The fastest way to recolor an image in Illustrator

The quickest method is to use the Recolor Artwork dialog, which lets you shift all the colors in an image at once without selecting individual parts. Select your image, go to Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork, and you'll see a color wheel where you can drag the existing colors to new positions. This works best on images with a limited number of distinct colors—logos, illustrations, and straightforward graphics.

If you need more control over which colors change and which stay the same, use the Hue/Saturation adjustment instead. Select the image, then go to Edit > Edit Colors > Hue/Saturation. You can target specific color ranges (reds, blues, greens, and so on) and adjust only those, leaving the rest of the image untouched. This is the method most people reach for when they want to tweak one or two colors rather than transform the whole piece.

Both of these tools work on placed images (photos or graphics you've imported into Illustrator) and on vector artwork you've created inside Illustrator. The difference is that vector artwork gives you pixel-perfect results, while placed images may show some banding or color shift depending on the original file format.

Key Takeaways

  • Recolor Artwork (Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork) shifts all colors in an image at once using a color wheel interface.
  • Hue/Saturation (Edit > Edit Colors > Hue/Saturation) lets you target specific color ranges and adjust only those colors while leaving others alone.
  • Both methods work on placed images and vector artwork, though vector artwork produces cleaner results.
  • For precise control over individual colors, select the object with the Selection tool first, then open the color adjustment dialog.
  • You can undo any color change by pressing Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) when ready after making the adjustment.

Using Recolor Artwork for a complete color shift

Open your image in Illustrator and make sure it's selected with the Selection tool (the arrow at the top left of the toolbar). If you have multiple objects, click once on the one you want to recolor. Then go to Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork.

The Recolor Artwork dialog shows a color wheel with dots representing each color in your image. The dots on the outer ring are the original colors; the dots on the inner ring are where those colors will shift to. Drag any inner dot to a new position on the wheel to change that color. You can also click the small arrow buttons next to each color to cycle through preset color harmonies—complementary, analogous, triadic, and others—which Illustrator calculates automatically.

If you want to lock a color so it doesn't change when you adjust others, click the small lock icon next to that color in the list on the left side of the dialog. This is useful when you have a logo with a brand color you need to keep fixed while everything else shifts. Click OK when you're satisfied with the new colors.

Using Hue/Saturation to target specific colors

Select your image with the Selection tool, then go to Edit > Edit Colors > Hue/Saturation. This dialog has a dropdown menu at the top that says "Master" by default. Click it to see options: Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Magenta, and Master. Choose the color range you want to adjust.

Once you've picked a color range, three sliders appear: Hue, Saturation, and Lightness. Drag the Hue slider left or right to shift that color family around the color wheel. Drag Saturation to make the colors more vivid (right) or more gray (left). Drag Lightness to make them brighter (right) or darker (left). The preview updates in real time, so you can see the change as you move each slider.

If you want to adjust multiple color ranges, close this dialog and reopen it, then pick a different color from the dropdown. Each adjustment stacks on top of the previous one. This approach takes longer than Recolor Artwork but gives you much finer control—for example, you can make all the reds darker without touching the blues.

Changing colors in placed images versus vector artwork

A placed image is a photo or graphic file you've imported into Illustrator—a JPEG, PNG, or other raster format. When you recolor a placed image, Illustrator adjusts the pixels themselves, and the result depends on the image's original color depth and format. JPEG images sometimes show banding (visible stripes of color) after a large hue shift because they use lossy compression. PNG and TIFF files handle color shifts more smoothly.

Vector artwork is anything you've drawn directly in Illustrator using the pen tool, shape tools, or text. Vectors are made of mathematical paths with solid color fills, so recoloring them produces clean, sharp results with no banding or degradation. If you're planning to recolor an image many times or need perfect color accuracy, vector artwork is always the better choice.

To check what you're working with, select the object and look at the top of the screen. If it says "Group" or shows a raster icon, it's a placed image. If it says "Path" or "Compound Path," it's vector artwork. You can convert a placed image to vector using Image Trace (Object > Image Trace), though this works best on straightforward graphics with clear color boundaries, not on photographs.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common mistake is forgetting to select the image before opening the color dialog. If nothing is selected, the Edit > Edit Colors menu will be grayed out. Always click once on the image with the Selection tool first.

Another frequent problem is expecting Recolor Artwork to work on a group of objects. If you have multiple shapes grouped together, Recolor Artwork treats them as one unit and shifts all colors proportionally. If you want to change only one shape in the group, ungroup first (Object > Ungroup) or double-click to enter the group and select the individual shape.

A third issue is not realizing that color adjustments are permanent until you undo them. If you make a change and then close the file without saving, the change is gone. If you save the file, the change is locked in. There's no "revert to original colors" button—you have to undo or manually adjust back. Keep this in mind before you close a document.

Saving your recolored image

Once you've recolored your image, save the Illustrator file itself (File > Save) to preserve your work. This saves the file as an .ai file, which stores all your layers, paths, and color adjustments. If you need to export the image to use it elsewhere—as a JPEG, PNG, or PDF—go to File > Export As, choose your format, and click Export.

If you think you might want to recolor the image again later with different colors, save a copy of the original file before you start. This way you have a backup to return to. You can also use the Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork dialog multiple times on the same image; each time you open it, it shows the colors as they are now, not the original colors, so you can build on previous adjustments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change just one color in an image without affecting the others?

Yes, use Hue/Saturation and select the specific color range from the dropdown menu. For example, choose "Red" to adjust only red tones, or choose "Blue" for only blues. This leaves all other colors untouched. If the color you want to change doesn't fit neatly into one of the preset ranges, you may need to select that area manually and explore a different adjustment.

What if I want to change a color to something very different, like turning red to blue?

Use Hue/Saturation and select the color range you want to change. Drag the Hue slider all the way to the left or right to rotate that color around the wheel. A large hue shift will move red toward blue, green, or any other color depending on how far you drag. You can also use Recolor Artwork and drag the color dot on the inner ring to the opposite side of the wheel.

Why does my image look worse after I recolor it?

If you're working with a JPEG placed image, large color shifts can reveal compression artifacts or banding. Try working with a PNG or TIFF instead, or convert the image to vector using Object > Image Trace first. If you're working with vector artwork, the quality should stay the same no matter what colors you choose.

Can I recolor only part of an image?

Not with the automatic color tools. You'll need to select just the part you want to change first. Use the Selection tool to click and drag a box around the area, or use the Lasso tool to draw a freehand selection. Then open the color dialog. Alternatively, you can use the Eraser or Knife tool to separate the image into pieces, then recolor each piece independently.

Do I need to flatten the image before recoloring it?

No. Recolor Artwork and Hue/Saturation work on any selection, whether it's a single object, a group, or a placed image. Flattening is only necessary if you're exporting to a format that doesn't support layers, like a flat JPEG. For editing in Illustrator, keep your layers intact so you can make changes later.