How do I color a black and white GIF?

[Arvo]

Hi. I just downloaded the program and am trying to color a black and white gif (a cartoon created in a different program). I am surprised to find that I can't! I can select an element with the magic wand but then I am unable to apply any color to it. Am I doing something wrong? I thought this was similar to Photoshop which can color anything. Thanks for any help.

Arvo

[MightyKitten]

Could you check if there is a check mark in front ot the menu-option:
Image > Mode > Indexed Color...

If so, you have probably opened a GIF or PNG file.

Since most tools can only operate in RGB mode, including the Fill tool, you will have to convert the image to RGB color first. With either

menu Image > Mode > RBG Color

Or the toolbar button RBG Color that looks a bit like a square rainbow (9th button from the left on the top most toolbar)

If you have don that , I think you will be able to fill the shapes with any color you like.

After you have save the image again as PNG or GIF, it will be converted to an indexed color image.

Jeroen de Bruijn

[Invité]

Thank you Jeroen! That solved my problem!

Now can you tell me, is there any way to enter a hex color code to pick a color? I want to use colors that will work with any computer on the web. I have several utilities that give you hex codes. Can you enter the codes in PhotoFiltre?

[MightyKitten]

Yes you can.

In photofiltre, select the pipette tool (next to the arrow)

Now, under the tools, You will see Web + a field with the color code of the current foreground color. Instead of selecting a color with the pipette tool, you can also enter a color in the web field

(You do not have to type the # sign, but it does expect a 6 character Hexadecimal code) Press enter and the forgroundcolor will be changed.

Personally, I would have like it more if the field was alway visible and placed directly under the color pallet, but then again, It is second best, and i guess antonio has a lot on his mind lately, trying to fix the Photofiltre Studio version.

Jeroen de Bruijn

[Invité]

Thanks again Mighty Kitten. Now the program is really working for me.

One other question I have. Does anybody know if there's a way to make the magic wand and Fill Tool and other tools ignore small gaps in my GIF cartoons, so that I can color a shape that might not be fully enclosed without accidentally coloring the whole background? Can this be adjusted?

Thanks again.

[MightyKitten]

I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you this time:

As far as I know, there is no such a function,
Prove me wrong, but I've never seen a gap closing-fucntion for a a magic wand or fill too, even n the big commercial packages.

Personally, I close the gaps with the brush tool, though this can be a bit of labour. Using a single pixel wide brush, closing the gap with the fill color, I get the best results

[Invité]

I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you this time:

As far as I know, there is no such a function,
Prove me wrong, but I've never seen a gap closing-fucntion for a a magic wand or fill too, even n the big commercial packages.

Personally, I close the gaps with the brush tool, though this can be a bit of labour. Using a single pixel wide brush, closing the gap with the fill color, I get the best results

Yes, Mighty Kitten, I've been closing them that way too. Actually, Flash MX does have a fill tool that can be adjusted to ignore gaps. But often it doesn't work, and I end up closing the gaps with a brush, like you said )

[Arvo]

Hello again. Well now I am trying to retouch a GIF that already has color in it. This 256 color GIF was exported from Illustrator. But I can't seem to apply any color. The magic wand works, but the paint bucket and other tools are not working. I can't select them.

Under "Image" menu, "mode" is dimmed so I can't select RGB mode. I can't select the RGB color button either.

But another GIF I have, that was exported from Flash and also has color, is fine. I'm able to select RGB mode, and able to apply color. Why can't I do it with the first GIF?

I am using Photofiltre 6.1.1

Can you help? Thanks.

[FrançoisL]

The problem may be caused by a transparency. Disable it by Image/Transparency color and then put the GIF into RGB colors.

[Arvo]

Thanks, FrançoisL. Your suggestion worked!

[Invité]

Well, it worked as it let me select RGB, but now there is a light blue color in background areas of the GIF that were white before. I can't seem to get rid of it.

It doesn't display that way in other programs, only in Photofiltre. In other programs the white areas appear white.

This GIF is a cartoon.

[FrançoisL]

This mean that the transparency color is blue... Try a Adjust/Replace color to replace blue by white or any other color you want