Add duotone effect to images

Last updated on Oct 4, 2026

Apply dramatic color toning for high-contrast images with a quick action in Photoshop.

Duotone effects transform images with bold, stylized color treatments ideal for portraits, landscapes, and graphic compositions. For manual duotone creation using multiple ink colors, convert your image to Duotone mode via Image > Mode > Duotone. Requires Photoshop 2023 or later with an editable image layer.

Apply the duotone effect

Open the Discover panel using one of the following:

  • Select Help menu > Photoshop Help or
  • Select the Search icon or
  • Press Ctrl + F (Windows) or Command + F (macOS)

Choose an image layer to apply duotone effect.

Locate Add duotone effect under Quick Actions. If the Quick Actions section is not visible in the Discover panel, use the search bar to locate the action directly.

Select Add duotone effect. Result: The duotone color treatment applies to the current layer.

Select an option from the Discover panel to:

  • Revert: Remove the effect in current layer
  • Apply: Reapply the effect to the current layer

To apply the effect to different layers, choose the layer and select Refresh.

Tip

Use the Camera Raw Filter (Filter > Camera Raw Filter) to adjust color intensity, exposure, and contrast.