Edit HSL values for the whole image or for one color range at a time. HSL means Hue, Saturation, and Luminance: the color family, the color intensity, and the lightness of that color.
Global HSL and 8 color bands
Use Global for whole-image color changes. Use the color bands when only part of the image needs correction.
The available bands are:
- Reds
- Oranges
- Yellows
- Greens
- Aquas
- Blues
- Purples
- Magentas
The bands blend into each other instead of stopping at hard cutoffs. A yellow-green pixel can receive part of the Yellow adjustment and part of the Green adjustment, which avoids visible seams in foliage, skies, and mixed lighting.
Hue, saturation, and luminance
Hue Shift rotates the selected range around the color wheel. Small moves, such as 5deg to 20deg, correct color drift. Larger moves create visible recolors.
Saturation raises or lowers color intensity from -100 to +100. Lower it when grass looks neon, skin looks too red, or a background is competing with the subject. Raise it when a color range needs more separation.
Luminance brightens or darkens the selected color range. Use it when the color is already right but needs to read lighter or darker. Darkening Blues can deepen a sky; raising Oranges can lift skin tones.
Edits that match real photos
For skies and water, start with Blues and Aquas. Try Saturation +10 to +30 and Luminance -10 to -25 for a deeper sky.
For foliage, start with Greens and Yellows. Lower Saturation by 10 to 30 when grass looks electric, then shift Greens slightly toward yellow or aqua if the cast is wrong.
For skin, start with Oranges and Reds. Keep Hue changes small, usually within 5deg, and use Luminance before heavy Saturation changes.
Global first, selective second
Set the overall direction with Global HSL, then adjust 1 to 3 color bands. Editing every band at once can make the image muddy because neighboring ranges begin to fight each other.
Use Reset Adjustments when the grade drifts too far. Surprise me creates a randomized HSL grade that can be reduced or rebuilt by hand.
How the editor works
The editor builds a 0-359 degree hue lookup table, blends neighboring band settings, applies Global adjustments, and converts each pixel from RGB to HSL and back to RGB. Alpha is preserved. Preview uses a capped size; download renders the original dimensions.