How to Color Tone in Photoshop in Under 5 Minutes!

Main ideas / concepts

• The video teaches a fast (under 5 minutes) non-destructive way to color tone any photo in Photoshop.
• The core method is using a Levels adjustment layer and applying adjustments to individual RGB color channels rather than changing the image globally.
• Input levels and output levels control how different brightness ranges (shadows, midtones, highlights) are affected.
• By balancing adjustments across Red, Green, and Blue channels, you can create intentional color moods:
  • Red vs. Cyan
  • Green vs. Magenta
  • Blue vs. Yellow

How the Levels adjustment layer works (as described)

Scales and what they mean

In the Levels adjustment layer:

• Top scale = Input levels

  • Black point (left-side slider):
    • Moving it to the right “pushes” darker histogram information toward black.
    • Effect: makes more of the image darker/black.
  • White point (right-side slider):
    • Moving it changes how much becomes white.
    • Effect: can make more of the image white/brighter.
  • Midtones (center slider):
    • Pushes midtones toward brighter or darker.

• Bottom scale = Output levels

  • Dragging the output sliders changes tonal brightness placement:
    • Left → Right: makes the darkest parts lighter.
    • Right → Left: makes the lightest parts darker.

• The method encourages combining input and output controls to fine-tune contrast and tonal placement.

Methodology / step-by-step instructions (detailed)

• Create a non-destructive adjustment

  • In Photoshop: Layer → New Adjustment Layer → Levels

• Understand the “channels” for color toning

  • In Levels, start with RGB master settings, then switch to:
    • Red channel
    • Green channel
    • Blue channel

• Adjust channels to place colors into shadows/midtones/highlights

  • Red channel
    • Moving settings Left ↔ Right changes where red is added/removed:
      • One direction removes red from darker regions (shadows).
      • The opposite direction adds red to lighter regions (highlights).
    • Using output levels shifts red differently across tonal ranges:
      • One direction adds red into the darks.
      • The other direction reduces red from the lights.
  • Green channel
    • Works similarly to red, but with green vs. magenta as opposites:
      • Adjusting shifts results between more green and more magenta for different tonal regions.
  • Blue channel
    • Works similarly to red/green, with blue vs. yellow as opposites:
      • Adjust to add yellows into highlights (warming effect).
      • Adjust to add blues into shadows (cooling effect).

• Create an example color tone (the tutorial’s specific recipe)

  • Start with Red channel:
    • Increase output levels slightly to introduce red into the shadows
    • Purpose: highlight warm/red tones in areas like the subject’s hair and lips
  • Counterbalance with Green channel:
    • Adjust midtones so that highlights receive a tiny amount of green to balance the red shadows
  • Balance with Blue channel:
    • Introduce yellow into highlights to warm the image
    • Introduce blue into shadows to cool those areas

• Refine the effect

  • Toggle the adjustment layer on/off to compare before vs. after
  • Optionally reduce opacity for a more subtle toning effect

• General rule / takeaway

  • To color tone:
    • Use a Levels adjustment layer
    • Work inside the individual color channels
    • Adjust both input and output levels to target shadows/midtones/highlights

Speakers / sources featured

• Aaron Nace (host; “Hello and welcome to Phlearn… my name is Aaron NACE”)
• Phlearn (channel/website referenced: phlearn.com; also mentions phlearn.com tutorials/free weekly tutorial)
• Music (mentioned as “[Music]” in subtitles; no specific track/artist named)