Make your first color grade

Adjust a color

1. Open a photo. In the Library, double-click a photo to open the Editor. The Color tab opens with the wheel showing the colors in your image. RAW files also have a RAW tab; you can leave those settings at their defaults for this walkthrough.

2. Place a pin. Hover over a color in the photo, such as the sky. A crosshair shows its position on the wheel. Click to place a pin. You can also click directly on the wheel.

3. Move the color. Drag the pin to change its hue and chroma. Matching colors in the photo update as you drag. An arrow shows the movement from the original color, with a readout of the hue and chroma shift. The row above the wheel shows the selected pin's values.

4. Adjust its lightness. Drag the Lightness strip below the wheel to lighten or darken the selected color. Double-click the strip to reset it.

5. Refine the selection. Scroll over the pin to widen or narrow the range of colors it affects. A wider range includes more neighboring colors.

For more detail, see The color wheel, Editing colors, or Developing RAW files.

Check your work

• View the original. Hold B to see the unedited photo. Release it to return to your grade.
• Check the selection. Select a pin and hold H to preview the areas it affects.
• Compare side by side. Press \ to show the before/after split. Drag the divider to compare different parts of the photo.

Export your photo

Switch to Export at the top-left to export a full-resolution image.

Your original file stays unchanged. The grade is stored as an editable document, so you can reopen it and continue editing.

For file formats, bit depth, and export locations, see Exporting and supported files.