This guide will explain how and when to use the Tint slider in Lightroom.
I often end up using the Tint slider during my Lightroom editing process. It helps you to adjust the color tints of an image to achieve a desired effect.
Let’s dive into the tutorial.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Lightroom Editing Mastery
Popular course reveals the simple tricks to getting incredible results with Lightroom in record time.
Give Your Photos The Look They Deserve!
LEARN THE TRICKS
Temp Slider and the Tint Slider
The Temp and Tint sliders are essentially the same tool designed for different color axes.
The Temp slider edits the yellow-blue axis, and the Tint edits the green-magenta axis.
They represent opposite colors from an eye-vision point of view.
The eye switches between two colors on an axis, so it is not possible to see both colors on an axis simultaneously.
Temp and Tint are two aspects of color theory. Temp refers to the warmth or coolness of the color tones, while tint refers to the green or magenta hue of color.
The Temp slider is more commonly used than the Tint slider and is better understood.
The Temp slider is used more when editing because light sources on the yellow-blue axis are more common than green or magenta light sources.
Because of this, most major color adjustments will be made using the Temp slider, and minor adjustments will be made using the Tint slider.
The Temp slider affects the color temperature, so it’s often used to add warmth to a dull scene, such as a sunset or a candle-lit dinner.
It’s common for a green hue to become evident after the Temp slider has been used to increase the yellow tones.
When this happens, the Tint slider is used to fine-tune the photo’s colors and remove the green tint.
In the image below, the Temp slider was set to +17 to increase the photo’s warm tones.
The Tint slider was set to +9 to add magenta and reduce the green hue.
An image is considered ‘off-axis’ when the white balance needs correction.
The Temp and Tint sliders can be used to correct off-axis photo issues
Off-axis issues are usually caused by bad lighting, but incorrect camera settings can also cause them.
When to Use the Tint Slider
Use the Tint slider to fine-tune the green-magenta axis in a photo.
A green or magenta tint can happen if a photo is shot under certain lighting conditions.
Gas emission lighting falls under the green-magenta axis and can cast a green tint on a photo.
Florescent lighting and neon lighting can add a green-magenta tint to photos.
A green-magenta tint may sometimes occur when photos are shot using a flash.
When an off-axis green magenta tint occurs, the Lightroom Tint slider will reduce the photo’s green or magenta cast.
Black body lighting can also cause a tint on the green-magenta axis.
Black body lighting occurs when an object absorbs all the light it receives and reflects none.
Another reason photographers use the Tint slider is for artistic purposes.
The Tint slider can be used to change the mood of a photo by altering the color cast.
The green-magenta axis is less common and can be used to achieve striking color edits.
Photographers and artists add a green cast to a photo to create an eerie atmosphere.
Similarly, photographers have used it to create a desolate, lonely mood or to provoke feelings of unfamiliarity.
Another reason an artist might use the Tint slider to add a green tint is to symbolize an emotion, such as envy.
Photographers wishing to replicate a Sci-fi scene might use a magenta tint.
The magenta cast is so uncommon that when added to photos, it gives them an otherworldly ambiance.
How to use the Tint Slider
Now that you know why a photographer might need to use the Tint slider, you’ll want to know how to use it.
Step 1 – Open the Image in Develop Mode
Open the image in Lightroom Develop mode by clicking Develop.
When the image is open, head to the panel on the right-hand side of the canvas.
Step 2 – Open the Basic Panel
Underneath Histogram, you will find Basic; click on this to open it.
You will find two sliders at the top of the Basic panel, the Temp and Tint Slider.
Both sliders will have their indicators centrally positioned.
Step 3 – Adjust the Tint Slider
The image below is an example of a photo with greener color tones.
We will alter the Tint slider to demonstrate the effects you can obtain.
The Tint slider has been moved as far left as possible in the image below.
It would be rare for a photographer to move the Tint slider this far.
Usually, this is only done in extreme cases – either to remedy the effect of bad lighting or if the photographer wants to achieve a certain artistic effect.
When moved to the far left, the green tint in the image becomes unrealistic.
To remove the green tint in the original photo, we need to add magenta. To do this, we slide the Tint slider to the right.
In the image below, the Tint slider has been moved to the far right.
The result is a slight magenta cast.
In the image below ,the Tint slider was set to +20. This has achieved the desired result.
The greenish tint of the image has been removed.
In the image below, the magenta tones dominate the scene due to the neon lighting.
We will slide the Tint slider to the left to reduce the magenta tint and add a green hue.
In the image below, the Tint slider is set to -54, and the overbearing magenta has successfully been reduced.
Use the Tint slider to color-correct photos in the magenta-green axis or to add a striking color effect.
We hope you cna use the information in this tutorial to edit your photos to total perfection.
If you enjoyed this tutorial, you might also like: How to Use Lightroom’s Before and After Tools.
FAQ
What does the Tint slider do in Lightroom?
The Lightroom Tint slider is used to adjust colors on the green-magenta axis.
When the Tint slider is moved to the left, the green tint of an image will increase.
Sliding the Tint slider to the right will add more magenta to a photo.
What does the shadow slider do in Lightroom?
The Shadow slider increases or decreases the intensity of a shadow in a photo.
Decreasing the Shadow slider will recover details in a photo that are otherwise obscured by shadow.
The detail will be recovered without lightening other areas of the image.
What is the difference between temperature and tint in Lightroom?
The Lightroom Temp and Tint sliders adjust color cast in photos and can be used to correct white balance.
The difference between them is that they work on different colored axes. The Tint slider adjusts the green-magenta axis, while the Temp slider adjusts the yellow-blue axis.
What does the contrast slider do in Lightroom?
The Lightroom Contrast slider adjusts the contrast of a photo.
This can be used to increase or decrease contrast and works on the entire tonal range of a photo.
