This article shows you how to use the Paint feature that allows you to replace one color with another. This procedure is for Windows systems only. Microsoft Paint does not have the same capabilities of Photoshop as regards the automatic replacement of a color, but it can be used in the simplest cases where you need to change the color of one object with another, leaving the colors of the others unchanged. elements of the project.
Steps
Step 1. Access the "Start" menu by clicking the icon
It features the Windows logo and is located in the lower left corner of the desktop. Alternatively, press the ⊞ Win key on your keyboard.
Step 2. Start Paint
Type the keyword paint into the "Start" menu, then click the icon Paint when it appears in the search results list. The graphic interface of the program will be displayed.
If there is also a program called "Paint 3D", do not select it as it is a different version of Microsoft Paint
Step 3. Upload the image to edit
Even if Paint cannot perform complex operations regarding the automatic color replacement of an image, it still offers the possibility to manage simple projects or not very complex clip art. Open the file to edit by following these instructions:
- Access the menu File placed in the upper left part of the Paint window;
- Choose the option You open;
- Access the folder where the image to be edited is stored;
- Select the file to upload;
- Push the button You open;
- If you don't need to open an existing file, create a drawing with which to test Paint's automatic color replacement functionality before continuing.
Step 4. Choose the "Color Picker" tool
It features an eyedropper icon and is visible within the "Tools" group on the Paint ribbon.
Step 5. Select the color you want to replace
This way, the chosen color will be assigned to the "Color 1" box on the Paint ribbon.
To get a better view of the color to select, you can activate the zoom: press the button + located in the lower right corner of the program window.
Step 6. Press the "Color Picker" button again
Click the eyedropper icon located in the "Tools" section of the Paint toolbar.
If the color you want to replace the one you chose in the previous step isn't visible within the chosen image or Paint workspace, skip this step
Step 7. Select with the right mouse button the color you want to use to replace the first one
The chosen coloring will be displayed in the "Color 2" box on the Paint ribbon. In this way, the visible color in the "Color 1" pane will be replaced with the one present in the "Color 2" pane.
If you skipped the previous step, you will need to click the button Color 2 visible within the Paint toolbar and choose the color to use to replace the first one, using the range of colors offered by the program at the top of the window.
Step 8. Select the "Eraser" tool
It features a pink eraser icon and is located within the "Tools" group on the Paint toolbar.
Step 9. Select the color to replace with the right mouse button and drag the pointing device
In this way, the color visible in the "Color 2" box will replace the one visible in the "Color 1" box without altering the other colors present in the image or in the Paint work area.
Do not use the left mouse button to perform this step. In this case, the "Eraser" tool would offer its standard functionality, which is to erase everything that the mouse pointer will hover over rather than simply replacing the chosen color with the one indicated.
Advice
Make sure you use the "Color Picker" tool to select the first color, ie the one to replace. By skipping this step, the "Eraser" tool may apply the new color, ie "Color 2", to all the elements it comes into contact with
Warnings
- In some cases, the previous color will still be visible along the outline of the object you changed the coloring to. To fix this you will need to manually touch up these areas.
- The procedure described in the article only works for Microsoft Paint 6.1 and later.
