How to “colorize” a black/white photo

Geoff Rasmussen

08 Nov 2007

I’ve been told that when my grandfather was my age we looked very similar. I wanted to see this for myself so I found an old photo of him. Our pictures looked nothing alike – his were black and white while mine were in full color! 🙂

Nothing breathes life into an old photo like adding color to it. Using my photo editing software, it took about ten minutes to transfer history into colorful history.

I used Adobe PhotoShop Elements 6.0, but other software can likely do the same. Follow these steps to add color to a black and white photo:

Make sure that the picture is in RGB mode. Look in the picture’s title bar. If it says RGB, all is well. If it says Gray, click on Image > Mode > RGB Color.
Let’s first “colorize” the skin. Click on the Create a New Layer icon at the top of the Layers palette. Rename the layer to “Skin”.
Open another color photo that has a person in it. Click on the Eyedropper tool and click once on the skin. The Foreground color is now the color of the skin. Close the color photo.
Click on the Skin layer to make sure it is the active layer. Type “B” or click on the Brush tool and select a smaller soft-edged brush.
In the Layers palette, change the layer’s blend mode from Normal to Color. Set the layer’s opacity to around 55% to reduce the intensity, or adjust it to look realistic.
Now start painting the skin. If the color appears to light to easily see the changes, change the layer’s blend mode back to normal, paint all of the skin areas, and when you are done, change it back to color.
Let’s add the hair color now. Click on the Create a New Layer icon, and rename the layer to “hair”.
Open another color photo that has the color of hair that you want to use. Using the Eyedropper tool, set the Foreground color to the desired hair color.
Follow steps 4-6 again, but for the hair layer.
Repeat steps 2-6 for all areas of the photo that need color.

Comments (6)

Original post works well. I was able to colorize my great-grandmother’s photo. Thanks for the information.

How can I copy the information you have on Legacy Home Page on changing B&W pictures to color?

Thanks for the lesson. I can use this as a template for some attempts that will make a difference. It helps to have examples of how to actually use Adobe, even if I only copy it, just to learn my way around the maze.
The B/W comment is valid, as well, but some times the trial is needed.
Thanks
Doug

There are a number of “makeup” programs available for teenage and pre-teen girls. I find I can take an old BW photo and apply makeup, eye color, and hair color to them with these makeup / makeover programs. The best one, unfortunately, doesn’t have a file save function – so I had to screen capture, but the effect is much more natural looking than merely colorizing. I don’t have a specific program title – the one I use most is off the market, but all of them are pretty much the same functionally.
By the way, if your picture is sepia colored – you can convert it to BW by adding blue and possibly a small amount of green. Here is how: First – ALWAYS scan in full color – not grayscale. Next – DO NOT just use the program’s “convert to grayscale” function. Even a BW photograph has some small degree of color in it – small shades of yellow and blue. If you convert to grayscale, you lose information. Finally – use the eydropper on a light area to find the color codes, figure out how much blue and green you need to add to match the red, and add that amount. Do it right – You will have a “BW” picture on white paper. that looks like it was taken by a professional photographer yesterday. Because – it has those subtle non BW shades of blues and yellows.
If you want to have some fun – some of the makeover programs have hairstyle and clothing overlays. I was able to make a teenage picture of my great grandmother into a real cutie – looking like something off a magazine cover! A morphing program even gave her a smile! Now I just have to put up with the “why do you have a picture of a hottie” comments from my daughter’s friends!

You chose to color the B&W – I would suggest another approach that I think would be even more dramatic (and more authentic) and extremely simple.
I would change the color to B&W instead. It’s one step and you don’t need Photoshop – any program will do it. I like color but black and white can be dramatic. Authentic because you don’t have to guess colors to use and shading is precise and true.

Very good!

KR
Kimberly R. Norton

14 years ago

Original post works well. I was able to colorize my great-grandmother’s photo. Thanks for the information.
JS
Joanne Slama

17 years ago

How can I copy the information you have on Legacy Home Page on changing B&W pictures to color?
DS
Doug Smith

17 years ago

Thanks for the lesson. I can use this as a template for some attempts that will make a difference. It helps to have examples of how to actually use Adobe, even if I only copy it, just to learn my way around the maze.
The B/W comment is valid, as well, but some times the trial is needed.
Thanks
Doug
BC
Bruce Carter

17 years ago

There are a number of “makeup” programs available for teenage and pre-teen girls. I find I can take an old BW photo and apply makeup, eye color, and hair color to them with these makeup / makeover programs. The best one, unfortunately, doesn’t have a file save function – so I had to screen capture, but the effect is much more natural looking than merely colorizing. I don’t have a specific program title – the one I use most is off the market, but all of them are pretty much the same functionally.
By the way, if your picture is sepia colored – you can convert it to BW by adding blue and possibly a small amount of green. Here is how: First – ALWAYS scan in full color – not grayscale. Next – DO NOT just use the program’s “convert to grayscale” function. Even a BW photograph has some small degree of color in it – small shades of yellow and blue. If you convert to grayscale, you lose information. Finally – use the eydropper on a light area to find the color codes, figure out how much blue and green you need to add to match the red, and add that amount. Do it right – You will have a “BW” picture on white paper. that looks like it was taken by a professional photographer yesterday. Because – it has those subtle non BW shades of blues and yellows.
If you want to have some fun – some of the makeover programs have hairstyle and clothing overlays. I was able to make a teenage picture of my great grandmother into a real cutie – looking like something off a magazine cover! A morphing program even gave her a smile! Now I just have to put up with the “why do you have a picture of a hottie” comments from my daughter’s friends!
R
R.Collie

17 years ago

You chose to color the B&W – I would suggest another approach that I think would be even more dramatic (and more authentic) and extremely simple.
I would change the color to B&W instead. It’s one step and you don’t need Photoshop – any program will do it. I like color but black and white can be dramatic. Authentic because you don’t have to guess colors to use and shading is precise and true.
JC
josé carlos de oliveira

17 years ago

Very good!