Coloring grey images in PSPX

[Linrag]

Hi
I saw a previous post - all answers were PhotoShop...
I tried to do similar commands, but obviously don't know enough about PSPX to get it to work.
Can anyone help with how to take a greyscale image and recolor? I've tried to flood-fill, but lose all the shading, textures, etc and end up with a very prettily colored BLOB!
thanks in advance!

[ABitDaffy]

There are several things that you can try:

1)The color changer tool (I can't remember if version X has this tool or if it was new with XI). This will let you change the color and keep the texture

2)The color replacer tool - you can replace the greyscale colors with a different color. While this won't keep your texture, you can use a pattern for the color to replace, so you can keep a kind of texture

3)You can also use the Change to Target brush - I have trouble with getting a rich enough color using this, though. I'd just use it for touch up work at the end...

4)My favorite way is this:
a)Creat a new layer on top of the the greyscale image.
b) Flood the new layer with the color that you want to use.
c) Cut the new colored layer out in the shape of the greyscale image that you want to color
d)Move the colored layer to the bottom
e)Select the top layer (which would now be the greyscale image)
f)Change your blending mode to Overlay
Voila! A pretty, re-colored element.

If you need more detail, let me know...

[Muma]

Originally Posted by ABitDaffy

d)Move the colored layer to the bottom
e)Select the top layer (which would now be the greyscale image)
f)Change your blending mode to Overlay
Voila! A pretty, re-colored element.

I didn't think of doing that. I have PSP XI and always use the colour changer .... even though sometimes that doesn;t work the way I want it to so this is an alternative way. Thank you for the tip :)

[Lizzerd]

If the image is truly "greyscale", then it is the equivalent of a 16-color .gif file; the first step would be to: Image > Increase colours (to 16 million -- I use PSP9, don't know what the equivalent would be in X, XI, or XII).

Make any adjustments on a new layer. If you want to turn the whole thing, say red, then flood-fill with red and either lower the opacity or change the blend mode (perhaps: overlay). If you want just a particular piece to be in colour, select with the Freehand Selection Tool (lasso), and fill that as above.

If what you're starting with is actually a colour picture that you want to be mostly greyscale with just one item peeking out in colour, that's only a slightly different ballgame. But you still need two layers...

[hellosnitty]

I was wondering the same thing. except i use PSE.