3 Ways to Change the Color of an Uploaded Image in Canva

It’s not unknown to most of us now how intuitive Canva is in graphic designing. It’s one of the most indispensable tools that any budding graphic designer should have.

But, with all the great customization features that Canva has, is it also possible to change the color of the images we’ve uploaded in the tool?

Say, for instance, you have a ready-made logo that you’d like to align the colors with your brand palette. Is it possible to edit it?

If you’re curious about the answer, better stay and continue reading this text.

 

Canva: How to Change Color of Uploaded Image

There is no perfect way to change the color of an uploaded image in Canva. But, you can adjust the tint, make use of the Duotone effect, or add a filter to somehow “edit” the photo’s colors.

 

Changing the Colors of Uploaded Images in Canva: 3 Methods You Can Use

As mentioned earlier, Canva is more of a graphics design tool. 

Though it’s thoughtful for the developers to include a bit of photo editing effects, the tool certainly has limits. 

Hence, changing the colors of any uploaded images in Canva isn’t as intuitive as you’ll expect.

But, it isn’t a total bummer, as you can definitely tweak a bit with some of the effects available in the tool to achieve your feat.

So, let’s go and see what these techniques are.

 

Method 1: Use of Tint

Step 1: Create a new template by clicking on the “Create a New Design” button on Canva’s home page.

Step 2: Upload the image you’d like to edit on Canva by heading over to the “Uploads” tab. Tap on the “Upload an image” button. 

Step 3: Wait for Canva to finish uploading the image. A gradient bar will show to you the progress of your upload.

Step 4: Click and drag the newly-uploaded picture on your blank template. Adjust it accordingly.

Step 5: To change the color of the uploaded picture, click on it before heading over to the “Adjust” option on the toolbar.

Step 6: In the side-panel menu that appears, head over to the “Brightness” slider and drag it all the way to the right to increase the photo’s brightness.

Step 7: Go to the “Tint” slider and drag it either to the left or the right side, depending on what color you’d like to use on your image.

Step 8: If you want the colors to be more vibrant, adjust the “X-Process” slider. You can also experiment with the other sliders to see how it affects the way your uploaded image looks.

Step 9: Once you’re done changing the color, tap the “Download” button on the top of your Canva screen to save it on your device.

So, that’s just the first method. Now, on to the next one.

 

Method 2: Duotone

Step 1: After creating a new design file from Canva’s home page, upload the image you’d like to edit from your device in the “Uploads” tab. 

Step 2: Once the picture’s uploaded, click and drag it on your blank canvas.

Step 3: Select the image by tapping on it. Go to the “Effects” tab on the toolbar above the canvas.

Step 4: Head over to the “Duotone” option and select what color you’d like to use on your photo. 

Step 5: Once you’ve selected the color you’d use, tap on the adjustment option that appears on the duotone color you tapped earlier. Click on it.

 
Step 6: On the window that appears, set the “Highlights” to black.

Step 7: Click on the colored box beside the “Shadows” option to adjust the color using the color palette that appears. You can also use hex codes if you want a particular color shade for your image.

Step 8: Once you’re done, save your newly-edited photo on your device by hitting the “Download” button.

However, this strategy only works for basic text-type logos. 

 

Method 3: Adding Filters

Step 1: Create a new design from Canva’s home page. You’ll then be redirected to a blank canvas.

Step 2: Upload the image you’d like to use on your design by heading over to the “Uploads” tab. Wait for the importing process to finish.

Step 3: Once uploading’s done, click and drag the said photo towards the blank canvas. Readjust accordingly.

Step 4: To add a filter, click on the picture and select the “Filter” option on the toolbar. Select the filter that you’d like to use.

Step 5: Save your newly-edited image on your computer by tapping the “Download” button. 

Though this method won’t allow you to change the image’s colors individually, filters will change the overall mood of the said photo.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about How to Change Color of Uploaded Image

 

Why do you need to change the highlights to black first before adjusting the shadows if you’re using the Duotone method?

Setting the highlights to black first will allow for a more accurate hue to be reflected on your uploaded image. 

 

Can you directly change the colors of any uploaded image in Canva?

As mentioned earlier, you can’t directly change the color of imported pictures or graphics in Canva with a single click. But, you can use either of the 3 methods (Filter, Duotone, and Tint) mentioned earlier to tweak the photo’s color settings.

 

Is it possible to download your newly-edited graphics or image with a transparent background if you’re using Canva Free?

Unfortunately, you cannot download your photo or graphics with a transparent background if you’re only using Canva’s free version. Better upgrade to the Pro account to enjoy this feature, or head over to remove.bg website.