The basic steps to recolor a material in Substance Painter

To change the color of a material in Substance Painter, you work with the Base Color map, which is the layer that holds the actual color information. Open your material, find the Base Color channel in the Texture Set Settings panel on the right side of the screen, and click on it to select it. Then use the color picker tool (the eyedropper icon in the toolbar) or paint directly onto your 3D model using the paint brush with your chosen color.

The fastest method is to click the small color square next to "Base Color" in the properties panel. A color picker window opens where you can choose any color you want. Click and drag that color onto your model, or use the fill tool to explore it all at once. If you want to paint specific areas rather than change everything, select the paint brush tool, set your foreground color, and paint directly onto the model surface.

Keep in mind that Substance Painter separates color from other material properties like roughness, metalness, and normal maps. Changing the Base Color alone won't affect how shiny or bumpy the surface looks — only its hue and brightness. If your recolored material looks flat or wrong, you may need to adjust those other channels as well.

Key Takeaways

  • The Base Color channel in the Texture Set Settings panel holds the color information you need to change.
  • You can pick a new color by clicking the color square next to Base Color, or by using the eyedropper tool to sample from elsewhere.
  • Paint the new color onto your model using the brush tool, or use the fill bucket to change the entire surface at once.
  • Changing Base Color only affects hue and brightness — roughness, metalness, and surface detail live in separate channels.
  • If your recolored material looks wrong, check the other texture maps (roughness, normal, metallic) to see if they need adjustment too.

Finding and selecting the Base Color channel

When you open a material in Substance Painter, the right panel shows your Texture Set Settings. Look for the list of channels — Base Color is almost always at the top. Click on "Base Color" to make it the active channel. You'll see the current color map appear in the viewport, and the properties panel below will show you options specific to that channel.

If you don't see Base Color in the list, your material may be using a custom channel setup. Check the material's documentation or look for a channel labeled "Diffuse" or "Albedo" — these are older names for the same thing. Once you've selected the right channel, you're ready to change the color.

Using the color picker to choose a new color

The easiest way to pick a color is to click the small colored square in the Base Color row. A standard color picker window opens. You can type in specific RGB values if you know exactly what color you want, use the hue slider on the right, or click anywhere in the color field to pick a shade. Once you've chosen your color, click OK or press Enter.

If you want to sample a color from somewhere else — another part of your model, a reference image, or even a photo on your screen — use the eyedropper tool. It's in the top toolbar and looks like a small dropper icon. Click it, then click anywhere on your model or reference to grab that exact color. This is faster than trying to match colors by eye.

explore color to your entire model or specific areas

To change the color of your whole model at once, use the fill bucket tool. Select it from the toolbar (it looks like a paint bucket), make sure your Base Color channel is active, and click once on your model. The entire surface fills with your chosen color when ready.

If you want to recolor only certain parts, use the paint brush tool instead. Select the brush from the toolbar, set your foreground color, adjust the brush size and hardness if needed, and paint directly onto the areas you want to change. You can paint over the same spot multiple times to build up color, or hold Shift and click to draw straight lines between points.

For more control, you can also use layer masks or create separate paint layers within the Base Color channel. Right-click on the Base Color channel and select "Add Paint Layer" to create a new layer you can paint on without affecting the original. This lets you undo individual brush strokes or adjust opacity later.

Why your recolored material might look wrong

A material in Substance Painter is made up of multiple channels working together. Base Color provides the hue, but the Roughness channel controls how shiny or matte it looks, the Metallic channel determines if it reflects like metal, and the Normal map adds surface detail and bumps. If you change only the Base Color and the result looks flat, plastic, or just off, one of those other channels probably needs adjustment too.

For example, if you recolor a rusty metal surface to bright blue but it still looks dull and flat, the Roughness and Metallic values are still set for rust. Increase the Metallic value and lower the Roughness to make it shiny again. If you're recoloring fabric to a different shade but it loses its woven texture, check the Normal map — it may have been baked in and needs to stay unchanged.

Saving your recolored material

Once you're happy with your new color, save your work. Go to File > Save Texture Set or press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Cmd+S (Mac). This saves your changes to the .spp project file. If you want to export the material for use in a game engine or 3D software, go to File > Export Textures and choose your export settings. You can export as PNG, TGA, TIF, or other formats depending on where you plan to use it.

If you want to save this recolored version as a new material you can reuse later, go to File > Save As and give it a new name. This keeps your original material intact and lets you build a library of color variations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the color of just one part of my model without affecting the rest?

Yes. Use the paint brush tool instead of the fill bucket, and paint only on the areas you want to change. You can also use layer masks to isolate your color changes to specific regions, then adjust the mask opacity if you want the effect to blend in.

What if I want to change the color but keep the original texture and detail?

The Normal map and Roughness map hold your texture detail, not the Base Color. Change only the Base Color channel and leave the others alone. Your bumps, cracks, and surface variation will stay exactly as they were, just in a new color.

How do I make my recolored material look metallic or shiny?

Increase the Metallic channel value (usually a slider from 0 to 1) and lower the Roughness value. A metallic material typically has Metallic set to 1.0 and Roughness between 0.1 and 0.4. Adjust both until the reflection looks right on your model.

Can I undo a color change if I don't like it?

Yes. Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) to undo your last action. You can undo multiple steps by pressing it repeatedly. If you've already saved the file, use File > Revert to go back to the last saved version.

What's the difference between painting on the Base Color and using a layer?

Painting directly on Base Color changes the channel permanently. Creating a paint layer lets you adjust or remove your color changes later without affecting the original. Layers are better if you think you might want to tweak the color again or blend it with the original at a different opacity.