The fastest way to change one object's color

Open your image in Photoshop. Use the Select by Color Tool (keyboard shortcut: Shift+O) or the Quick Selection Tool (W) to select the object whose color you want to change. If the object has a clear edge against its background, the Quick Selection Tool usually works faster — click and drag across the object, and Photoshop will detect the boundary. If the object blends into the background or has a similar color nearby, use Select by Color instead and click directly on the object.

Once the object is selected, go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation. A dialog box will open. Move the Hue slider left or right to shift the color. The preview checkbox (turned on by default) shows the change in real time on your image. When the color looks right, click OK. The selection will remain active; press Ctrl+D (Windows) or Cmd+D (Mac) to deselect and see the final result.

Key Takeaways

  • The Quick Selection Tool works fastest for objects with clear edges; Select by Color works better when the object blends into its surroundings.
  • Hue/Saturation is the simplest adjustment for changing color without losing the original shading and texture of the object.
  • If Hue/Saturation shifts colors you did not intend to change, use the Colorize option or switch to the Color Range selection method for more control.
  • Saving your work as a PSD file preserves your selection and adjustment layers, so you can edit the color again later without starting over.

When the Quick Selection Tool does not work cleanly

The Quick Selection Tool sometimes picks up parts of the background or misses edges of your object. If that happens, undo the selection (Ctrl+Z or Cmd+Z) and try the Select by Color Tool instead. Click once on the object itself. If it selects too much, hold Shift and click on the unwanted area to subtract it from the selection. If it selects too little, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) and click on nearby parts of the object to add them.

For objects with very soft or blurred edges — like hair, smoke, or fabric — neither tool will give you a perfect selection. In those cases, use Select > Color Range from the menu. This opens a dialog where you can click on the object and adjust the Fuzziness slider to control how much of the surrounding area gets included. A higher fuzziness value catches more of the soft edges without selecting the background.

Changing color while keeping the original shading

Hue/Saturation preserves the light and dark areas of your object, which is why it looks natural. If you move the Hue slider and the color shifts but the object still looks three-dimensional, you have the right tool. If the result looks flat or washed out, you may have moved the Saturation slider by accident — move it back to zero (the middle position) and adjust only the Hue slider.

If you want to change the color to something completely different — say, turning a red car blue — Hue/Saturation still works, but the result depends on the original color. A red object can become orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, or purple by moving the Hue slider, but it cannot become a shade of gray or pure white using this method alone. For those results, use Image > Adjustments > Colorize instead, which lets you pick any color from the color wheel and then adjust how saturated (vivid) or desaturated (muted) it appears.

Fixing color shifts in areas you did not mean to change

If your object contains multiple colors — a flower with a yellow center and red petals, for example — Hue/Saturation will shift all of them together. To change only the red petals and leave the yellow center alone, you need to isolate the color range before adjusting.

Start over: undo back to your original image (or close and reopen the file). Go to Select > Color Range. In the dialog, click on the red petals. The preview shows which parts of the image are selected. Adjust the Fuzziness slider until only the red petals are selected and the yellow center is not. Click OK. Now open Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation and change the color. Only the selected red area will shift.

Using adjustment layers so you can change your mind later

If you think you might want to adjust the color again, use an adjustment layer instead of explore the change directly to the image. Make your selection as usual. Then go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, but before you do, create a new adjustment layer: go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation. A dialog will ask where to place the layer; click OK. The Hue/Saturation dialog opens, and you adjust the color the same way.

The difference is that the adjustment now lives on its own layer in your Layers panel, with a mask that shows only your selected area. You can click on that layer later, open the Hue/Saturation dialog again, and change the color without affecting anything else. You can also turn the adjustment on and off by clicking the eye icon next to the layer, or delete it entirely and start over. When you are happy with the result, save the file as a PSD (Photoshop format) to keep the layers intact.

Changing color in objects with texture or pattern

Objects with texture — like a brick wall, wood grain, or fabric weave — will keep their texture when you use Hue/Saturation. The light and dark spots that create the texture remain in place; only the color shifts. This usually looks good and keeps the object looking realistic.

If the texture is very fine or the object is very small, the color change might be hard to see. Zoom in on the object (use the View menu or press the plus key on your keyboard) to check the result before you finalize it. If the color is too subtle, you can increase the Saturation slider slightly (move it to the right) to make the new color more vivid, though this will also make any existing colors in the image more vivid too.

Saving your work so you can edit it later

After you change the color, save the file as a PSD file to preserve all your layers and selections. Go to File > Save As, choose a location and filename, and select Photoshop (PSD) from the format dropdown. This keeps your adjustment layers and selection masks intact, so if your client asks you to make the object a different shade of blue next week, you can open the file, click on the adjustment layer, and move the Hue slider again without starting from scratch.

If you need to send the image to someone else or post it online, export it as a JPG or PNG instead. Go to File > Export As, choose the format, and click Export. The exported version is flattened (all layers merged into one), so it is smaller and easier to share, but you cannot edit the color adjustment afterward. Always keep the PSD version for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the color of just part of an object, like one stripe on a flag?

Yes. Instead of selecting the whole object, use the Quick Selection Tool or Select by Color to select only the stripe you want to change. Then explore Hue/Saturation as usual. The adjustment will affect only the selected area.

What if I want to change a color to something that does not exist in the original image?

Use Colorize instead of Hue/Saturation. Go to Image > Adjustments > Colorize, select your object first, and then pick any color from the color wheel in the dialog. Colorize converts the object to a single color family, so it works best when you want a dramatic change.

Why does the color look different on my screen than in the exported image?

Your monitor may not be calibrated, or the JPG compression may have shifted the colors slightly. Export as PNG instead of JPG to reduce compression loss. If the difference is large, check your monitor brightness and contrast settings, or ask someone else to look at both versions to see if the problem is your screen.

Can I undo a color change after I have saved and closed the file?

Only if you saved it as a PSD file with the adjustment layer intact. If you saved it as a JPG or PNG, the change is permanent and cannot be undone. Always keep a PSD version as a backup before you export to other formats.