{"id":10533,"date":"2025-06-03T00:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T04:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yourscrappingcafe.com\/home\/d19521157\/public_blog\/?p=10533"},"modified":"2025-09-13T10:19:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T14:19:54","slug":"coloring-grey-scale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yourscrappingcafe.com\/home\/d19521157\/public_blog\/coloring-grey-scale\/","title":{"rendered":"Coloring Grey-Scale"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In last week\u2019s \u201cNeutralizing Colors<\/a><\/strong>\u201d post I showed you how to tone down bold bright colors in papers and even elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today I\u2019m going to do just the opposite. I want to share with you a quick way to add color to a grey-scale (or some other neutral color) patterned paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, don\u2019t shut this down right away. I\u2019m certain you\u2019re sitting there thinking, \u201cThis isn\u2019t for me\u2026I really don\u2019t have any grey-scale paper!\u201d Just give me a chance! I promise it\u2019ll be worth the read \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s going to be quick because this time I\u2019m going to be using a fill layer\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solid Fill Layer<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"Fill<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Before I move forward, just a quick reminder that I use Photoshop Elements (PSE) 2024. If you use a different version, some of my screen shots may not look the same as what you see on your screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using a Fill Layer and a solid color I can quickly add color to a grey-scale or other neutral paper. And before you think this will only work on grey-scale (neutral) paper\u2026I have a surprise coming! This technique can actually work on just about any paper you chose!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to start with a blank 12×12 file and leave the base layer (Layer 1) blank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, I\u2019m going to be using paper from \u201cNeutral Gray Watercolor<\/a><\/strong>\u201d by ThingsbyLarry at Creative Fabrica:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Neutral<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to pull in the paper that\u2019s next to the last on the right in the top row of the image above:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Watercolor<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I really don\u2019t have any particular color in mind at the moment so I\u2019m just going to leave my Foreground\/Background color chips set to the default of black and white (Press D on the keyboard). If I did know what color I wanted to use I would set my Foreground color chip to that color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I already mentioned that I\u2019m going to be using a \u201cfill\u201d layer to re-color this paper. I can create this fill layer either by going to the top tool bar and selecting Layer->New Fill Layer->Solid Color:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Solid<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Or I can just click on the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon (the circle that\u2019s half white and half black) in the Layers Panel and choose Solid Color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Either option will work but using the icon in the Layers Panel makes things a little quicker because PSE will immediately display the Color Picker:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Color<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I can now just choose any color by using the slider over the color \u201cribbon\u201d until I hit a shade I like and then clicking somewhere in the color box that looks like a nice color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: If I had already set my Foreground color chip to a specific color, I would just click on the Foreground chip to select the color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I settled on a nice shade of aqua (#86e9df) and clicked OK to confirm. PSE then placed a Color Fill 1 layer above my grey watercolor paper:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Aqua<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: You may be thinking that if I had created the fill layer using the tool bar method and clipped the fill layer to the previous layer, the result might be different. Because this is a solid<\/strong> fill layer, clipping the layer isn’t the issue the result would have been the same either way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s one more step before I can see how this fill layer will alter my paper. The Color Fill 1 layer should be the active layer at this point. Now all I have to do is change the Blend Mode of the fill layer to Overlay:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Aqua<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

That turned out so nice. And see how quick that was? I am going to save this newly colored paper as a JPG file with a unique name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note<\/strong>: I mentioned above when using the tool bar method to create a fill layer I would have the option to clip the fill layer to the previous (underlying) layer. Since I was working with only one paper, it didn\u2019t matter. I always have the option to clip a fill or adjustment layer to the underlying layer.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Clip<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If you are planning to apply different changes to multiple paper layers in one file, I suggest you always clip a fill\/adjustment layer to the layer you are trying to \u201cchange\u201d. Otherwise, the changes will be applied to all layers below the fill\/adjustment layer. It\u2019s sort of like a domino effect. I hope that all makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now before I expound on this technique further, I do want to clear one thing up.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Hue<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I suspect there are more than a few people who may have thought that the best choice for re-coloring this grey-scale paper would have been to use the Hue\/Saturation Adjustment Layer (set to colorize). If you read my \u201cMore Glowing<\/a><\/strong>\u201d post you already know about using that adjustment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, it may not be exactly the best option. Here\u2019s what happened to that grey watercolor paper when I set my Foreground color chip to the exact same aqua color when using the Hue\/Saturation Adjustment Layer (set to colorize):<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Different<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

That\u2019s dramatically different from that light aqua paper I got using the solid fill! Changing blend modes didn\u2019t help and trying to match the color by adjusting the Hue, Saturation and Lightness settings was a nightmare and I never really came close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong, this is still a good option, the paper directly above is still nice. But if you\u2019re trying to \u201cpaper match\u201d, which I\u2019ll cover shortly, using a Solid Fill Layer is the only way to go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier I mentioned that this technique can work on a neutral paper. Here\u2019s a good example of one:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Neutral<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This paper is from \u201cNeutral Grunge Digital Papers #4<\/a><\/strong>\u201d by Oldmarketdesigns at Creative Fabrica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the exact same Solid Fill and Blend Mode I used above I get this result:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Neutral<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While this seems to have worked just fine, I do get a different result if I turn that paper grey:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Neutral<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The difference isn\u2019t huge but it is noticeable. And actually, both versions of the paper turned out nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, this means you can absolutely use a solid fill to re-color neutral papers, just know that the results will likely be different than what may be achieved with a grey-scale version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Important Note<\/strong>: Even if you desaturate and re-color a paper, you still must credit the original designer when posting a final image on any online site\/forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Grey-Scale Paper?<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"No<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Remember how at the beginning I said not to give up on this post just because you don\u2019t have any grey-scale paper? Guess what? You have more grey-scale paper than you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should be able to pull in just about any colorful paper you have and turn it into a gray-scale paper. All it requires is that you desaturate the paper (remove the color).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Desaturating The Paper<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For example; here\u2019s a multi-colored piece of paper from \u201cDaisy Days\u201d by Cindy Ritter Designs:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Colorful<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The first thing I have to do is simplify this paper because it was pulled in as a Smart Object. If you\u2019ve read some of my recent posts you already know that PSE won\u2019t let me apply edits to a Smart Object without first simplifying it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the paper simplified I go up to the top tool bar and select Enhance->Adjust Color->Remove Color (Shift+Ctrl+U):<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Remove<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As soon as I do that voil\u00e0\u2026:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Paper<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I now have a grey-scale heart pattern paper that I can re-color just as I did the watercolor paper above. I\u2019m going to use that same shade of aqua I used above but a Blend Mode of Color Burn:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Aqua<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019d encourage you to give this a try on some of your colorful papers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And technically speaking, this technique could work on most any paper even without desaturating it. Though the results will tend to be less monochromatic. A lot will depend on the colors in the paper and the Blend Mode that you use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From my experience, most Blend Modes (over the full color paper) will not produce results similar to what you see above. Only blending with Hue or Color consistently seem to produce a similar look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here\u2019s an example of that heart paper (in full color) when I use the same aqua fill layer and set the Blend Mode to Hue:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Aqua<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Using a Blend Mode of Color, the hearts were colored about the same as what you see in the image above but the background seemed to have less white.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, you can see that it is possible to use this technique on any colorful paper. Just know that the results will be unpredictable and may likely vary depending on what colors are in your paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, it does seem to work best (in my opinion) on papers with mostly neutral shades. And, if all else fails, you can just desaturate the paper you want to re-color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing Colors<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"Change<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Let’s go back to that light aqua watercolor paper I created above. Clearly, I seemed pretty happy with that paper, right? But maybe I really kind of wanted something a little more on the blue side. Perhaps I want a completely different color altogether! No problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All I have to do is go to the Layers Panel and double-click on the thumbnail of the Color Fill layer. PSE will then open the Color Picker and I can once again choose any color by using the slider over the color \u201cribbon\u201d and clicking somewhere in the color box that looks like a nice nice color. Or I could use my Foreground color chip if I already had a specific color in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time I settled on a nice shade of mustard yellow (#f9c64b):<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Mustard<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now, remember, all I did was change the color of the fill layer. The Blend Mode is still set to Overlay. I\u2019m not sure I\u2019m 100% happy with how dark this turned out. Rather than going back and playing with the color again, I\u2019m going to try a different Blend Mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what it looks like if I use Hard Light:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Hard<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

And this is what happens if I use Screen:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Screen<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Both of those are nice. I hope you can see how many different options can be created using varying colors and different Blend Modes. And it really doesn\u2019t take much time at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now earlier a mentioned something about color matching. We\u2019re going to take a look at that now\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exact Color Matching<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"Pick<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019m not normally a betting gal. But if I had to bet, I\u2019d say you\u2019ve likely, more than once, run across a project where you had trouble finding just the right papers in just the right colors that coordinate relatively perfectly. Okay\u2026that was a lot of adverbs \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, this fill technique might very well be the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to use another paper from \u201cDaisy Days\u201d by Cindy Ritter Designs:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Daisy<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I want to use this particular paper in a layout but the background color is all wrong. I like this paper specifically because of the daisy image in the lower left corner. But I also want to keep that daisy image with it’s original colors. Bet you’re wondering how I’m going to pull that off!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they say, there’s more than one way to peel an orange\ud83d\ude09 Before I do anything else, I make a selection of only that portion of the paper and create a new layer from that selection. Then using multiple selection tools\/options, I remove the background from that new layer:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Daisy<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to hide that layer for the moment and go back to the original paper and make that the active layer. There is at least one other paper from that same kit that I know I will ultimately use as the \u201cbase\u201d of my layout:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Beige<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I just pulled that into my document directly above my other paper. Now, you may be thinking I should be trying to just blend this into the original paper. Yeah\u2026I tried that. I just wasn\u2019t happy with the blending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really want the beige of that solid paper to replace the colors in the original paper. So, I\u2019m just going to nudge this solid paper to the far left of my document so I can see both the beige and the original paper:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Daisy<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now, just as I did before, I\u2019m going to simplify this original patterned paper and remove the color:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Daisy<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now, with that \u201cgrey\u201d layer active I can add the Solid Fill Layer and use the Color Picker to select one of the shades of beige in the other paper. I ended up selecting a color with the hex value of #d6bba6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I then clipped the fill layer to my \u201cgrey\u201d paper and played with the Blend Mode until I was happy with the result. A blend using Overlay was a bit too light; Hard Light was some better. But I ultimately settled on using Color:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Daisy<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This looks so much better than anything I got when I just tried blending the beige paper with the original colored background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can now delete (or hide) that beige paper and see my new background:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Complete<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This is going to work perfectly in my layout!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, this was a bit more complicated than it generally needs to be simply because I wanted to retain the original daisy element. In most cases, I\u2019m not going to go to that extent. So, I\u2019m going to show you a simpler example using two other papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time I\u2019m going to use a floral paper from \u201cGray Watercolor Floral Paper<\/a><\/strong>\u201d by Sagorarts at Creative Fabrica:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Gray<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to be using the last one (to the right) in the top row of the image above:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Grey<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This paper is not completely grey-scale. I can probably work with it the way it is but I know the results will be different if I remove the color. So, I simplify the layer and remove the color just as I\u2019ve done before:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Grey<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

For all intents and purposes, it looks mostly the same. But the original version did have a bit more of a blueish cast which could affect how the blending worked! So, I think I\u2019ll be happier using this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, I\u2019m going to pull in a different paper from \u201cDaisy Days\u201d by Cindy Ritter Designs that I want to \u201ccolor match\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Watercolor<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I really want the darker blueish-green shade in that artsy paper. So, I\u2019m just going to nudge this artsy paper to the far right of my document so I can see both papers:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Watercolor<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Just as before, with the grey floral layer active I can add the Solid Fill Layer and use the Color Picker to select one of the blueish-green shades from the artsy paper. I ended up selecting a color with the hex value of #358079.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I then clipped the fill layer to my floral paper and again played with the blending until I was happy with the result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A blend using Color Burn was interesting but a bit too dark. Screen was nice but a little too light. I tried Color again since it worked so nicely the last time but I was afraid it was a bit \u201cbolder\u201d than I wanted. Overlay was also nice but a little more subtle than I expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I ultimately settled on using Vivid Light which at first was a bit too dark but after lowering the Opacity to 60% I was quite pleased:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Grey<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I think these two papers will work very nicely together! And as you can see, it isn\u2019t just the Blend Mode that can make all the difference\u2026so can the opacity level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this technique can also work on elements \ud83d\ude09 Just think about all the possibilities there for a minute!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pulled in a white flower, a red frame & a peach bow from that \u201cDaisy Days\u201d kit by Cindy Ritter. I removed the original color and created a Solid Fill Layer with that same blueish-green (#358079) I used above:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Elements<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now for the white flower I did make a selection of the \u201cgem\u201d center and create a new layer using the selection. This way I could keep the original center. And on this flower, I also used the Vivid Light Blend Mode. For the frame & bow I used the Overlay Blend Mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I almost forgot\u2026here\u2019s the layout where I used that modified daisy paper:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Sun<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If you want to see all the details about this layout you can find it in my 2025 Gallery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope you\u2019ll try using this Solid Fill Layer technique. It can certainly help you expand your paper (or element) stash substantially. And all without spending dime!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coloring Tips<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"More<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

First and foremost, even when you desaturate and re-color a paper (or element), you still must credit the original designer when posting on any online site\/forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, this technique could work on most any paper. And, when it doesn’t, you can just desaturate the paper you want to re-color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experiment with different papers (or elements) to see upon which ones this technique will work the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This technique works great on textured paper. Even if you desaturate a textured paper\u2026you will still retain the texture even when you use the blended solid fill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try different Blend Modes. Overlay is usually my first (and often best) choice. But modes such as Multiply, Color Burn Screen, Soft Light and others also provide nice results<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t stop at playing with the Blend Mode. Also experiment with different Opacity levels to see how it changes the effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to try this technique on elements as well as paper. This will even work on some paints, stamps & transfers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for reading this week\u2019s Tuesday Tip. Remember, if you have any suggestions or questions please don\u2019t hesitate to “Message Me<\/a><\/strong>“. Check back next week for some fun tips about thick titles. Click \u201cFollow Me<\/a><\/strong>\u201d to stay in touch. I hope you have a wonderful week!<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Stay<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In last week\u2019s \u201cNeutralizing Colors\u201d post I showed you how to tone down bold bright colors in papers and even elements. Today I\u2019m going to do just the opposite. I want to share with you a quick way to add color to a grey-scale (or some other neutral color) patterned paper. Now, don\u2019t shut this down right away. I\u2019m certain you\u2019re sitting there thinking, \u201cThis isn\u2019t for me\u2026I really don\u2019t have any grey-scale paper!\u201d Just give me a chance! I…<\/p>\n

Read More Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10532,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"0","landing_page":"","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tuesday-tip-day"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t