Photo editing software allows you to change your hair color in a picture.
Instead of breaking out the hair dye when you want to see what a different hair color would look like, try editing your hair color in a photograph. Photo editing programs allow you to change your hair color as much as you want. Experiment to see which choices suit you best, or create futuristic pictures with vibrant, unusual hair colors. Basic knowledge of layers and layer masks is all you need to get started.
Instructions
1. Open the photograph in a photo editing program that uses masks and layers, such as Adobe Photoshop version 7.0 or above. Photo editing programs that do not use masks do not work well if you're trying to alter a detailed selection, such as a person's hair.
2. Click the "Duplicate Layer" symbol in the bottom right corner of the screen and work on the duplicate layer instead of the background layer.
3. Select the duplicate layer and use the lasso tool to draw a large selection around the hair. Let the selection go slightly beyond the hair to allow yourself extra room with which to work when fine-tuning complicated edges or individual strands of hair.
4. Click the "Image" menu at the top of the screen and choose "Adjustments." Click the "Hue/Saturation" option and adjust the "Hue" slider until you find your desired hair color. Drag the "Saturation" slider left or right until you find the right shade for your chosen color. Dragging left lightens the shade, while dragging right darkens it. Once you have exactly what you want, click "OK."
5. Click "Layer" menu and choose "New Layer Mask." Locate the panel on the right side of your screen, labeled "Layers." Click the blank white square next to the thumbnail version of your image. This square represents your new layer mask. Clicking it allows you to work directly on this layer.
6. Click the paintbrush tool and change the paint color to black. Choose a large brush size and cover any areas of the photograph where the hair color should not be. For example, if your selection caused some of the skin to change color as well, paint the skin with the brush and it will turn back to the original color. Black paint on a layer mask does not paint the picture black, but rather returns that section to what it looked like in the original layer.
7. Paint around the edges of the hair to ensure that only the hair is colored. To add hair color back to an area if you remove too much, switch to white paint. If that doesn't work, make sure you have selected the layer mask in the layer panel by finding the "Layer" panel on the right side of your screen, then clicking on the white square beside the thumbnail version of your image.
8. Click the drop-down menu under the "Layers" panel on the right side of the screen. At this point, the drop-down menu should read "Normal." Select either "Soft Light" or "Color" from the options that appear. PhotoshopEssentials.com suggests this tip for creating a more realistic look in your photographs. Choose "Normal" again if one of these settings does not create a more realistic look.
9. Change the "Opacity" option, located on the "Layers" panel on the right side of the screen, to 80 or 90 percent. This softens the effect of the colored hair. Vibrant colors may need a lower setting of 60 or 70 percent to appear more natural.
