MY CARTThe Color Mixer Panel in Camera Raw in Photoshop: Video Lesson
This video lesson, titled “Learn How to Use the Color Mixer in Camera Raw in Adobe Photoshop: A Training Tutorial,” shows how to adjust colors using the Color Mixer panel in Camera Raw in Photoshop. This video lesson is from our complete Photoshop tutorial, titled “Mastering Photoshop Made Easy.”
Overview:
The Color Mixer panel in the Camera Raw dialog box in Photoshop lets you adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance of specific color ranges in a camera raw image. Note that if you select the “B&W” button at the top of the Edit panel, then this tab is instead the “B&W Mixer,” but its basic function of adjusting specific colors in the image remains the same.
To show the Color Mixer panel in the Camera Raw dialog box in Photoshop, click the “Edit” button in the toolbar at the right side of the Camera Raw dialog box, if needed. Then click the “Color Mixer” tab in the Edit panel that appears to the left of the toolbar to expand it, if needed.
How To Adjust All Colors Using the Color Mixer Panel:
To adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance of all colors, select “HSL” from the “Adjust” drop-down in the Color Mixer panel. Then click either the “Hue,” “Saturation,” “Luminance” or “All” tab below the drop-down to change the sets of color sliders that appear below the tabs. Then drag the desired color sider in the selected section(s) to the left or right to change its hue, saturation, or luminosity, as desired.
How to Adjust Colors Using the Hue Targeted Adjustment Tool:
Alternatively, to adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance of colors by clicking and dragging in the preview image, click the “Hue Targeted Adjustment Tool” button to the right of the “Adjust” drop-down to show the Hue Targeted Adjustment Tool’s toolbar at the bottom center of the preview image. Ensure the “Click to control Color Mixer” button towards the left end of the toolbar is selected. Then click either the “Hue,” “Saturation,” or “Luminance” button at the right end of the toolbar to select which attribute to adjust.
Then hold your mouse pointer over the color to adjust in the preview image. Two small color dots appear next to your mouse pointer, showing the color range of the selected color you are about to adjust. Click the desired color in the preview image and hold down your mouse button to show a colored bar and the color’s current location within the bar as an empty circle. The colors shown in the bar change, depending on the adjustment type you selected.
Then click and drag left or right to change the location of the empty circle in the bar. Then release your mouse button when it is the desired tone. You can click and hold down again in the same initial location to double-check your adjustment in the color bar, if desired.
A picture of a user adjusting selected colors using the Hue Targeted Adjustment Tool in the Color Mixer panel in Camera Raw in Photoshop.
How to Adjust Selected Colors Using the Color Mixer Panel:
Alternatively, to adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance of selected colors in the Color Mixer panel, select the “Color” choice from the “Adjust” drop-down in the Color Mixer panel. The individual colors and the “All” colors choice appear as buttons below the drop-down. Click to select the button for the color to adjust. Then use the “Hue,” “Saturation,” and “Luminance” sliders below the buttons to adjust those settings for the selected color.
How to Use the B&W Mixer Panel:
Alternatively, if using the B&W Mixer panel for a black and white image, slide the sliders for each desired color in the panel to the left to increase its darkness or to the right to increase its lightness. To toggle automatic adjustments on or off, click the “Auto” button in the upper-left corner of the panel.
Also, like the Color Mixer, to set the lightness or darkness of a color in the back and white image by clicking and dragging in the preview image, click the “Grayscale Mix Targeted Adjustment Tool” button in the upper-right corner of the B&W Mixer panel to show the Grayscale Mix Targeted Adjustment Tool’s toolbar at the bottom center of the preview image.
Then hold your mouse pointer over the color to adjust in the preview image. Two small color dots appear next to your mouse pointer, showing the color range of the selected color you are about to adjust. Click the desired color in the preview image and hold down your mouse button to show a colored bar and the color’s current location within the bar as an empty circle. The colors shown in the bar change, depending on the color you selected.
Then click and drag to the left to increase the darkness of the selected color or drag to the right to increase its lightness. Then release your mouse button when it is the desired darkness or lightness.
How to Hide Color Panel Adjustments:
To temporarily hide all Color Mixer panel or B&W Mixer panel adjustments in the preview image after changing these settings, click and hold down on the “eye” icon in the upper-right corner of the “Color Mixer” or “B&W Mixer” tab in the Edit panel. This temporarily hides the changes in the preview image while you hold down on this icon so you can see the changes in the preview image. Simply release the mouse button to restore the visibility of the changes.
Instructions on How to Use the Color Mixer in Camera Raw in Photoshop:
- To show the Color Mixer panel in the Camera Raw dialog box in Photoshop, click the “Edit” button in the toolbar at the right side of the Camera Raw dialog box, if needed. If you select the “B&W” button at the top of the Edit panel, then this tab is instead the “B&W Mixer,” but its basic function of adjusting specific colors in the image remains the same.
- Then click the “Color Mixer” tab in the Edit panel to the left of the toolbar to expand it, if needed.
How to Adjust All Colors Using the Color Mixer Panel in Camera Raw in Photoshop:
- To adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance of all colors, select “HSL” from the “Adjust” drop-down in the Color Mixer panel.
- Then click either the “Hue,” “Saturation,” “Luminance” or “All” tab below the drop-down to change the sets of color sliders that appear below the tabs.
- Then drag the desired color sider in the selected section(s) to the left or right to change its hue, saturation, or luminosity, as desired.
Instructions on How to Adjust Color Using the Hue Targeted Adjustment Tool:
- Alternatively, to adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance of colors by clicking and dragging in the preview image, click the “Hue Targeted Adjustment Tool” button to the right of the “Adjust” drop-down to show the Hue Targeted Adjustment Tool’s toolbar at the bottom center of the preview image.
- Ensure the “Click to control Color Mixer” button towards the left end of the toolbar is selected.
- Then click either the “Hue,” “Saturation,” or “Luminance” button at the right end of the toolbar to select which attribute to adjust.
- Then hold your mouse pointer over the color to adjust in the preview image. Two small color dots appear next to your pointer, showing the color range of the selected color you are about to adjust.
- Click the desired color in the preview image and hold down your mouse button to show a colored bar and the color’s current location within the bar as an empty circle. The colors shown in the bar change, depending on the adjustment type you selected.
- Then click and drag left or right to change the location of the empty circle in the bar. Then release your mouse button when it is the desired tone.
- You can click and hold down again in the same initial location to double-check your adjustment in the color bar, if desired.
How to Adjust Selected Colors Using the Color Mixer Panel in Camera Raw in Photoshop:
- Alternatively, to adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance of selected colors in the Color Mixer panel, select the “Color” choice from the “Adjust” drop-down in the Color Mixer panel.
- The individual colors and the “All” colors choice appear as buttons below the drop-down.
- Click to select the button for the color to adjust.
- Then use the “Hue,” “Saturation,” and “Luminance” sliders below the buttons to adjust those settings for the selected color.
Instructions on How to Adjust Color Using the B&W Mixer Panel in Camera Raw in Photoshop:
- Alternatively, if using the B&W Mixer panel for a black and white image, slide the sliders for each desired color in the panel to the left to increase its darkness or to the right to increase its lightness.
- To toggle the automatic adjustments on or off, click the “Auto” button in the upper-left corner of the B&W Mixer panel.
- To set the lightness or darkness of a color in the back and white image by clicking and dragging in the preview image, click the “Grayscale Mix Targeted Adjustment Tool” button in the upper-right corner of the B&W Mixer panel to show the Grayscale Mix Targeted Adjustment Tool’s toolbar at the bottom center of the preview image.
- Then hold your mouse pointer over the color to adjust in the preview image. Two small color dots appear next to your pointer, showing the color range of the selected color you are about to adjust.
- Click the desired color in the preview image and hold down your mouse button to show a colored bar and the color’s current location within the bar as an empty circle. The colors shown in the bar change, depending on the color you selected.
- Then click and drag to the left to increase the darkness of the selected color or drag to the right to increase its lightness.
- Then release your mouse button when it is the desired darkness or lightness.
Instructions on How to Temporarily Hide Color Mixer or B&W Mixer Adjustments:
- To temporarily hide all Color Mixer panel or B&W Mixer panel adjustments in the preview image after changing these settings, click and hold down on the “eye” icon in the upper-right corner of the “Color Mixer” or “B&W Mixer” tab in the Edit panel.
- To restore the visibility of the changes, then release the mouse button.
