Colorize black-and-white photos in Photoshop.

Click to colorize.

Open the practice file and, in the menu bar, choose Filter > Neural Filters. Then select Colorize. 

Note: You’ll need to download each Neural Filter before using it for the first time. If you have already downloaded the Colorize filter, simply toggle it on.

You can customize the effects of the filter in the next few steps. Or, if you’re happy with the results, click OK.

Refine colorized areas.

There may be areas within the image where you want to change the automatic colorization. For example, we wanted to preserve the original gray of the flat area of cement. 

Within the Focal points preview, click to target an area and assign a new color to it with the Color Picker. Use the Strength slider to adjust the range of the area affected. 

We created focal points across the flat area, assigned shades of gray to each, and adjusted them to full strength.

Adjust color settings.

Below the Focal points preview, toggle open the Adjustments options to tweak saturation and other attributes. Then click “Output as a new color layer” to preserve your original image and click OK.

Add custom color.

Want to add a few touches of your own? Paint with the Brush tool on the new layer created by the Colorize Neural Filter. It’s automatically set to Color blending mode. 

Pick a color you like and paint over the brick wall to create a consistent backdrop for your skater.

To use your new image on social media, a t-shirt, or in other ways, choose File > Export > Export As and modify the settings for the output you need.