Color Replacement Tool

WA
Posted By
Wilbur_Andrews
May 11, 2004
Views
987
Replies
9
Status
Closed
Win XP, Photoshop CS

Color Replacement Tool

I don’t understand all I know about this tool. I can’t seem to get it to use the replacement color I select. When I select black as the replacement color (foreground color), it replaces the original color with gray. I can’t make it black by any means. Sometimes it will not replace any color at all.

I have read the help files many times, and I can’t find anything about this situation. Can someone help?

Wil
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ND
Nick_Decker
May 11, 2004
Wil, I’ve been exactly where you are now, and was also frustrated.

The Color Replacement tool inserts your new color, but it also matches the luminance of the existing color.
WA
Wilbur_Andrews
May 11, 2004
Thanks, but I’m not sure just what that means. It would help if you could explain.

Wil
CC
Chris_Cox
May 12, 2004
By default, the color replacement tool replaces the color (hue and saturation) of whatever you paint over. What you want is to replace the luminosity.
ND
Nick_Decker
May 12, 2004
Wil, let’s say you want to replace red with dark green. You select a nice dark green and start painting on your red area, but the red gets replaced with a green that’s the same "luminosity" (brightness) as the red. It’s not dark enough, right? (This is what that pesky Chris Cox is talking about. Well, he writes the damn stuff, so it’s his right.)

In other words, you’re only replacing the color, not the brightness of the color. If you select black as your replacement color and paint on any color other than black, you’ll get grey.

(Chris, sorry, I don’t know the difference in luminance and luminosity. <g> Could we maybe get a slider for luminosity on this thing next time? I know, Feature Requests, etc., but IMO that’s the only thing that kept this tool from achieving stardom right out of the box.)
ND
Nick_Decker
May 12, 2004
But wait, Chris, did you say "by default"? Is there luminosity hidden in there somewhere? Do tell, please!
CC
Chris_Cox
May 12, 2004
Brightness, Luminance, and Luminosity are similar but different quantities.

Changing the blend mode in the options bar will let you replace other aspects – but replacing hue, saturation and luminosity at the same time would just give you a flat color, kinda pointless.
ND
Nick_Decker
May 12, 2004
OK, we cross-posted, Chris, but is a luminosity slider not possible?
CC
Chris_Cox
May 12, 2004
It really wouldn’t make sense.
ND
Nick_Decker
May 12, 2004
You’re thinking too much inside the box, dammit! Maybe it’s not a slider. Maybe it’s more like a radius adjustment, or, um, maybe a threshold thingie. I don’t know, just make it happen, man!

8~)

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