Retouching: Fine-Tuning Images - Photoshop Elements 13: The Missing Manual - page 522

1. Activate the Sponge tool .
Press O (that's the letter, not the number) or click its icon in the Tools panel (it's in the
Enhance section, just below the Clone Stamp), and then choose the Sponge in the
Tool Options area. Then select the brush size and settings you want (they're explained
after this list).
2. Drag over the area you want to change .
If you aren't seeing enough of a difference, increase the tool's Flow setting (explained
in a moment) a little. If the effect is too strong, reduce the Flow setting.
The Sponge tool's Tool Options offer a couple of unique settings:
▪ Mode . Here's where you tell the Sponge whether to saturate (add color) or desaturate
(remove color).
▪ Flow . This setting governs how intense the tool's effect is; a higher number means more
intensity.
Changing an Object's Color
In Chapter 4 , you saw one way to change the color of an object: Select it and then use Quick
Fix's Hue and Saturation sliders. Elements also gives you other ways to achieve the same
result: You can use an Adjustment layer, the Replace Color command, or the Color Replace-
ment tool. (The Smart Brush tools offer a whole menu of color changes, too; see the Tip be-
low for the lowdown.)
Which method you should choose depends on your photo and personal preference. Using an
Adjustment layer gives you the most flexibility if you want to make changes later. Replace
Color is the fastest way to change a color that's widely scattered throughout your image. And
the Color Replacement tool lets you quickly brush a replacement color over the one you want
to change. Figure 9-19 shows the kind of complex color change you can make in a jiffy using
any of these methods.