Adobe Photoshop 2025: Colour Grading Tutorial,
Therefore, Color grading in Adobe Photoshop is a powerful way to add a specific mood or style to your images. In other words, Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
1. Open Your Image in Photoshop:
- Therefore, Open Photoshop and import the image you want to grade.
2. Adjust Overall Color Using Adjustment Layers:
Therefore, Adjustment layers allow non-destructive editing, so you can always tweak your edits later.
a. Create a Gradient Map:
- In other words, Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map.
- In other words, Select a gradient that complements your desired color tone. For example:
- Warm tones: Use gradients with orange, yellow, or red.
- Cool tones: Use gradients with blue or teal.
- However, Change the blending mode of the gradient map layer to Soft Light or Overlay.
- In other words, Adjust the opacity to control the intensity.
b. Use Color Balance:
- In other words, Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance.
- For instance, Adjust the sliders for Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights to add color casts.
- However, Shadows: Add blue or green for a cinematic feel.
- However, Highlights: Add orange or yellow for a warm glow.
c. Apply Selective Color:
- However, Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Selective Color.
- For instance, Choose a color range (e.g., Reds, Greens, or Blues).
- For instance, Adjust the sliders to fine-tune specific colors.
3. Adobe Photoshop 2025: Colour Grading Tutorial, Enhance the Look with Curves:
- However, Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves.
- For instance, Click on the curve to add points and adjust brightness and contrast.
- However, For color grading:
- For instance, Switch to individual color channels (Red, Green, Blue) and adjust their curves to create unique tones.
4. Add a Cinematic Tone with the Camera Raw Filter:
- For instance, Convert your layer to a Smart Object (Filter > Convert for Smart Filters).
- Above all, Go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter.
- Above all, In the Color Grading panel:
- Adjust Shadows, Mid-tones, Highlights hues, and saturation for precise control.
- For instance, Use the Basic Panel to adjust exposure, contrast, and clarity.
Adobe Photoshop 2025: Colour Grading Tutorial,
5. Adobe Photoshop 2025: Colour Grading Tutorial, Create Depth with Vignetting:
- Above all, Add a vignette for focus:
- In addition, Go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter.
- In addition, In the Effects tab, reduce the Vignette slider to darken edges slightly.
- Above all, you can also use the Elliptical Marquee Tool to select the subject and make the selection for manual vignetting.
6. Adobe Photoshop 2025: Colour Grading Tutorial, Final Touches:
- Sharpening: Add sharpness using Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen.
- Grain: Add subtle film grain with Filter > Noise > Add Noise for a vintage look.
Tips for Effective Color Grading:
- Experiment with Blending Modes: Combine adjustment layers using different modes for creative effects.
- Use LUTs: Load Look-Up Tables (LUTs) for quick grading. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Lookup and select a preset LUT.
- Stay Subtle: Over-editing can ruin the natural feel of your photo. Use opacity sliders to control intensity.
Would you like to dive deeper into any of these techniques?
