Effects — Photo
Gradient map effect
Recolour a photo by mapping its brightness onto a shadow, mid and highlight colour gradient, with a mix slider.
- Status
- Live
- Category
- Photo
- Settings
- 4
What is the Gradient map effect?
A gradient map replaces the colours in an image according to brightness: the darkest pixels take the first colour of the gradient, the lightest take the last, and everything between follows the gradient. It is a favourite tool for duotones, tritones and cinematic colour grading.
Pick a shadow, mid and highlight colour, then use Mix to blend between the mapped result and your original photo. Because only brightness matters, the same gradient can restyle very different photos consistently.
Gradient map settings
- Shadows
- Mids
- Highlights
- Mix
Best photos for it
- Duotone and tritone looks
- Cinematic colour grading
- Making a series of photos match
Tips for better results
- Tip 01
Try a dark blue for shadows and a warm yellow for highlights for the classic teal-and-orange feel.
- Tip 02
Lower the mix to keep some of the original colour.
- Tip 03
Increase contrast first with Levels for more separation between the three colours.
Common questions
How do I make a duotone?
Choose the shadow and highlight colours you want, set the mid colour between them, and keep Mix at full.
Similar effects
- LevelsFine-tune contrast and brightness by setting the black point, white point and gamma, the classic Levels adjustment.Available
- Temperature / tintShift photos warmer or cooler and nudge the green–magenta balance with simple temperature and tint controls.Available
- PosterizeReduce a photo to a few flat tone levels for a bold, screen-print-style look. One simple control: levels.Available
Also searched as: Duotone effect, Tritone filter, Colour mapping.