The short answer
Why use Selective Color?
A color splash done by hand means masking the subject and desaturating the rest. Here the mask comes from a color match, so a red dress or a yellow taxi is picked out in one go.
Color to match starts at #00ff00 and Tolerance at 42 out of 100; pixels within that color distance are the kept area. Amount, 50 by default, does two things at once: it pulls the kept pixels toward Color and pulls everything else toward gray. At 50 the rest is half gray, at 100 fully gray.
The match has a hard edge with no fade, so the border of the kept area can look cut out, and parts of the subject in shadow may drop out. Raise Tolerance for more of the subject, and watch for similar colors in the background, such as skin tones next to an orange shirt.
Color Replacer uses the same match but leaves the rest of the photo in color and keeps each pixel's lightness, so the swapped area keeps its folds and shadows. Saturation at 0 turns the whole photo gray. For a full black-and-white version to layer in another app, use Grayscale.
Where Selective Color fits
Color splash
Keep a red dress in color while the street goes gray.
Wedding details
Leave only the bouquet in color in a black-and-white portrait.
Product focus
Gray out a shelf so one colored package stands out.
Start to finish
How to use Selective Color
- 01Tap Choose image and pick the photo.
- 02Set Color to match to the subject's color and set Color to the same value to keep it, then adjust Tolerance.
- 03Tap Apply changes, check the edge of the colored area, then tap Download result.
What to expect from Selective Color
| Check | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Supported input | JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG and browser-supported AVIF images |
| Main controls | Amount, color, tolerance, or channel, depending on the tool |
| Output | A PNG image with the adjustment applied |
| Working limit | 50 MB and 50 megapixels per image |
Selective Color tips
- The Color picker starts at crimson, so set it or your subject changes color.
- Amount 60 to 85 grays the rest while keeping texture in the subject.
- The match has a hard edge; raise Tolerance to catch shaded parts.
- Watch for similar colors in the background staying in color.
Selective Color FAQ
Something missing? Ask us.
How do I keep the original color of the dress?
Why is the kept area flat at Amount 100?
Does Selective Color upload my file?
Is Selective Color free to use?
Why did Selective Color fail or look wrong?
Related tools
More in Color Tools.