stand alone color?

[quat]

In CS4 is there a way to make a single color, (lets say for the sake of argument, green) stand out while everything else is B&W?

 

[Battou]

Yes, it's a tequnique called Selective Color, However I am clueless as to how to do it on CS3 let alone CS4, on the rare occurance I do it, I porcess it to selective color in MS Photodraw (whitch is an inferier program by a long shot). If you do some googling I am sure there is a tutorial on Selective Color on CS 4 somewhere on the net.

 

[quat]

thank you!

 

[Corbin Lane]

In CS4 is there a way to make a single color, (lets say for the sake of argument, green) stand out while everything else is B&W?

You can do selective color like Battou said but I stumbled upon a easier method actually learned here.

You make a copy of the background layer and make the background layer black and white and on the copy of the background just erase everything you don't want. It's easier and more accurate for the most part.

 

[quat]

I stumbled across that option on the internet and it's a lot easier than adjusting the levels accordingly using the selective color option in CS4

 

[NucleaRR]

The easiest way is to desaturate the image and then use the history brush to 'paint' the color back. Of course there are more technical ways to do it like stated above. You can also use layer masks which is the best way IMO because it is the ultimate undo. Below I have listed a link to a tutorial. It is pretty good showing you how to do this but the author does not explain how layer masks work. Essentially like the name suggests they are masks that cover the pixels of the image using black and white masks. You can then use black or white to 'paint' which adds or removes pixels.

Selective color tutorial using Photoshop

 

[Peano]

In CS4 is there a way to make a single color, (lets say for the sake of argument, green) stand out while everything else is B&W?

There are easier ways. Try this:

1. Open a B&W adjustment layer.
2. Adjust the B&W as you like (or just leave it on the default settings).
3. Close the dialog box and paint with white where you want to restore color.

 

[Dwig]

Peano's method and a modified version of Corbin's will give you the most control. You can even make large changes after saving, closing, and reopening.

The "magic" is Peano's that goes unmentioned is that in the last step you are painting on a Layer Mask, which are active by default when you add an Adjustment Layer, instead of on the image. The Layer Mask can be re-edited at any time provided you save the file as a PSD.

Modifying Corbin's method by using a Layer Mask on the upper color layer instead of destructively erasing portions of the layer will give the same editing ability when reopening an old image. You must manually add the Layer Mask to the upper color layer (select the layer and click the Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel is one way). You activate the Layer Mask by clicking on the mask's icon in the layer list and paint black where you want to hide the color info and reveal the B&W on the lower layer.

With either Layer Mask method, you can correct errors in your masking at any time by simply painting with the opposite color. You can also create a quick starting point by using the Magic Wand to select an area of the desired color (you'll need to dork with the wand's controls to get it to select well) before you create the Layer Mask. When a selection is active at the time the Layer Mask is created, PS will use the selection to "pre-paint" the mask.