Do you ever take what you think is a great photo, only to be disappointed when you look at it later? Maybe Aunt Betty’s skin looks like she spent too much time in a tanning bed.
Or your awesome sunset picture turned out pea soup green.
We’ve all been there – you take a picture and the color just looks off. Skin tones appear radioactive. Beautiful blue skies turn freaky purple.
Your amazing photo is ruined by a nasty color cast.
What is a Color Cast?
A color cast is when there is too much of one color across a photo. For example, a photo might look too yellow, too blue, or too green. This makes the photo look unnatural and less nice.
A color cast can happen for a few reasons. Maybe the lighting was strange when the photo was taken. Or maybe something is wrong with the camera. Luckily, Photoshop has easy ways to fix any color cast.
And in this article, you’ll learn two simple methods to remove color cast in Photoshop.
With just a couple of clicks, you can balance the colors and save photos that have bad color.
You can also watch the video below if you like video tutorials.
Method 1: Use the Match Color Tool (Easiest)
The Match Color tool is probably the best way to fix a strong color cast. It works for color issues across the whole photo. And it only takes 3 clicks!
STEP 1: First, open your photo with the color cast in Photoshop. At the top, click on Image, then choose Adjustments > Match Color. A window will pop up.
STEP 2: Next, check the box next to Neutralize. Then click OK at the bottom of the window. And you’re done! The weird color will disappear from your photo.
This works so well because the Neutralize setting tells Photoshop to balance out the colors. Photoshop looks at the photo and finds which color is too strong. Then it adds more of the missing colors to make the photo look natural again.
Method 2: Use the Camera Raw Filter (More Control)
The Camera Raw filter also balances colors to fix a color cast. But it gives you more tweaking options. Use this method for mild color issues or ones in just part of the photo.
STEP 1: First, open your photo with issues in Photoshop. Click Layer > Duplicate Layer to make a copy to work on.
STEP 2: Next go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter. The Camera Raw window will open up.
STEP 3: On the right side, click the Basic tab. Then find White Balance in the middle.
STEP 4: Click the eyedropper icon next to White Balance. Move your mouse over the photo. The Camera Raw filter will rebalance the colors based on what you click.
You can keep tweaking the Temp and Tint sliders to improve the white balance more. Or toggle between settings with this icon.
STEP 5: When you’re happy, click OK at the bottom. The color balanced photo will open back up in Photoshop.
Which Method is Best?
As you can see, both tools can fix photos with bad color casts.
Use Match Color for strong color issues across the whole photo. It balances everything at once with just one click.
The Camera Raw filter takes more work but gives you more control. Use it for small color issues or ones in just part of the photo.
No more frustration over color casts! With these simple Photoshop tools, you can save photos that have ugly color issues.
Give them a try next time one of your photos looks off!
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Disclosure: Some of the links above may contain affiliate partnerships, meaning, at no additional cost to you, NechEmpire may earn a commission if you click through to make a purchase.
I'm Miroslav, a passionate graphic designer, Etsy seller and AI enthusiast. At NechEmpire, I'm here to share my knowledge and skills. I want to turn your design passion into a successful online business.
