Adjust image color and tone

Last updated on Sep 30, 2026

Learn how to use adjustment layers or Camera Raw to refine colors and tones while preserving original pixel data in Adobe Photoshop on desktop.

Nondestructive color and tone adjustments give you flexibility to refine edits without quality loss.

Photoshop provides two workflows for color and tonal corrections: adjustment layers and Adobe Camera Raw. Adjustment layers apply edits on separate layers within your document, leaving the background intact and allowing selective edits through layer masks. Camera Raw provides a dedicated editing environment with tools organized in typical workflow order, ideal for batch processing multiple images with saved presets.

Use adjustment layers when you need selective control over specific image areas or want to build complex edit stacks. Use Camera Raw when editing raw files, applying consistent adjustments across multiple images, or working with the full range of Camera Raw controls in a streamlined interface.

Each adjustment layer includes a mask you can paint on to control where adjustments apply. For complex edits, add multiple adjustment layers and organize them in the Layers panel.

Apply adjustment layers

Open the image you want to adjust.

In the Adjustments panel, select the adjustment type: Levels or Curves for tonality and color, Color Balance or Hue/Saturation for color correction, or Black & White to convert color images to monochrome.

In the Properties panel, adjust the sliders and controls to modify your image.

To apply the adjustment to specific areas only, select the layer mask thumbnail in the Layers panel and paint with black to hide the adjustment or white to reveal it.

Edit images in Camera Raw

Camera Raw provides editing capabilities for raw files, JPEGs, and TIFFs. By default, only raw files open automatically in Camera Raw, but you can configure preferences to edit JPEGs and TIFFs in this environment.

Select File > Open.

In the Open dialog, select one or more camera raw files, TIFFs, or JPEGs.

Choose Camera Raw from the Format menu.

Select Open.

Use the adjustment controls to modify your image settings. For localized adjustments, use the Adjustment Brush to apply edits to specific areas.

Configure automatic Camera Raw editing for JPEGs and TIFFs

To streamline your workflow, configure file handling preferences to automatically open JPEG and TIFF files in Camera Raw.

Select Edit > Preferences > Camera Raw (Windows) or Photoshop > Preferences > Camera Raw (macOS).

In the JPEG and TIFF Handling section, select Automatically Open All Supported JPEGs from the JPEG menu.

Choose Automatically Open All Supported TIFFs from the TIFF menu.

Select OK.

Smart Objects provide an additional nondestructive editing approach, allowing you to apply filters and transformations without permanently altering layer content.