Tutorial: Using the colour match command in Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop CS
Level: Easy

I have found using the match colour command to get elements to match a layout has been a real bonus find. A good example of this use is in the journal cover I made for the Pass the Pixel kit - I wanted some photo corners, and chose some black ones I had on file. They are special ones for me as they were scanned from my late Mum’s album, but somehow they just looked too black. I fiddled with layer styles for a bit then hit on the idea of using the colour match command, matching them to the clasp – the result was four matching photo corners, looking like old metal!

Remember as you are working the target (i.e. the image which you want to change the colour of) must be the active layer.

1. Have open a psd file with the image you would like to match - the target (in my case the photo corner) on a different layer to the source of the colour (in my case the clasp).

2. With one of the photo corner layers as the active layer click Image > Adjustments > Match Colour

3. A small screen will open up. In the drop down box labeled source select the file name of your open document.
4. In the drop down box immediately below this labeled layer, select your source - in my case this is clasp layer. You may need to move this screen aside a bit to see the results - if the effect is not quite what you wanted, adjust the sliders above – I chose to fade the effect slightly.

5. If you are going to want to use the same effect again, you can now click on “Save Statistics” then save it in a sensible place where you can easily find it again! I did this as I knew I was going to want the same effect for the other 3 photo corners.
6. Now click OK, and there you are!
7. To complete my project I simply moved on to the 3 remaining photo corner layers & simply selected the statistics from my saved file – see the final result below

Play around & you’ll be surprised at how very useful it is – Enjoy!

Meryl Bartho