Keep One Color in Photoshop [No Masks Needed!]
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Keep one color in Photoshop by desaturating every other color with a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, no layer mask required.
In this video, you will learn an easy trick to make an image black and white and keep one color in Photoshop.
Key Takeaways
- The Hue/Saturation adjustment layer can target one color range and leave every other color untouched, without painting a mask.
- Dragging the Saturation slider to the left desaturates the color you sampled, the opposite of what a partial black-and-white photo needs.
- Inverting the selected range, not just the saturation value, is what keeps your chosen color and desaturates everything else.
- The On-Image Adjustment Tool samples a color range directly from the photo instead of picking a preset range like Reds or Yellows.
- Current Photoshop adds a one-click Invert Hue Range Markers button that does the same flip this tutorial does by hand.
Table of contents
What You Will Learn
- How to create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer for this technique.
- How to sample a color range with the On-Image Adjustment Tool.
- How to read the color range values in the Properties panel.
- How to invert a selected color range to keep one color and desaturate the rest.
- How to fine-tune the range so only the color you want stays in color.
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2022 (version 23.0 or later) or the current version
Practice Files
Download the files used in this tutorial and follow along step by step.
Learn To Keep One Color in Photoshop with The Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer
- Create a Hue and Saturation Adjustment Layer. From the new Adjustment Layer icon, create a Hue and Saturation Adjustment Layer.
- Sample a Color. From the Properties Panel, activate the On-Image Adjustment Tool. Then, click on the color you would like to select.
- Desaturate The Selected Color. Drag the Saturation slider all the way to the left to desaturate your selected color. But we want the opposite. We want to keep one color but desaturate the rest. To do so, you will need to invert the selected range of colors.
- Take Note of The Selected Colors. From the Properties Panel, look at the color values Photoshop selected. 315º/345º to 15º\45º in this example.
- Adjust The Sliders on The Right. Start by dragging to two sliders on 15º\45º the right. Drag from the gray area in between the two sliders to move both sliders at the same time. Once you go past the edge, the slider will appear on the left side.
- Adjust The Sliders on The Left. You can then grab the other set of sliders 315º/345º and move them to the appropriate position at 15º\45º.
Then drag the first set of sliders to 315º/345º. This will invert the selected colors, the backpacks will now be in full color and the background desaturated.
Keep Fine-Tuning Your Color Selection
Tip: In some cases, you may need to fine-tune the range of selected colors to get better results. Decrease the space between the slider to change the affected colors.
Note: Current Photoshop also has a one-click Invert Hue Range Markers button in the Hue/Saturation Properties panel. It shipped in the Photoshop 2026 update cycle and flips the selected range for you, the same flip this tutorial makes by dragging the sliders by hand.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial showing you how to keep one color in Photoshop.
If you want to change a color instead of keeping it, see how to change specific colors in Photoshop with the same Properties panel controls.
For more Photoshop tips on selecting and changing colors make sure to check my live stream on 5 Tricks To Select Specific Colors In Photoshop.
The Hue/Saturation adjustment layer has also gained new color swatch controls for targeting a color range even more precisely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and sample the color you want to keep with the On-Image Adjustment Tool. Drag the range sliders to invert the selection, so Photoshop desaturates every color except the one you sampled.
The Saturation slider desaturates whatever color range is currently selected. Since you sampled the color you want to keep, you have to invert that selected range before dragging the slider, not after.
It is the eyedropper-style tool in the Hue/Saturation Properties panel. It lets you click directly on a color in your photo to select its range, instead of choosing a preset range like Reds or Yellows from a menu.
No. The Hue/Saturation adjustment layer’s color range sliders isolate the color for you, so there is no mask to paint or refine.
Drag each pair of triangle sliders to the opposite side of the color wheel. Current Photoshop also has a one-click Invert Hue Range Markers button that does this automatically.
This works in Photoshop 2022 (version 23.0) and every version since. The Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and its On-Image Adjustment Tool have not changed.
Yes. Narrow the space between the range sliders to shrink how many colors the adjustment affects, or widen it to include nearby shades.
Keep Exploring Color in Photoshop
A single Hue/Saturation adjustment layer is all it takes to isolate one color in Photoshop, no layer mask to paint or refine.
Once you get comfortable sampling and inverting a color range, you can use the same panel to fine-tune exactly which colors stay in the frame.
Watch the full video above, and comment on the video if you have a question.
Selections and Masking Mastery
Complete course includes 2.5 hours of step-by-step lessons, 6 structured modules, downloadable practice files, and custom Photoshop brushes. Everything you need to master selections and masks in one place.
Keep going
Next, learn how to invert Hue/Saturation color ranges in Photoshop with one click.
Related Links
Final Image
Drag the slider to see before and after
![After: Keep One Color in Photoshop [No Masks Needed!]](https://photoshoptrainingchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Keep-One-Color-in-Photoshop-After.jpg)
![Before: Keep One Color in Photoshop [No Masks Needed!]](https://photoshoptrainingchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Keep-One-Color-in-Photoshop-Before.jpg)
