Struggling with a simple background color change from ffffff to efefef - can anybody help?

[Editor 1234]

Struggling with a simple background color change from ffffff to efefef - can anybody help?

Path: With image in photoshop, I click in the top bar 'Image -> Adjustments -> Replace Color -> then click on the background -> then click the 'Result' color square -> Enter EFEFEF in the # -> Click OK'

But then I go to check the background color and it changed it from pure white (ffffff) to (f0f0f0), which is incredibly frustrating because I'm trying to get it to 'efefef' which is literally like 1 shade of a difference

(very close)

For the type of work I'm doing its important to move fast/efficiently, so I don't have time to select individual parts or anything like that if all I'm trying to do is simply change the background to a slightly darker shade of white (again, from ffffff to efefef to match website background perfectly) & without removing the natural shadow..

You would think this 'Replace Color' option would do the trick if it can take it to f0f0f0, so I'm thinking that I'm probably just missing something very simple

I provided the image with the background in ffffff and also in f0f0f0 if you would like to take on the challenge! Lol, I'm sure there's experts in here that could figure this out in seconds...

Please let me know asap, thank you in advance! 

[davescm]

Add a curve adjustment layer and, in properties, drag down the top right point until it reads Input 255 Output 239

Explanation FFFFFF is RGB 255,255,255 and EFEFEF is RGB 239,239,239

Incidentally your image is untagged which means colour values are meaningless. I assigned sRGB on opening it but I would advise not working with untagged images if colour matters to you.

Note : If you see a small color change after saving as jpeg, that can result from the lossy jpeg compression process.

Dave

[Editor 1234]

Thank you Dave! I'm currently reading your reply and trying to understand it (I'm a beginner lol)

Will keep you posted if I figure it out

[davescm]

That's the trouble with a forum, we can never tell quite how much the person asking a question knows. 🙂

So a bit more explanation. There is nothing magic about Hex codes. They are just RGB numbers expressed in base 16 which counts from from 0 to F rather than 0 to 9 in decimal.

If you add a curves adjustment layer and look in the properties panel, you will see a straight line with a point at each end. just drag the top right point straight down while watching the numbers underneath until they read as shown.

That will take everything that was FFFFFF and convert it to EFEFEF. It will also scale the other values to keep them proportionate.

My comment on "untagged" refers to colour management. The RGB values in an image document are meaningless on their own. They only represent particular colours when expressed in relation to a description of the colour space used in the document. So for example RGB 5, 35,118 is a different colour in sRGB and in Adobe RGB. It is normal to embed the profile in the document on saving so that the application that opens it knows what the values mean. If there is no profile embedded (i.e the document is "untagged") then the person or application opening the document is left guessing.

Dave

[Editor 1234]

You're awesome! I've achieved this much now- unfortunately still lost in terms of how to change ONLY the background to 239 without actually changing the bike - Any ideas?

[Editor 1234]

i.e., making the background color 239 without changing the color of the object

[davescm]

You could select the bike, invert the selection and the add the curve.

However, it may be easier and more convincing just to paint on the mask using a large soft black brush to prevent the change affecting all of it. This will give a gradual transition to the changes.

Dave

[Editor 1234]

Hey Dave- Just wanted to come in here to thank you again and update that I've combined these tips for the most effective strategy, allowing me to breeze through efficiently while creating the best outcome thats flush with the background WITHOUT diminishing the object 🙂

Here's what I figured out: Starting with the original path mentioned, I do that click the background and 'replace color' entering efefef, but for whatever reason photoshop only takes the background to f0f0f0, no problem! Close enough, cuz then all I have to do is drop it down from 255 to 254 when its at f0f0f0, which creates efefef

(the desired background color)

I've found this to be the best method

[Editor 1234]

If it is not too much to ask, could you please provide the path (directions) to do this as stated "Add a curve adjustment layer and, in properties, drag down the top right point until it reads Input 255 Output 239" ?

[Editor 1234]

Searching what you advised on YouTube.. Currently what I'm trying is changing the entire image color, not just the background 😕