How to adjust a photo's colors and apply filters

Start with brightness and contrast

Fix exposure first: raise brightness if the photo is dark and lower it if highlights are washed out. Then add a little contrast to separate light and dark areas. Small moves of 5 to 20 are usually enough; large values lose detail in the shadows and highlights.

Correct the colour cast with warmth and tint

If a photo looks yellow or blue, move warmth toward the opposite side until whites look white. Use tint for green or magenta casts. Indoor lighting often needs a cooler setting, and shade or cloudy days a warmer one.

Saturation and vividness

A little extra saturation makes food and landscapes pop, but too much makes skin look orange and sky look fake. Lower saturation gives a calm, muted look. Check faces against the original while you adjust.

Use filters as a final touch

Presets such as vintage, film, faded and dramatic combine several adjustments, such as fade, vignette and grain. Apply one, then fine-tune the sliders. Hold the compare button to check that you have not gone too far.

Export and privacy

Download JPG for photos and smaller files, PNG to keep every pixel, or WebP for websites. The edit uses your photo's full size, up to 8,000 pixels on the long side. Photos are edited in your browser and are not uploaded. iPhone HEIC photos should be converted with HEIC to JPG first.

Tools used in this guide