What is color correction and how does this tool work?

Color correction is the process of adjusting the colors, brightness, contrast, and other visual properties of an image to improve its appearance or match a desired look. This tool works entirely in your browser using HTML5 Canvas API to process your images client-side. Upload a JPG or PNG image, then use sliders to adjust brightness (0-200%), contrast (-100 to +100), saturation (0-200%), temperature (warm/cool tones), tint (green/magenta shift), and advanced controls like vibrance, exposure, highlights, and shadows. Changes are applied in real-time with visual preview, and your original file never leaves your device.

What's the difference between saturation and vibrance adjustments?

Saturation affects all colors in the image equally—increasing it makes all colors more intense, while decreasing it moves the image toward grayscale. Vibrance is a more intelligent adjustment that primarily boosts muted colors while protecting already-saturated tones and skin tones from becoming oversaturated. Use saturation for overall color intensity control, and vibrance when you want to enhance colors more naturally without making portraits look unnatural or pushing already-vibrant colors too far.

How do temperature and tint controls affect my images?

Temperature controls the warm/cool balance of your image by adjusting the red-blue color axis. Moving the slider right adds warmth (more red/orange tones, like golden hour sunlight), while moving left adds coolness (more blue tones, like shade or overcast conditions). Tint controls the green-magenta color axis and is typically used to correct color casts from artificial lighting or to counteract greenish tones from fluorescent lights. Together, these controls replicate the white balance adjustments found in professional photo editing software.

Can I undo my changes if I make a mistake?

Yes! This color correction tool includes full undo/redo functionality. Every slider adjustment is recorded in the history, and you can use the Undo button (or Ctrl/Cmd+Z) to step backward through your edits, and Redo (or Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z) to step forward again. This lets you experiment freely with different adjustment combinations without worrying about losing your work. You can undo all the way back to the original uploaded image.

What image formats does this tool support for color correction?

This online color correction tool supports the most common web image formats: JPEG/JPG, PNG, and other formats supported by modern browsers. When you download your corrected image, it's saved as a PNG file to preserve quality without compression artifacts. PNG format ensures your color corrections are preserved exactly as you see them in the preview, without the lossy compression that can affect JPEG quality after multiple edits.

How do highlights and shadows adjustments work?

Highlights and shadows controls let you selectively adjust the bright and dark areas of your image. The Highlights slider affects the brightest parts of your image—reducing highlights can recover detail in blown-out skies or bright reflections, while increasing them makes bright areas brighter. The Shadows slider affects the darkest areas—increasing shadows can reveal hidden detail in underexposed dark regions, while decreasing them makes dark areas darker for more dramatic contrast. These targeted adjustments give you more control than overall brightness.

Is my image data private when using this color correction tool?

Absolutely! This tool processes all images entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript and the HTML5 Canvas API. When you upload an image, it never leaves your device—no data is sent to any server. All color corrections, adjustments, and processing happen locally on your computer. This approach ensures complete privacy for sensitive images, works offline after initial page load, and provides instant real-time preview without network delays. Your images are as private as files on your local hard drive.

Can I batch process multiple images with these color settings?

Currently, this tool is designed for single-image color correction with real-time interactive preview. Each image requires individual upload and adjustment. However, once you've corrected one image, you can note your adjustment values (displayed next to each slider) and apply similar settings to other images manually. For batch processing with identical settings across hundreds of photos, consider desktop software like Adobe Lightroom or GIMP. This web tool excels at quick one-off corrections and experimentation.

What does the exposure adjustment do and when should I use it?

Exposure controls simulate camera exposure settings—it adjusts how bright or dark the overall image appears, similar to brightness but with different mathematical processing. Increasing exposure brightens the entire tonal range while attempting to preserve some highlight detail, while decreasing it darkens everything. Use exposure for overall lightness corrections (like fixing underexposed photos), brightness for simpler linear brightness adjustments, and highlights/shadows for targeted adjustments to specific tonal ranges. Combining all three gives you professional-level tonal control.

How do I achieve professional-looking color grading results?

Start with basic corrections: adjust exposure or brightness first to fix overall lightness, then fine-tune contrast to add punch. Next, correct color temperature to fix white balance issues (remove unwanted color casts). Use saturation carefully—small adjustments (±10-20) often look more professional than extreme changes. For advanced looks, try reducing highlights and lifting shadows for a 'flat' cinematic look, or increase contrast and vibrance for punchy social media styles. Use the Basic tab controls first, then refine with Advanced tab. Remember: subtle adjustments often look better than dramatic ones. Use undo/redo to compare before/after.