How to Change the Color of an Object in a Photo for Free
To change the colour of one object in a photo, pick the colour it has now, pick the new colour, and adjust the tolerance so only that object changes. The free Colour Replacer does this in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark. It works from colours you choose, not from a written instruction.
The short answer
- Replace this colour: the colour of the object now. Use the picker on the object itself.
- With this colour: the colour you want instead.
- Tolerance: how far from the chosen colour a pixel can be and still change. The slider runs from 1 to 150 and starts at 60.
- Keep the original shading: on by default, so folds, shadows and highlights stay believable.
When this method fits
It fits an object that is one flat, distinct colour: a red car on a grey street, a blue shirt, a yellow cup, a logo or an icon. It is also the right choice for trying colour variations of a product, because the same photo can be run through several new colours in a minute.
It does not fit a multicoloured object, a subject that shares its colour with the background, or a change that needs a new texture or pattern. For those, a painting or retouching tool does more.
How to change an object's colour, step by step
- Open the tool and drop in the photo. Use Colour Replacer and choose the picture from your device.
- Set Replace this colour. Pick a colour from the object you want to change. The default is red.
- Set With this colour. Choose the new colour. Check it against the rest of the photo before you continue.
- Adjust the Tolerance. Start at the default of 60. If the background changes too, lower it. If parts of the object keep the old colour, raise it a little.
- Keep the original shading on. Each changed pixel keeps its own brightness, which makes the new colour look like a real paint job rather than a flat shape.
- Check the result and download it. Keep the original photo so you can try another colour from the start.
Getting the tolerance right
Tolerance decides which shades count. A low setting changes only the colour you picked. A high setting also changes lighter and darker shades of it, which is what you want on a shirt with shadows in its folds.
| Problem | What to change |
|---|---|
| The background or another object changes too | Lower the Tolerance. |
| Shadows or highlights on the object keep the old colour | Raise the Tolerance a little. |
| The object is very dark or very light | Expect a weak change. Raise the Tolerance, or try a mid-tone colour. |
| Other areas of the same colour change as well | Restrict the work with the Selection Tools on a copy. |
Other ways to change one colour
- Keep one colour, grey out the rest: the Color Splash tool does the opposite job. Useful for making a red umbrella stand out.
- Remove a flat background instead: the Chroma Key Remover makes a solid green or blue background transparent.
- Change the background, not the object: the Background Remover cuts out the subject so you can place it on any colour.
- Desktop software: Photoshop's Hue/Saturation and Color Replacement tools do this too, with more control. They are not free for most people, and the browser tool is enough for a single object.
What the tool cannot do
Be realistic about what a colour swap can do. It cannot add a new fabric pattern, relight a scene, or make a dark object look as if it was lit differently. It also cannot know the real colour of something in a photo. If you are recolouring a family photo, the new colour is a choice, not a record of what the object was.
For a real estate or product photo that will be shown as the true colour, say so or keep the original next to it. A colour change that misleads a buyer is not a fair edit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change the colour of something in a photo?
Open the Colour Replacer, set Replace this colour to the current colour, set With this colour to the new one, and adjust the Tolerance until only the right area changes. Keep the original shading ticked so folds and reflections stay.
Can I change a colour by typing a description, like "make the shirt green"?
No. The Colour Replacer works from colours you pick, not from written instructions. Click the current colour with the picker, then choose the new one. Tools that take a text description are a different kind of AI tool, and they can produce results that differ from the colour you chose.
Why did other parts of the photo change colour too?
The tool changes every pixel that is close to the colour you picked, anywhere in the image. Lower the Tolerance, or restrict the change with the Selection Tools on a copy of the photo.
Why does a dark or very light object barely change?
Very dark and very light areas carry little colour, so they respond weakly. Raise the Tolerance a little, or use a mid-tone colour as the one you replace. More help: ImgVX AI help docs.
Does changing the colour lower the quality of the photo?
The rest of the photo is left as it was. The changed area is recoloured pixel by pixel, so keep the original file and download the result as a copy. Browse: all free image tools.
Do I need Photoshop or an account to do this?
No. The Colour Replacer runs in your browser, with no sign-up, no watermark and no download limit. The photo is processed on your device.
Try it on your photo
Free, in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark.