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I’m changing a red easy button to green in this example (who ever heard of a red easy button anyway). I’m also using Photoshop CS4. Feel free to use this photo and copy it to your desktop if you want to follow along.

Red easy button

Green easy button

1. Hit the “create new fill or adjustment layer” button at the bottom of the layers palette and create a new Hue/Saturation layer. (Fig. 1)

Fig. 1

2. Check colorize at the bottom of the adjustment pallete and move the sliders to create the color you desire. The settings I used are:
Hue 132
Saturation 53
Lightness 0

3. On the Hue/Saturation layer mask, you’ll want to paint out areas so that the green color only shows through in certain areas. To do this in an easy way, we’ll create a selection and then fill it with black. Use the magic wand tool to select the white letters on the button.

On the layer with the easy button photo, hold the shift key and click each white letter to select all the letters. You can also hold the option key and click to subtract from the selection if you find you selected too much. After your selection is all set, go back to the Hue/Saturation layer mask (Fig. 2)

Fig. 2

and fill your selection with black. (Hit the D key to ensure that your default colors are set to black and white).

4. Follow this same selection process with the green part of the button that used to be red. (It still is red if you turn off the adjustment layer) Keep shift/option clicking on this part of the button until you have the selection you like.

5. Last but not least desaturate your original button layer to kill any red that’s showing through.  In the menu you’ll find it in Image > Adjustments > Desaturate or use command-shift-u on a Mac or control-shift-u on a PC.

Now you have an easy button that in my mind is properly colored. Do you think the easy button should be red or green? Maybe some other color? Leave your opinion in the comments.

Also, here’s a 1024 x 768 res screensaver of a green easy button. Enjoy!