How to color correct your photos

Introduction

Step one: Open your photo editing menu

• In Windows Live Photo Gallery, double-click on the photo you want to edit, and the photo will appear in a viewing and editing window.
• Click Fix in the toolbar at the top of screen.

• A photo editing menu will appear on the right side of the window.
• Select Adjust color.

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Step 2: Adjust the color temperature

• Begin by adjusting the Color temperature of your photo (color temperature affects the entire image by making it appear more red or more blue) to see if that improves your image.

• For color temperature, the farther right you move the slider, the warmer your photo will appear. The farther left you move the slider, the cooler it will appear.

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Step 3: Adjust the tint

• Next, adjust the Tint of your photo (this involves adding or removing amounts of green to alter the color cast, or predominant color, in your image).

• Your photo will obtain a redder tint the farther right you move the slider. The farther left you move the slider, the greener the tint.

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Step 4: Adjust the saturation

• Finally, adjust the Saturation (the vividness) of your photo. Most photos benefit from an increase of saturation to boost the colors and reduce fading.

• The farther right you move the slider, the more saturated, or intensified your colors will appear. The farther left you move the slider, the more your colors will fade.
• If you move the slider all the way to the left, your photo will appear black-and-white.

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Learn what color correction does

• Know what you're adjusting—Windows Live Photo Gallery offers an Adjust color editing option that contains three different color correction tools. Before you get started, familiarize yourself with the three different color qualities these tools can adjust:
  • Color temperature: Affects the entire image by making it appear warmer (more red) or cooler (more blue).
  • Tint: This setting lets you alter the color cast (the predominant color in your image that may cause the rest of the colors to appear inaccurate) of your photo by adding or removing amounts of green.
  • Saturation: The level of vividness, or intensity, of your photo's colors.

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How to undo your color correction

• To reverse one or all of the changes you've made to your photo, click Undo at the bottom of the viewing screen and select the option you want.

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Get Started with Windows Live Photo Gallery

Learn more

• Download Windows Live Photo Gallery for free and get everything you need to organize, edit, share, and print your favorite photos.
• Watch this short touchscreen demo, and discover how easy it is to add color effects, such as sepia, black-and-white, or antique, to your photos—without the use of a PC.
• Find more step-by-step instructions for cropping your photos and removing red-eye with Windows Live Photo Gallery.