Matching colors in PSCS

[andyapc]

I have an element, the color of which I would like to adjust so that is more closely matches the picture I'm working with. The element is a simple, round cork-looking disc and although it's heavily textured, it predominately one color. Checked my DSU 110 notes and determined that I should go into Image>Adjustment>Hue/Saturation. But, no matter how much I play around with it, I can't get it to match one of the photo colors. How does the drop-down menu under Edit work? Am I supposed to be playing around with that? (In DIP9, I would just click on the color I wanted, use the eye-dropper tool to get the Hue/Sat/Light values and manually plug them in for any other element I wanted to change - how do I do that in PSCS?)

Another time, I was working with 2 photos - one was awesome, the other was washed out. I just happened to stumble across Image>Adjustment>Match color and was able to get the washed-out photo to match the awesome one (whoooo hoooo :) ). I tried to do the same thing now with my photo and my cork element, with my cork element as the active layer, but the photo didn't show up as a "source". Do the items have to be the same size or something to use this feature?

[Amanda]

Make the color you want to turn your cork to your foreground color - then CTRL-U and make sure you check the "colorize" box in the lower right. That should work. You may have to adjust the sliders a bit to make it look perfect!

[andyapc]

I tried this, but I'm obviously doing something wrong. I only have 3 layers: Background, Photo and Cork. Background is white. When I click on each layer, the foreground in my toolbox is set to the color that I want the cork to match.

My cork layer is active and I did CTRL U, clicked colorize and played around with the 3 sliders, but I'm not getting anywhere near the foreground color for my cork. Am I missing a step somewhere?

[Meryl]

Andrea, have you seen the Colour Match Tutorial I did here (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/university/tutorials/ps_colourmatchcommand_mb.shtml)?
Another tip on this I've found, If you are trying to match a cork to a photo, its probably just part of the photo that you really want to match it to? Then I select that part with a marquee too, copy & paste to a new layer label it sample :) and then match my element (in your case cork) to that.
You say its not showing in the drop down? Have you checked BOTH drop down's? You need a Source selected - this will be the file name of the LO you are working on, or another open document (when I do this I'm ofen shocked at how many files i have open in the background, forgotten to close :) !) then your photo layer should show in the "Layer" dropdown.
Btw Without choosing a "Source" those sliders are fantastic for adjusting the look of a photo - just leave source at "none" very simple to use
Hope this helps

[andyapc]

Meryl - I never even saw that tut! I'm going to try it (hopefully later today when I don't have my 4 year old pulling at me constantly) and let you know how it worked out. THanks!

[andyapc]

Whoooo Hooooo! It worked! Thank you TONS!!!!

[Meryl]

Whoooo Hooooo! It worked! Thank you TONS!!!!

Now that you've started using it you will find it the most wonderful help with LO's ever! I seem to use it daily.............. well done for persevering!