How do I add color to an image?

[marketing]

I have been sent an image that I have scanned into MicroSoft Publisher. The
image is black and white. I would like to change it to a color image. Is
this possible?

 

[Brian Kvalheim [MSFT MVP]]

If you want to edit the photo and it's colors, you will need an image
editing program, such as Microsoft PhotoDraw 2000 v2, Microsoft Paint,
Adobe Photoshop, Paintshop, etc. I recommend you scan the image into one of
those programs instead of scanning into Publisher.

--
Brian Kvalheim
Microsoft Publisher MVP
http://www.publishermvps.com

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.
"(e-mail address removed)"

 

[Ed Bennett]

(e-mail address removed)

I have been sent an image that I have scanned into MicroSoft
Publisher. The image is black and white. I would like to change it
to a color image. Is this possible?

The only way to add colour to an image is to use a paint program, and even
then it's very hard.

Microsoft Publisher is a layout program, not an image editing program.

(Well, technically you can recolour an image in Publisher to appear in pink
or green, but I'm guessing you want to do it on selected areas rather than
wholesale for the entire image)

 

[marketing]

the image orginally went into adobe. can you tell me how to change the color
in that? i have virtually no experience with that program.

 

[Mary Sauer]

What extension is the image? It is not easy changing the color of a scanned image. If
it is line art you may have better success. You can use MS Paint. About any editing
application is capable of doing what you want. Most have excellent help files.

If you want the whole picture colored, in Publisher, select the image, right-click,
format picture, picture tab, recolor.

 

[JoAnn Paules [MSFT MVP]]

Adobe what? Adobe is a company, not a program.

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]



"(e-mail address removed)"

 

[Brian Kvalheim [MSFT MVP]]

Adobe what? Adobe is a company, not a program.

http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/adobe.html

a·do·be [ ? d?bee ] (plural a·do·bes)


noun

Definitions:

1. earthen brick: brick made from earth and straw and dried by the sun


2. building made of adobe: a structure made with adobe bricks


3. earth that forms adobe: earth used to make adobe bricks


[Mid-18th century. Via Spanish < Arabic at-tub "the bricks"]





--
Brian Kvalheim
Microsoft Publisher MVP
http://www.publishermvps.com

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.

 

[Carrie]

(e-mail address removed)


The only way to add colour to an image is to use a paint program, and even
then it's very hard.

How about printing the image and coloring it with colored pencils or
markers?

Then scanning it again.

I was thinking of the paint programs, but as you say it's hard. Not so
much hard to do, you can view up close and put in color by the pixel, or
with the air brush, but hard to do so it looks normal- not painted. Whatever
the image is. Not so hard to look good that way if it's a cartoon, or shape,
logo, or something. But a person, or scenery- it might even be impossible.

I just thought about coloring it on paper. I know someone who draws
angel pictures, and colors them with markers and scans them, they look
really clear and nice (online and printed on cards)

~ Carrie

 

[Carrie]

"(e-mail address removed)"

the image orginally went into adobe. can you tell me how to change the color
in that? i have virtually no experience with that program.

you mean Photoshop? You can view it up close (make a duplicate and work
on that, for a start- not the origional) and use the paintbrush or airbrush
to put color in.

there's a way of selecting certain areas and using "flood fill" to color
them in with one solid color, too.

Is there a way you can print it out and color it yourself with colored
pencils (for a light tint) or markers, to be brighter?

That might be easiest. Not knowing what the image is and what you want
to do with it.

~ Carrie

 

[Ed Bennett]

I was thinking of the paint programs, but as you say it's hard.
Not so much hard to do, you can view up close and put in color by the
pixel, or with the air brush, but hard to do so it looks normal- not
painted. Whatever the image is. Not so hard to look good that way if
it's a cartoon, or shape, logo, or something. But a person, or
scenery- it might even be impossible.

The easiest way to do it for more detailed photographic-type imagery, I
believe, would be to add a second layer in your paint program, set the blend
mode to Color, and paint on that in the colours you want. This would then
recolour the layer below in the colours with which you painted, without
losing the detail.

Hand-tinting is an old artform from the days of B&W photography, it was even
harder then, as there was no digital help available.

 

[Ed Bennett]

I was thinking of the paint programs, but as you say it's hard.

Update: I just tried out the instructions I listed in my previous post, and
found that although it is quite difficult, it does work. After a couple of
botched attempts I managed to take a photograph I'd greyscaled and turn it
into something that looked more like a colour photograph than an Andy Warhol
artwork.