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Have you ever considered using AI for photo color correction?
Imagine if all color correction aspects—brightness, contrast, saturation, temperature, hue, etc.—could be automatically adjusted by AI. Would you want to try it?
As a photo editor who often spends really much time color correcting photos one by one, I always look for some efficient methods to save time.
Since many people are using AI to improve their work, I have also started using some AI color correction tools and found that they work really well!
In this article, I will share my experience and 5 tips for using AI color tools to color-correct photos efficiently. Additionally, I will list the 2 best AI color correction tools for you to consider.
What is AI Color Correction? How Does it Work?
As the name suggests, AI Color Correction is a newly developed feature that integrates all aspects of the color-fixing process. It identifies elements in a photo such as portraits, cars, buildings, and forests, and optimizes the colors to best suit each element.
Above is the portrait photo I attempted to enhance using AI color correction. It improved the photo's contrast and saturation automatically.
Even a Seriously Faded Photo Can be Color-Fixed
What makes it distinguished is that it can even recolor the very serious faded photos.
This is because it utilizes “Content Aware AI”, which identifies the elements and adds corresponding colors to them.
How to Easily Color Correct Photos: 5 Simple Steps Using an AI Color Tool
Next, let’s see how you can use AI Color to color-correct a photo.
Step 1. Download an AI Color Tool
Before the process, we need an AI Color tool.
Here, I will demonstrate using one of the AI Color tools: YouCam Enhance, it’s free and available on iOS, Android, and Online.
Step 2. Select the “AI Color” feature and Upload a Photo
Next, open the tool and select the “AI Color” feature. The tool will then guide you through uploading the photo you want to color-fix.
Step 3. Initiate AI Automatic Color Correction
After uploading, the tool will automatically initiate the color correction process within a few seconds, after which you will receive a color-corrected photo.
Now the color correction is done by AI. Following that, here are 2 additional tips for further enhancement.
Advanced Tip 1. Apply AI Color Grading Filters to the Photo
On the result page, you'll see there are results: The first one is the generally color-corrected photo, and the other 3 are color-grading filters you can try. These filters can add unique tones and effects to your photo, enhancing its overall appearance.
Advanced Tip 2. Adjust the Color Correction Level
You can also adjust the color correction level by moving the slide bar. This allows you to control the intensity of the color correction applied to the image, ensuring it matches your desired outcome.
Why Color Correct Photos With AI
Compared with the manual color correction I used to do in the past, there are 2 main benefits of using AI Color tools in my point of view:
1. Content-Aware AI: Precise Color Correction Based on the Elements
With the AI that identifies the elements in the photo, AI Color Tools can precisely analyze the elements within an image and apply the right color corrections.
This can ensure that each object receives the appropriate color enhancement, resulting in a more balanced and natural-looking final image.
2. One-Tap AI Color Fixing: Save Time for Photo Editing
AI Color tools offer a quick and hassle-free solution with their one-tap color-fixing feature.
By automating the color correction process, you can save significant amounts of time that would otherwise be spent manually adjusting colors.
Best AI Color Correction Tools for Photo Color-Fixing in 2024
Now it’s time to reveal my 2 best AI Color Correction tools that I’ve used and think they perform really good color correction. You can see which one you prefer.
1. YouCam Enhance (iOS & Android)
YouCam Enhance is my top choice for AI color correction tools among mobile users.
It stands out as the most effective tool, delivering results akin to those achieved by a professional photo editor.
YouCam Enhance's AI Color primarily focuses on distinguishing the "Portrait" in the photo, emphasizing enhancements in saturation and contrast. This feature is particularly well-suited for color-correcting portrait photos and headshots, ensuring vibrant and balanced results.
Moreover, it offers features like 'AI Enhance' and 'AI Lighting', enabling comprehensive photo enhancement directly within the app.
2. Cutout Pro AI Photo Color Correction (Online)
If you prefer doing color correction on PC, after trying many online AI color correction tools, Cutout Pro is the best one with good AI color correction for photos.
Cutout Pro's AI color correction results tend to appear more "natural", enhancing brightness and contrast effectively. This feature is particularly beneficial for correcting colors in landscape photos and wildlife photos.
How to Color Correct a Photo: 5 Essential Editing Tips for Beginners
If you're new to color correction, it's essential to grasp the basics first. Understanding these fundamentals will help you comprehend how AI enhances the colors in your photos.
Tip 1. Adjust Image Saturation: Make Your Photo Vibrant
Increase the saturation to add richness and intensity to the colors in your photo.
Be cautious not to overdo it, as excessive saturation can result in unrealistic and unnatural-looking images.
Tip 2. Adjust Contrast: Make Your Photo Pop
Adjust the contrast to enhance the difference between light and dark areas in your photo.
This helps add depth and dimension, making your image more visually striking and dynamic.
Tip 3. Adjust Brightness: Make Your Photo Well-Exposed
Fine-tune the brightness to ensure that your photo is neither too dark nor too bright.
Finding the right balance will make your image look properly exposed and visually appealing.
Tip 4. Adjust Exposure: Avoid Overexposure or Underexposure
Avoid overexposing or underexposing your photo by adjusting the exposure settings.
Overexposed images appear too bright and washed out, while underexposed images lack detail and appear too dark.
Tip 5. Adjust the Light: Make Your Photo Balanced
Use tools like shadow and highlight adjustments to balance the light and dark areas in your photo. This helps to reveal more details in both the shadows and highlights, resulting in a more balanced and professional-looking image.
Summary
If you ask me, 'Can the AI Color tool replace manual color correction?'
My answer is 'No.' To achieve the best color condition in a photo, further adjustments are still necessary, as each photo has its own uniquely suited color correction requirements.
The AI tools can significantly enhance your color correction efficiency as they continue to improve in accurately identifying photo elements, just like a skilled photographer optimizing the scene for optimal conditions.
Hope you can benefit from using the tools and color-correcting tips in this article!
More AI Photo-Enhancing Tips
- 5 Best AI Colourisation Apps for iPhone and Android in 2024
- How to Recolor Black and White Photos With AI in 3 Easy Steps
- How to Easily Restore Old Photos: 7 Free Ways in 2024
FAQ on Color Correction
What is color correction?
Color correction is the process of adjusting the colors in an image to ensure they are accurate and consistent. It involves correcting any color cast, adjusting brightness and contrast, and fine-tuning hues to achieve a desired look.
What’s the difference between color correction and color grading?
The main difference between color correction and color grading lies in their objectives and scopes. Color correction focuses on correcting and balancing colors to achieve a neutral and accurate representation of the scene. On the other hand, color grading involves creatively altering the colors to evoke a specific mood or style, often used for artistic or cinematic purposes.
Can I colorize black-and-white photos with AI?
Yes, the YouCam Enhance app also offers “AI Colorze”, which can add appropriate colors to black and white photos using its AI technology, which can identify the elements in the photo.
