2024 Ultimate Guide: Transform Pictures with Color Inversion

Do you want to create a truly intriguing visual? Whether you want to experiment with colors, enhance the details or invent a new high-contrast reality, this article will help you do that with flying colors!

With our ultimate guide, learn how to use the best tools in 2024 to invert colors on a picture on any device. We’ve looked at the top apps and tools on the market and selected the ones going above and beyond basic color inversion.

And the cherry on top? We’ll unveil the major secret of how to turn your new picture into a truly spellbinding artwork.

Excited to find out how? Keep reading!

Can you invert colors in photos?

Before the advance of digital photography, you needed a darkroom to explore color inversion in action. Many professional photographers still use it these days, and film photography still remains a supreme way to explore a photo’s mysterious color palette.

But you don’t need to be working with film to turn your color vision into reality. With a wide range of online tools and apps in 2023, it is possible to invert photos on any device in a fairly quick way. No matter if you’re using an Android, iPhone, PC or are looking for an online option to invert colors, we’ve got you covered!

Let’s find your best photo editing tool!

What is the easiest way to invert colors?

You’ll be surprised! It’s not an app, an online tool and not even Photoshop! The easiest way to invert colors is by changing the settings on your phone or PC. Let’s have a look at how you can do it!

Display settings: How to invert colors on a picture in Windows 10?

Inverting colors on your PC can be empowering. It is not only the best solution for those who are color blind or have impaired vision. Seeing all the visuals in your gallery with inverted colors can spark your creative energy and offer unexpected perspectives on your photo project.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to do it quickly and easily:

1. Click on ‘Start’ and choose ‘Settings’.
2. First, turn on ‘Color Filters’.
3. Then, choose the ‘Inverted’ filter at the bottom of the screen. Windows will invert all the colors on your display! 

This can lead to a truly unique immersion into a new reality, giving you a better understanding of color inversion and contrast. You will be able to see the patterns of negative photographs, explore the color details and think how inverted colors can be a better alternative to the original visual.

Display settings: How to invert colors on a picture in Android?

Android offers a powerful way to invert colors on multiple pictures. All Android phones will offer similar options for this. Here’s the simplest one:

1. Go to ‘Settings’ and choose ‘Accessibility’. 
2. Then go to ‘Visibility Enhancements’.

3 .Finally, choose ‘Color inversion’. The colors on your display will automatically invert!

Display settings: How to invert colors on a picture on an iPhone?

If you want to invert the colors on pictures on your iPhone display, here’s how you can do it in a matter of seconds:

1. Go to your phone’s ‘Settings’ and choose ‘Accessibility’.
2. Select ‘Display & Text size’.
3. At the bottom of the screen, choose between ‘Smart Invert’ and ‘Classic Invert’. While ‘Smart Invert’ inverts the colors in all pictures except the dark ones, ‘Classic Invert’ reverses the colors of the display.

Unlike PC and Android, ‘Smart Invert’ can be an even more powerful accessibility feature. However, having pictures with traditional and inverted colors side by side may not give you a full understanding of how color inversion really works. ‘Classic Invert’ may work best for that.

Why change display settings to invert colors on a picture? Pros and cons.

Changing display settings for inverted colors can be a rewarding experience. Let’s see why.

Pros:

• Spark your imagination.

Inverting colors on your device will help you get a fresh perspective on colors and ignite your creative vision! Seeing inverted colors on all the pictures can help you better understand the nature of color inversion. You can explore it in all its details, getting a better understanding of why you should invert colors, when you should do it and which colors create the most intriguing contrasts.

• Is better for your eyes.

Research shows that color inversion has a beneficial effect on your eyes. If you spend a lot of time in front of the screen, having inverted colors can help you reduce the strain. If you feel relaxed, this can also boost your creativity.

• Improve your vision.

Research carried out at Northwestern University shows that inverting colors can be beneficial for low vision people. When you are better able to distinguish colors, this can boost your motivation to work on your creative project.

Cons:

• The color inversion mode doesn’t automatically invert colors in all your pictures. It is simply a ‘mode’, not a photo editing feature. Your audience will not see the picture in the same way as you do.

• If you want to take a screenshot of a picture with inverted colors, the phone will capture the original image. You will then have to use an online tool or an app to invert its colors.

Invert colors on a picture on PC, Android and iPhone: best apps and tools.

We’ve seen how you can change the PC or smartphone settings to invert the colors in your pictures. But let’s face it: in most cases, you will need to invert colors on a specific photo to share or show it to your audience.

You have two options for this. You can either do it in tools like Photoshop or Microsoft Paint, or with a range of online AI-powered tools. Let’s explore each of the options and find out which of them helps you turn your photo into a striking high-contrast visual!

How to invert colors on a picture in Photoshop?

If you need to invert colors on one single picture in Windows, Photoshop could be your best option. Whether you know the ins and outs of Photoshop or are a complete beginner, this step-by-step guide will show you how easily to invert colors in Photoshop.

1. Open your photo. 
2. Go to ‘Image’ and choose ‘Adjustments’. Then click ‘Invert’. 
3. Photoshop will invert the colors in no time!  But the game is not over! You can change ‘Opacity’ for a sharper or blurrier result. You can also go further and play with a wide range of color modes. You can lighten, darken, add linear or pin light or change the light itself (soft, hard or vivid). 

One more advantage of Photoshop. With black and white photos, the Invert Tool allows you to magically invert the two colors.

In this easy YouTube tutorial,  Quick Tip - How to invert colors using Photoshop , you can learn more about how to invert colors on a black and white photo in a completely hassle-free way!

How to invert colors on a picture in Word on Windows?

While Word doesn’t offer specialized color inversion tools, you can use the Microsoft Paint app to invert colors on Word pictures. Let’s see how it works.

1. Select your picture in Word. Then press ‘CTRL + X’ to cut it.

2. Search for the ‘Paint’ app in the menu below.

3. Open ‘Paint’ and press ‘CTRL+V’ to paste your picture.

4. Then do the right click and choose ‘Invert color’. The colors on the picture will invert automatically!

5. Now cut it and paste it back into Word. Your project’s now ready!

How to invert colors on a picture in PowerPoint?

Powerpoint does not have an embedded color inversion function. If you need to invert colors on a picture to create a more impactful presentation, the easiest would be to use Microsoft Paint. Scroll up to find a detailed procedure on how to invert colors in Word.

How to invert colors on a picture on Android?

The best solution would be to use an online Color Invert Tool or download a specialized app from Google Play Store. Scroll down to see our exclusive selection of the best online tools and apps to invert colors. You will also see the best features of each tool to help you decide which one to use.

How to invert colors on a picture on an iPhone?

Unlike Android, iPhone has a specialized Invert filter in its Photo app. Here’s how you can find it.

1. Go to your Photo app.
2. Click ‘Edit’ and choose ‘Filter’.
3. Choose ‘Invert’ among other filters and enjoy the high-contrast result!

Best online tools to invert colors on a picture for free?

If you want to invert colors on a picture in the quickest way, your best option may be to look for a free online tool. Let’s look at the top AI-powered online tools that can help you solve the problem with great accuracy and lightning speed.

1.Image Online.co

Pros:

• fully online access: no need to download any software or install any app
• easy to use: with its simple user interface, it’s suitable even for beginners
• data security: with the app’s strict data security policy, rest assured that no one has access to the pictures but you.

Cons:

• basic color inversion: yellow to blue, cyan to red, magenta to green
• no manual editing: no possibility to edit the colors on the picture

2. PineTools.com

This is another tool that helps invert colors online for free. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Upload the input image by clicking on ‘Choose File’.
2. Click ‘Invert’.
3. Wait a few seconds before you get an inverted picture! 

Pros:

• instant processing time.
• possibility to download the image in various formats (.png, .jpg and .webp).
• possibility to instantly share the image on social networks.

Cons:

• As Image Online.co, the color conversion is basic.
• No opportunity to make edits to the inverted colors.

3. Pixilied.com

Pixilied.com is a more powerful online tool that can help invert colors in your picture. With this tool, you have greater freedom to experiment with colors. Here’s what you have to do:

1. Go to ‘My Files’ at the bottom of your workspace. Upload or drag and drop your picture.
2. Now click on ‘Edit Image’ at the top of your screen.
3. In the toolbar on your left, select ‘Filters’ and ‘Invert’ among them. 

Pros:

• Medium color inversion techniques.

‘Invert’ is one of the tool’s various color filters. Apart from the inversion filter, you can also experiment with other colors, including making the image green, red, blue, or even vintage.

• Easy-to-use workspace.

The user interface is easy and straightforward. You can clearly see the color filters on your left, allowing you to choose the best option for your desired visual.

Cons:

• Not free.

Unlike the previous tools, you have to buy a subscription plan to use the Invert tool.

• You can’t change colors manually.

While you can experiment with different color filters, you can’t make manual edits to make a truly unique visual.

4. Gifgit.

Gifgit is another free online tool allowing you to invert colors in photos. Simply upload your photo and adjust the color inversion by moving the slider to the left or to the right. 

Pros:

• Completely free to use.
• Allows to make manual adjustments by setting the exact percentage.

Cons:

• not the friendliest user interface: the uploaded image appears to be way too big and difficult to navigate

• a limited number of formats to download a picture: .png and .jpeg

5. PhotoDirector

PhotoDirector is a popular photo editing app. With this app, you can invert colors in your picture in a much more accurate way than with the previous tools. Here’s our easy guide on how to do it:

1. Download and install the PhotoDirector app on your smartphone.
2. Then click on ‘Edit’ and upload your photo. 
3. Choose ‘Adjustments’ in the bottom of the screen and then scroll on the right to choose ‘Curve’.
4. Now you will be able to experiment with blue, green and red colors separately. 

5. You can also invert the colors in a classical way by moving the line into opposite directions.  Pros:

• manually invert the colors, with an almost endless number of possibilities for color adjustment
• adjust red, blue and green color separately from each other
• make edits and download the pictures for free.
• compare the original with the inverted picture by holding a small icon on the picture’s right.

Cons:

• you can’t invert the colors automatically in case you are not satisfied with the manual result
• you can’t take a screenshot due to security policy

Revealing true colors: 3 best ways to invert colors in 2024.

So far, we’ve seen that many tools and apps available online offer a basic color inversion technique. However, creating a negative photograph is a complex process, involving an intricate bond between hue and luminance. And it is art in its own right, as the photographer Andrew Prokos masterfully demonstrates in its “Inverted” Black & White series.

Clearly, the majority of online tools don’t give you access to a full-featured color editing. However, we’ve selected the ones that can help you invert colors most professionally and creatively.

What’s the best way to invert colors?

While PhotoDirector seems to be an attractive online option, Photoshop clearly appears to be the best overall tool for color inversion. With its wide range of professional filters, you can change the light, hue and saturation in an exact way. It sparks your creative imagination, giving you full-featured editing tools to turn your vision into reality.

How to invert colors on a picture and create an impactful visual: a Guide for Creatives.

We’ve seen what tools can help you invert colors on your picture. But what if you want to go further than that and fully realize your creative potential?

Indeed, there are numerous ideas on how you can transform your brand-new visual. Here are a few creative options:

1. Experiment with the background. Inverted colors often invite a different backdrop. Sometimes, it would be a good idea to adjust the colors in the background without changing the edits made to the subject.
2. Enhance the quality of your new picture. Perhaps your original picture looks unclear or blurry. Sometimes it would be best to work on the quality of the original picture to avoid any grainy or pixelated effects when you invert the colors.
3. Declutter or denoise the original picture. This could be the right solution before inverting the colors. Inverted colors give a powerful dimension to the picture, and a cluttered or noisy background could ruin the effect entirely.
4. Increase the resolution of the original picture. A high resolution can produce a greater effect in the new visual with inverted colors.
5. Remove unwanted objects from the original photo. Any clutter could affect even the most dramatic color effect, so it might be a good idea to get rid of unnecessary details that crept into your original picture.

As you see, there are many ways you can put a finishing touch on your color inversion project. It can be very rewarding to declutter, denoise or sharpen the original picture before inverting colors.

But you don’t have to work only on the original picture. You can also enhance the visual after you’ve inverted the colors to create a brand-new reality.

The best online tool to create a new reality: Imagewith.AI Image Editor.

If you want to create a fully complete visual, Imagewith.AI Image Editor is your best choice. Powered by state-of-the-art AI technology, it is your best ally if you want to achieve a truly dramatic high-contrast effect. Here are its top 3 features:

1.Imagewith.ai Overscale

If you need to enhance your original picture before inverting colors, you’ve found the right tool. Imagewith.ai’s Overscale sharpens and upscales your photo in the blink of an eye, without any effort. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Upload your photo into your workspace. 

2. The AI Image Editor will upscale your photo in a matter of seconds up to x2 or even x4.

3. Download your picture and use one of the tools or apps described above to invert colors. With an enhanced original image, the final result will be sharp and crystal-clear!

2.imagewith.ai Clear off

And what if you have an object that you want to remove before inverting colors? With Imagewith.ai’s Clearoff, you can remove any object easily and quickly. Here’s how.

1. Upload your photo
2. Tap or draw over the object you want to remove. If it’s a simple object, it’s best to use ‘Tap’. If the object has many details, choose ‘Draw’.
3. The object will be gone in no time, removing unnecessary clutter from your future high-contrast artwork.

While removing objects can be fairly straightforward, it may not be as easy to remove blur. Find out how to achievea seamless resultif you want to remove blur or glare from your original picture.

3.Imagewith.ai Outcut.

In case you want to experiment with an alternative background,** Imagewith.ai’s Outcut** is here to help. Simply upload your picture and wait for the background to disappear.

Experiment with new backgrounds, testing the limits of your imagination. You can test the Imagewith.ai’s color palette or save your selected object and play with other intriguing designs.

This tool is a very powerful way to challenge your creative vision. Don’t forget to check out thetips for successbefore using it.

Why use Imagewith.ai when you want to invert colors on a picture?

There are many reasons how Imagewith.ai can help you revolutionize your visual. Here are some of them:

1. Denoise, declutter or unblur the original picture, giving it a head start before you invert the colors. A previously enhanced image will certainly create a more dramatic effect when it turns negative.
2. Remove a noisy or busy background taking the focus away from your high-contrast subject. You can then experiment with other backgrounds, finding the right creative match for your visual.
3. Remove unwanted objects that sneaked into your original picture. Create a flawless visual, free from distractions and unnecessary details.

Final thoughts

Inverting colors on a picture can lead to a breathtaking visual. Now you know all the tools and apps you need for this and which of them give you the best results.

Some tools like Imagewith.ai Image Editor go above and beyond color inversion, sparking your imagination as never before. They give you endless possibilities to experiment with inverted colors and create an unparalleled high-contrast vision. While Andy Warhol has certainly created his own reality - now it’s time to create yours.