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How to Tint Photos

Hand tinting black and white photographs is a process that started years ago before color film was invented and widely used. As color film became more accessible, hand tinting evolved into more of an art application to photographs. With the advent of digital technology, hand color tinting can be done using a computer and most photo editing programs. The advantage in this is, should you make a mistake it is easy to erase, or close the file and start again.

Things You'll Need

Photo editing software
Computer and mouse

Instructions

- 1
  Turn your computer on, open the photo editing software you normally use.
- 2
  Open your Photos folder on your computer's hard drive and click the file of the black and white photo you want to tint.
- 3
  Select the application tool, usually a brush or a pen you will use to tint your picture. Depending on the program you use, these tools are sometimes displayed on the left side of the window or may be listed in a drop-down menu across the toolbar.
- 4
  Select the color and Opacity (intensity) of the color you want to use. Depending on your program, color palettes can usually be found in the toolbar or may be displayed in the left or right margin of your program. The Opacity should be listed across the top of the window.
- 5
  Start in top left portion of the picture and work to the bottom right. While you can start in any area of the picture, following a pattern from one side to the other of the picture ensures you cover the entire picture.
- 6
  Click File and select Save as to save your tinted black and white photo to your computer's hard drive.

Photography