Select Select > Color Range.
Last updated on
2 Dec 2025
Learn how to select and refine a specific color or tonal range in Photoshop using the Color Range command.
The Color Range in Photoshop lets you create selections based on specific colors or tones within an image. Unlike manual selection tools, it provides more precision and flexibility by allowing you to sample colors, detect skin tones, or even identify out-of-gamut colors that cannot be printed in CMYK. With additional options like Localized Color Clusters, Fuzziness, and Invert, you can refine your selection to target the areas you want to adjust while leaving the rest of the image untouched.
Select one of the following Select options from the Color Range dialog:
- Skin Tones: Select colors that resemble common skin tones. Turn on Detect Faces for more accuracy.
- Sampled Colors: Use the Eyedropper tool to pick sample colors from the image. Select Localized Color Clusters for more precise selection.
- Color or tonal range: Select a predefined color or tone.
- Out of Gamut: Select colors that fall outside the printable CMYK range and adjust them to the nearest reproducible color.
Note
Deselect any active selection if you want to replace it.
Preview the selection
Select Select > Color Range.
Select any of the following display options in the Color Range dialog:
- Selection: Shows selected pixels in white, unselected in black, and partially selected in gray.
- Image: Shows the full image for reference.
Press Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) to toggle between Selection and Image previews.
Sample and adjust colors
Position the Eyedropper tool over the image and select to sample a color.
To add colors, select Eyedropper or hold Shift while sampling.
To remove colors, select Eyedropper or hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS).
Adjust the Fuzziness slider to widen or narrow the color range.
If using Localized Color Clusters, move the Range slider to limit the area of sampled colors.
Refine the selection
Select Select > Color Range.
In the Selection Preview drop-down menu, select one of the following:
- None: Displays the original image.
- Grayscale: White = selected, black = unselected, gray = partial.
- Black Matte: Selected pixels visible, unselected areas in black.
- White Matte: Selected pixels visible, unselected areas in white.
- Quick Mask: Shows unselected areas with a rubylith overlay.
To reset to the original selection, hold Alt (Windows) / Option (macOS) and select Reset.
Save and load settings
Select Select > Color Range.
In the Color Range dialog, select Save to store your settings.
Select Load to reuse saved settings.
Save Skin Tones selections as a preset for future use.
Tip
Check Invert in the Color Range dialog to preserve the selected colors while adjusting everything else in the image.
