Carpet colour change

[Mike4812]

I would like some advice please.

I want to change the colour of a carpet, (and retain the texture of a carpet).

I have tried but I have two main difficulties -

1. The selecting of the carpet because it goes behind various table legs
   – and-
2.  Keeping the texture of carpet
   (my first attempt ended up with chairs etc. floating on a painted floor)

(The carpet is Light Red near a window and a Darker Red in the shadows)

I would be awfully grateful if someone could either –

1. Guide me step by step through the process
   -or-
2. Point me to a helpful video that could guide me through the process

Many thanks

Mike

[Greg_S.]

It would be helpful if you post the photo you want to edit.  I suggest using the colorize tool.  Here is a video tutorial. 

[Mike4812]

Thank you Greg - my friend would like the red carpet changed to a grey colour please.
Thank you - Mike.

[hatstead]

Mike,

1. Open the picture file

2. Duplicate the Background layer and shut off the visibility of the Background layer by clicking on the eye icon in the layers palette

3.  Working on the Background copy layer, activate the Magic wand tool, and on the tool's option bar, check "contiguous" & set tolerance to 32 . Left click on the carpet and hit delete on the keyboard. You will have to do this in several areas to fetch the broad expanse of the carpet.

4. Open the Color Swatches palette, and select 50% gray. This will be your foreground color.

5. Open a blank layer between the Background & Background copy layers.

6. Working on the Blank layer, go to Edit>Fill Layer>Foreground color

[Peru Bob]

Did you try the methods in the tutorial?

[Greg_S.]

Changing from red to grey is fairly easy.  Here is one way to do it.

• Use the Quick Selection tool to select the carpet.  You may find that part of the couch is easily selected also because of its hue and the lack of contrast.  But use the Alt key to subtract those portions of the couch that get included.  To get a better selection, particularly around the small table, you need to zoom in closely to that area of the image and adjust the size of the selection brush (by using the square bracket keys).  Using the left square bracket key, you can reduce the size of the brush to just a few pixels which allows you to get between the legs:

• Once you have selected the carpet, go to Enhance>Adjust Color>Adjust Hue/Saturation  (or press Ctrl+U).
• In the dialog, reduce the Saturation slider to 0 and adjust the Lightness slider to get the desired shade of grey.

You should be able to achieve something like the following examples:

I just noticed that the area under the TV is not selected in my sample.  You may need to reduce the size of the Selection Brush to 1 px to get a better selection in this area which has very little edge contrast between the carpet and the objects.  Here is a slightly better selection, but you need some patience, depending on your editing needs.

[Greg_S.]

@Mike4812 said:  I want to change the colour of a carpet, (and retain the texture of a carpet).

This is why I suggested adjusting the hue/saturation rather than filling the carpet area with another color. 

[Mushroom32193343edme]

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Prepare Your Image

• Open your image in Adobe Photoshop.

Step 2: Select the Carpet Area

• In the Tools panel, select the "Polygonal Lasso Tool" or "Pen Tool." These tools will allow you to make precise selections.
• Carefully draw a selection around the carpet area, excluding any objects like table legs, chairs, or other furniture on the carpet. You may need to zoom in to make accurate selections.

Step 3: Create a New Layer

• With your carpet area selected, create a new layer. Go to "Layer" > "New" > "Layer via Copy" to duplicate the selected area onto a new layer.

Step 4: Adjust the Carpet Color

• With the new layer selected, go to "Image" > "Adjustments" > "Hue/Saturation."
• Use the sliders to adjust the hue, saturation, and lightness to achieve the desired color for your carpet. You can experiment until you get the color you want.
• Keep an eye on the texture to make sure it doesn't get too distorted or unrealistic. You may need to make subtle adjustments to preserve the texture.

Step 5: Blend the Edges

• To make the color change blend seamlessly, select the Eraser tool and use a soft brush. Gently erase the edges of the new carpet color layer to blend it with the original carpet. This will help retain the texture.

Step 6: Fine-Tune Lighting and Shadows

• If your carpet has different lighting and shadow areas (light red near a window and darker red in shadows), you may need to create additional adjustment layers for brightness and contrast. Use "Image" > "Adjustments" > "Brightness/Contrast" to fine-tune these areas.

Step 7: Final Touches

• Zoom in and inspect the carpet texture and color. Make any additional adjustments if necessary to maintain a natural look.

Step 8: Save Your Work

• Once you're satisfied with the result, save your edited image.

Remember, the key to retaining the texture of the carpet is to make subtle adjustments and blend the edges carefully. It may take some practice to achieve the desired effect, so don't be afraid to undo and redo steps as needed.

For video tutorials, you can search for "changing carpet color in Photoshop" on platforms like YouTube. There are many helpful tutorials available that can visually guide you through the process.