Expert: Amy - 5/15/2009

Question
QUESTION: If I have a jpeg file, I can change the color if it is just one color to another complete? I thought a jpeg cound not be edited?  Is this true?

ANSWER: Hi Maryanne,

You can change it easily in PhotoShop or another image editing program, but not in Illustrator.

You can ADJUST a jpeg's colors a little bit using the menu items found under Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Color Balance or Saturate (may be different depending on your version of Illustrator).

Hope this helps!

-Amy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you,

SO, I had a jpeg which was a liitle icon all solid blue, he changed it to all solid red no problem.It was for a business card. He is is CS2 Illust.  Now, I have a jpeg which is also graphic, not photo, he says he cannot edit to change parts of it to other colors than what they are for ex: MIckey mouse ears from blue to green leave the rest of the image the same?  Why could the first jpeg be changed no problem, even if he brings it into photoshop he cannot edit?

Answer
Hi again,

Because you can adjust the color of a single-colored jpeg eanough using the Edit Colors function of Illustrator that it will look like it was recolored.

If the jpeg has multiple colors, you can't use this method. You'd have to bring it into PhotoShop to recolor it.

It can be done in PhotoShop. It isn't easy and, depending on the artwork, could take a lot of time.

-Amy