How to change the color of an image with Canva

Every photo taken has a specific color that shapes the entire photo, but sometimes, adjustments may be needed to enhance the quality of the photo. Canva's Color Edit feature makes it easy to edit the color of part of an image without changing everything, and best of all, it's completely free.

What is Canva's Color Edit feature?

This article discusses Canva's Color Edit feature, which has a different effect than color correction of an entire image. Editing the color of an entire image means that when you change the brightness or saturation, that change affects everything. You can also use Canva's Magic Edit tool to edit larger image areas.

However, by using the Color Edit tool, you will be able to enhance specific colors in the photo. The best part is that you don't have to figure out what the color is; Canva will accurately identify the most prominent colors in the image and present them as options for you to choose from. Once you choose a color, you'll be able to change the look of your image based solely on that color.

For example, if you have an image of a garden and want to tone down the vibrancy of the green grass a bit, you can select the color option and change the brightness to a less vivid green. This option works on both Canva's mobile app and desktop version.

How to change the color of images on desktop

On Canva's main page, select Create a Design or browse for a template based on the project you're working on. From there, Canva's editor page will open.

Select the Uploads tab on the left toolbar. You can drag and drop photos from a folder on your computer or click the Upload Files button . Once your photo is uploaded, you can drag and drop it onto the white canvas.

From there, you'll want to make sure the photo is selected and then click the Edit Photo option in the upper toolbar. Select the Adjust tab then scroll down until you see Color Edit .

As mentioned above, Canva has pre-selected the main colors in the photo so you can choose to edit. If you select one of them, you will see a drop-down menu with Hue, Saturation and Brightness . These are the only options available when editing a specific color in your photo.

After you choose the color and attribute you want to edit, move the slider left or right depending on how you want your photo to look. When finished, adjust other colors if desired.

You can then continue editing your photos using any of Canva's other editing features. This can include changing the background of your photo or even removing the photo's background entirely.

How to change the color of images on mobile devices

The process works similarly when using Canva's mobile app - however, the Color Edit feature is a bit more hidden.

When you open Canva's photo editor, you'll see several options at the bottom of the screen. Click Adjust and scroll until you see Color Edit . From there, follow the same instructions as above.

With Canva's Color Edit feature, you're not limited to changing the color of the entire image. You can target specific colors and adjust their hue, brightness, and saturation levels. So, next time you edit an image in Canva, try the Color Edit feature to adjust the target color.

Jessica Tanner

Update 08 December 2023