How do I convert white into a color using Photoshop Elements?

[sammyp96949826]

[Moderator moved from Photoshop for Beginners to Photoshop Elements.]

I have an image which is simply black text on white background. I want to change the white background to a light blue. For the life of me I cannot figure out how to do this. I tried Replace Color, but remarkably, having read other posts, that feature doesn't seem to work when the color is white. I am using Photoshop Elements 2018.

[hatstead]

sammyp96949826  wrote

[Moderator moved from Photoshop for Beginners  to Photoshop Elements.]

I have an image which is simply black text on white background. I want to change the white background to a light blue. For the life of me I cannot figure out how to do this. I tried Replace Color, but remarkably, having read other posts, that feature doesn't seem to work when the color is white. I am using Photoshop Elements 2018.

This can be a challenge. Is the text large and spaced, or is it small and crowded?

It would help if you posted the file (or similar).

[Abambo]

With black text and white background, you could use the multiply blending mode with layers.

Create a layer with the background colour you want, put it in the background and use the multiplay blending mode for the foreground.

The mathematics behind is simple: White is full colour in RGB (so ONE). Multiply that with any other colour, and you will get that colour. Black is no colour (so ZERO) in RGB. Multiply that with any colour and you will get black.

[sammyp96949826]

Abambo, your method of using the multiply blending method worked perfectly as well. I gave MichaelBParis' answer as the correct answer simply because I got his method to work first. Thank you very much for your ingenious correct answer.

[Abambo]

You're welcome.

[sammyp96949826]

I'm not able to post an image right now, but the text is fairly dense with over 200 words.

[Abambo]

You could probably produce a dummy picture with dummy text...

[MichelBParis]

Using the magic wand as in my previous post.

As you can see:

- the pale blue added to the background is different from the blue text

- what appears as near white is unchanged, it was not pure white.

See the original text:

Mouse cursor not visible or menus not opening in Adobe Elements Organizer

[Abambo]

This is Photoshop, but Elements should be similar...

[MichelBParis · Accepted solution]

Add a light blue solid color layer in darker color mode.

[sammyp96949826]

McihaelBParis, your suggestion to do a New Fill Layer in Darker Color mode using my chosen background color worked perfectly! It was brilliant. I never could have come up with that on my own. Thank you so so so much for your knowledge.

Your other suggestion to use the Magic Wand also worked, but not quite as well because there was a slight grey/off-white surrounding the letters in my image, and so those areas did not get the color. However, because of your explanation, I knew exactly why those areas did not receive the color.

[MichelBParis]

sammyp96949826  wrote

McihaelBParis, your suggestion to do a New Fill Layer in Darker Color mode using my chosen background color worked perfectly! It was brilliant. I never could have come up with that on my own. Thank you so so so much for your knowledge.

I shall disappoint you...

That discovery was purely accidental. I found another blend mode to get the desired effect... but with a transparent background instead of a white one. Then I scrolled through the other blend modes with my scroll wheel... and the darker color worked!

Note: the best tutorial about blend modes I have bookmarked is from Ron Bidgelow. It's a bit old and does not mention the darker color mode.

Using Blend Modes in Photoshop-- Part I

Maybe some one can enlighten me about what that blend mode does...

Edit:

Found in Photoshop Blend Modes Explained - Photo Blog Stop

"Darker Color Similar to the Darken blend mode, but darkens on the composite channel, instead of separate RGB color channels."

[MichelBParis]

A more usual way would be to select the white pixels of the image with the magic wand tool.

tool option : tolerance 0, contiguous NOT checked, antialiasing checked

Then, with the selection active (marching ants visible) menu Edit >> Fill selection >> With color (blue...)

That works even on a colour background, provided its color is not in the text.