This partains to freelance textile designers who have to match colors on different systems in diferent companies all the time. A very accurate way of color matching colors in a tonal textile design. Developed by Frederick Chipkin author of Adobe Photoshop for Textile Design.
Preparation : On the Technique below you must first print out a color chart with the HSB colors. You can create your own chart or use the one found on the CD included with Fredericks book Adobe Photoshop for Textile Design. You find the color you want to match to from this printed out chart. The dot you draw on the screen will not look the same on the screen but will match the color chart when it is printed out. Therefore the tones of the layer that you tint should also match tones on the color chart when printed out.
Simply tinting a layer to the color in the Foreground color box is a haphazard thing. The following is one of several techniques for matching the tones in a layer to a single color. You should be working in the RGB color mode for this technique to work.
1. Open up your design and separate a layer with a lasso tool via cut (Layer? New ? Layer via Cut). Your new layer is Layer 1.
2. On a HSB color chart find a color that you would like to match to. Click on the Foreground color box and enter the H,S,B values of the color you had just found on the chart then click OK.
3. Click on the create a new layer icon on the bottom of the Layers palette and create a new layer.
4. On top of the layer you just made (Layer 2) make a very large dot with your pencil tool (make your pencil size about 200).
5. Select Layer 1 on the Layers palette (make sure it’s highlighted).
6. Click on Image, drag down to Adjustments, then drag over to Hue/Saturation.
7. Put a check in the box next to the word Colorize.
8. Play with the sliders under the words Hue, Saturation and Lightness until the some of the colors in your layer match the color of the dot on Layer 2.
9. After your layer is tinted don’t forget to throw your layer with the dot away (drag Layer 2 to the trash can on the bottom of your Layers palette).
This is not a exact science. You will have to practice this technique in order to get good at it. Try practicing this by making multiple layers and tinting them different colors.
I hope this was a help,
Frederick Chipkin author of Adobe Phothoshop for Textile Design Copyright 2001-2006 Origin inc. All rights reserved. For more info visit us at
Preparation : On the Technique below you must first print out a color chart with the HSB colors. You can create your own chart or use the one found on the CD included with Fredericks book Adobe Photoshop for Textile Design. You find the color you want to match to from this printed out chart. The dot you draw on the screen will not look the same on the screen but will match the color chart when it is printed out. Therefore the tones of the layer that you tint should also match tones on the color chart when printed out.
Simply tinting a layer to the color in the Foreground color box is a haphazard thing. The following is one of several techniques for matching the tones in a layer to a single color. You should be working in the RGB color mode for this technique to work.
1. Open up your design and separate a layer with a lasso tool via cut (Layer? New ? Layer via Cut). Your new layer is Layer 1.
2. On a HSB color chart find a color that you would like to match to. Click on the Foreground color box and enter the H,S,B values of the color you had just found on the chart then click OK.
3. Click on the create a new layer icon on the bottom of the Layers palette and create a new layer.
4. On top of the layer you just made (Layer 2) make a very large dot with your pencil tool (make your pencil size about 200).
5. Select Layer 1 on the Layers palette (make sure it’s highlighted).
6. Click on Image, drag down to Adjustments, then drag over to Hue/Saturation.
7. Put a check in the box next to the word Colorize.
8. Play with the sliders under the words Hue, Saturation and Lightness until the some of the colors in your layer match the color of the dot on Layer 2.
9. After your layer is tinted don’t forget to throw your layer with the dot away (drag Layer 2 to the trash can on the bottom of your Layers palette).
This is not a exact science. You will have to practice this technique in order to get good at it. Try practicing this by making multiple layers and tinting them different colors.
I hope this was a help,
Frederick Chipkin author of Adobe Phothoshop for Textile Design Copyright 2001-2006 Origin inc. All rights reserved. For more info visit us at