Black & white in.
Color out.
Paint color onto a black-and-white photo using the same technique professional colorists use — a color blend layer that preserves the original shading. Tint, brush, and refine right in your browser.
Upload a B&W photo
Any JPG, PNG, or WebP. The tool downscales to 2400px max for smooth brush performance.
Pick a tint
One click applies sepia, cyanotype, warm, cool — or leave it neutral and color from scratch.
Paint with color
Brush over skin, sky, grass, clothing. Blend modes keep the original shading.
Download
Export as PNG, JPG, or WebP — the colorized result at full resolution.
Applies a full-image color wash. Set strength to 0 for a neutral start.
Lower opacity = subtle, realistic color. Stack strokes to build intensity.
Color is what colorists use — it replaces hue + saturation but keeps the original brightness.
- Soft-edge brush with size, hardness, and opacity control.
- Color blend mode — the professional colorization technique.
- 8 quick tints for instant sepia, cyanotype, warm, cool, and more.
- 12 skin / nature swatches to get you started fast.
- Undo & redo — paint freely, mistakes are recoverable.
- 6 blend modes — hue, soft-light, overlay, multiply, screen, color.
Loading, tinting, painting, and export all run inside your browser via the HTML5 Canvas API. Open DevTools → Network — zero requests for your image.
Why does "Color" blend mode preserve shading?
It's not a trick — it's how human vision works. Here's why the paint layer interacts with your photo the way it does.
Separate H-S-L
Every pixel can be described as Hue (what color), Saturation (how vivid), and Luminance (how bright). A B&W photo has all the H and S at zero — it's pure luminance data.
Borrow only H + S
The Color blend mode takes Hue and Saturation from your paint layer, and Luminance from the base photo. So a red stroke over a shadow produces a dark red, not bright red — the shadow is preserved.
One canvas op
In the browser, this is a single drawImage call with globalCompositeOperation = 'color'. The GPU handles millions of pixels per frame — instant even at full resolution.
You'll want this when…
Restoring family photos
Old portraits, wedding photos, and ancestor pictures — bring them back to life by painting in the colors you remember.
Adding artistic mood
Apply a sepia, cyanotype, or vintage wash to any B&W image in one click — the fastest way to make old feel intentional.
Making color-accurate references
Color a historical B&W reference to study how light and color interact — great for painters and illustrators.
Prepping archival material
Colorize a scanned B&W document or a museum photo before publishing — no Photoshop subscription required.
Creating selective color
Paint color into just one element — a red rose in a B&W garden, a subject's eyes, a single object — dramatic and simple.
Building social content
Colorized photos stop the scroll. Whether it's a throwback post or a creative interpretation, hand colorization stands out.
Frequently asked
About Colorize Photo
Use this online tool to add color to a black-and-white photo. Check the available file options and review the downloaded result before using it elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
What does Colorize Photo do?
Colorize Photo is an online tool designed to add color to a black-and-white photo. Open the tool page to see its current options and supported inputs. Review the result after processing, especially when the document is important for work, records, printing, or submission to another service.
How do I use Colorize Photo online?
Open the Colorize Photo page, choose the file or files requested by the upload area, and adjust any options shown. Start processing, wait for the result, and download it when ready. Keep your original file until you have checked that the output is correct and complete.
Is Colorize Photo free to use?
The online Colorize Photo tool is available without a paid subscription or account signup. Use the options displayed on the page and check the output before relying on it. The optional physical E-Aadhaar PVC card printing service is separate from the online document tools.
Are files private when I use Colorize Photo?
File handling depends on the operation: some tools process files in your browser, while other features may use server processing. Check the page and privacy policy for the applicable handling before uploading sensitive material. Only upload files you are authorized to process.
Which file formats and sizes does Colorize Photo support?
Supported formats and practical size limits vary by tool, browser, and device. The upload control on this page identifies accepted file types, and any processing limits are shown as you use the tool. For best results, start with a readable source file and verify the downloaded output.