Making color adjustments to a layer


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In the examples below the left side shows an adjustment option applied to the original image (right side).  The version of Sketchbook you are using will determine the tools available for color adjustment. 


Brightness/Contrast

Make colors pop. Increase the contrast to make colors richer. Decreasing it to wash them out for images that text can be placed over top. Increase brightness to bring out details from darker areas. Decrease it to melt away darker aspects of an image and shift the focus to things that are bright.


Hue/Saturation

Change the color range, increase or decrease the purity of a color or brilliance of the colors. Adds/subtracts color (hue) or adjusts the relative amount of color (saturation) in each pixel.


Color Balance

Remove unwanted color casts by adjusting the cyan, red, magenta, green, yellow, and blue in each pixel.


Grayscale

Change a color image to one that uses black, white, and various shades of gray.


Invert

Switch the contrast of an image. Change black elements to white and white to black to create an opposite image. Converts color information for each pixel to its complementary color.


Blur

A Gaussian blur that reduces the visible detail in the image. Blur adjustment is currently available in Sketchbook on mobile devices and coming soon to Sketchbook Pro on desktop.


Sharpen

Finds the edges in the image - areas where adjacent pixels are significantly different - and enhances the differences to generate the effect of making the image crisper. Sharpen adjustment is currently available in Sketchbook on mobile devices and coming soon to Sketchbook Pro on desktop.



Delete

You can also use layer blending to make color, tonal, or effects changes to an image. See Blending layers‍ for more information.



Making color adjustments in Sketchbook Pro for desktop

In Sketchbook Pro, go to the menu bar and choose Image > Adjust to adjust the brightness/contrast, hue/saturation, color balance, grayscale, or invert values. For alternative color adjustment options, see Blending layers‍.

The canvas must contain some image data for adjustment options to be available, they will be greyed out on a blank canvas.

Color Correction dialog

Show All

See all content on visible layers when Show All and Preview are enabled. 


Preview

See real-time changes in the preview to the left as slider values are changed. When disabled, the preview doesn't update as values are changed.


Reset

Return the preview to the original settings, as long as Apply has not been used. If Apply was pressed, Reset restores the values to 0. If Apply has been pressed, the only way to undo the change is to use Undo.


Apply

Apply the settings to the image on your canvas, while keeping the dialog open for making further changes. Use this when setting a value beyond the slider's range. For example, the sliders have a range from -100 to 100. If you wanted to a value of -120, you would set the slider to -100, press Apply, then set the same slider to -20 and press OK when finished to close the dialog.

  • OK - Applies the changes and closes the dialog.

  • Cancel - Closes the dialog without applying the current unapplied changes.


Apply Hue to Grayscale Areas

Only available for Color Balance.

Apply color grayscale areas (areas that are white), when enabled. When disabled, these areas are not affected by the set hue and remain white.

Color Balance dialog




Making color adjustments in Sketchbook for mobile devices

Do you want to make changes to your image, but without redoing the colors? If so, try the two color adjustment tools in the Layer Menu: HSL Adjustment and Color Balance. 

Additional adjustment options are available with the Premium Bundle‍:

  • Brightness/Contrast
  • Grayscale
  • Invert
  • Blur
  • Sharpen

To access adjustments, tap the Layer Menu‍ and then choose Adjust. A drop-down menu will show the available adjustments.

If you only want to apply the adjustment to a part of the layer, first make a selection‍ and then open the Layer Menu to apply your adjustment.


HSL Adjustment

Use HSL Adjustment to make the content of a layer warmer, cooler, lighter, or darker. 

The top slider changes the hue, the middle the saturation, and the bottom the luminance.


Color Balance

Select one of the following options from the top of your screen: Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights. Your selection determines which elements are affected by your changes.

Tap-drag the sliders. The top slider changes the reds, the middle slider affects the greens, and the bottom slider affects the blues.


Brightness/Contrast

Adjust the sliders to the right to increase the brightness and/or contrast of the pixels, or to the left to decrease.


Grayscale

Each pixel is reduced to only the Lightness value, producing an image in which the range of color is only black to white.


Invert

Converts the color information for each pixel to its complementary color.


Blur

Each point on the slider increases the blur radius by one pixel. You need to release the slider by removing your stylus or finger for the effect to be generated in the preview.


Sharpen

The sharpness slider defines the amount of contrast applied to the edges, and the strength slider increases the area that will be affected. You need to release the slider by removing your stylus or finger for the effect to be generated in the preview.