

By lowering the opacity of the layer the sepia effect was applied to, some of the underlying color will show through, resulting in an image with subtle color (Figure 5-24).
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig24_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-24

Lower the layer opacity for subtle color

Tutorial 13: Colorizing a Black and White Photo
In this tutorial, we’ll colorize an old black and white photo to give the image a hand-tinted look (the way photographs were colorized at one time):
  1. 1.

    Open the practice image Ch5_Colorize in Paint.NET.

     
  2. 2.

    Duplicate the Background layer by clicking the Duplicate Layer tab at the bottom of the Layers Window.

     
  3. 3.

    Using the Lasso Select Tool (S,S), draw a selection around the hair, face, and exposed flesh (Figure 5-25)—it should extend just a little outside the edges to make sure these areas are completely selected.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig25_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-25

Make a selection as shown using the Lasso Select Tool

  1. 4.

    Copy the selected area (Edit ➤ Copy).

     
  2. 5.

    Paste into a new layer (Edit ➤ Paste into New Layer)—rename the layer Flesh Tone (or something similar).

     
  3. 6.

    Open the Hue/Saturation dialog (Adjustments ➤ Hue/Saturation).

     
  4. 7.

    Move the Saturation slider to the right until the numeric value is 150—click OK when done (Figure 5-26).

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig26_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-26

Move the Saturation slider until the value reads 150, then click OK

  1. 8.

    Using the Eraser Tool (E), set the brush width to about 50 pixels and the hardness to 50%—erase the excess color (vary the brush width and zoom in as needed) as shown in Figure 5-27.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig27_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-27

Use the Eraser Tool to remove the excess color, varying the brush width as needed

  1. 9.

    Using the Lasso Tool (S,S), draw a selection around the hair as shown in Figure 5-28.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig28_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-28

Make a selection as shown using the Lasso Select Tool

  1. 10.

    Copy the selected area (Edit ➤ Copy).

     
  2. 11.

    Paste into a new layer (Edit ➤ Paste into New Layer)—rename the layer Hair.

     
  3. 12.

    Now, we’ll change the hair color a bit; open the Hue/Saturation dialog (Adjustments ➤ Hue/Saturation).

     
  4. 13.

    Move the Hue slider slightly to the right until the numeric value is 12—click OK when done (Figure 5-29).

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig29_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-29

Move the Hue slider until the value reads 12, then click OK

  1. 14.

    Set the Primary Color to red.

     
  2. 15.

    Add a new layer by clicking the Add New Layer tab on the bottom of the Layers Window.

     
  3. 16.

    Double-click the layer preview thumbnail to open the Layer Properties dialog—change the Blend Mode to Overlay and rename it Cheeks, then click OK.

     
  4. 17.

    Using the Paintbrush Tool (B), set the brush width to about 75 pixels and the hardness to 0—apply red to the cheeks as shown in Figure 5-30.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig30_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-30

Apply red to the cheeks as shown

  1. 18.

    Now, we’ll give the cheeks just a hint of red—reopen the Layer Properties dialog and lower the layer opacity to 50 (Figure 5-31), then click OK.

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig31_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-31

Lower the layer opacity to 50 for just a hint of red in the cheeks

  1. 19.

    Add a new layer by clicking the Add New Layer tab on the bottom of the Layers Window.

     
  2. 20.

    Double-click the layer preview thumbnail to open the Layer Properties dialog—change the Blend Mode to Overlay and rename it Lips.

     
  3. 21.

    Lower the layer opacity to 70, then click OK.

     
  4. 22.

    Using the Paintbrush Tool (B), set the brush width to about 7 pixels and the hardness to 0—apply red to the lips as shown in Figure 5-32 (zoom in and adjust the brush width as needed).

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig32_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-32

Apply red to the lips as shown

  1. 23.

    Set the Primary Color to green.

     
  2. 24.

    Add a new layer by clicking the Add New Layer tab on the bottom of the Layers Window.

     
  3. 25.

    Double-click the layer preview thumbnail to open the Layer Properties dialog—change the Blend Mode to Overlay and rename it Eyes.

     
  4. 26.

    Lower the layer opacity to 55, then click OK.

     
  5. 27.

    Using the Paintbrush Tool (B), set the brush width to about 15 pixels and the hardness to 0—apply green to the iris of each eye as shown in Figure 5-33 (zoom in and adjust the brush width as needed).

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig33_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-33

Apply green to the iris of each eye as shown

  1. 28.

    Set the Primary Color to white.

     
  2. 29.

    Add a new layer by clicking the Add New Layer tab on the bottom of the Layers Window.

     
  3. 30.

    Double-click the layer preview thumbnail to open the Layer Properties dialog—change the Blend Mode to Overlay and rename it Teeth-Eye Whites.

     
  4. 31.

    Lower the layer opacity to 80, then click OK.

     
  5. 32.

    Now we’ll brighten the whites of the eyes and the teeth. Using the Paintbrush Tool (B), set the brush width to about 10 pixels and the hardness to 0—apply white to the white of each eye and the teeth as shown in Figure 5-34 (zoom in and adjust the brush width as needed).

     
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig34_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-34

Apply white to each eye (the eye whites only) and teeth as shown

Color makes quite a difference (not necessarily better) as we can see in Figure 5-35. When done, save the work as a pdn file (Paint.NET’s native file format) or close it out.
../images/510660_1_En_5_Chapter/510660_1_En_5_Fig35_HTML.jpg
Figure 5-35

Before and after comparison

Chapter Conclusion

We covered a lot in this chapter and covered a great deal about working with color images.

Here’s a recap of what was covered:

  • An Overview of Color Problems

  • Reviving a Faded Color Photo Using Levels

  • Correcting Color Using Curves

  • Color Correction Using Color Balance (BoltBait’s Plugin Pack Required)

  • Turning a Color Photo into Black and White (BoltBait’s Plugin Pack Required)

  • Using the Sepia Adjustment

  • Colorizing a Black and White Photo

In the next chapter, we’ll look at modifying, retouching, and restoring photographs.

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