Open a copied black-and-white photograph in Photoshop Elements and choose Enhance > Colorize Photo. Keep the source and label the new colours as an interpretation.
A believable colour does not prove the original dress, eyes or door had that colour.
What you need
Use Photoshop Elements on a supported Windows computer, with access to Colorize Photo, and a sound digital copy. The current Editor has a three-year licence term; check your edition before starting.
Check any account, connection or online-processing requirement shown by your installed feature. Do not assume that every tool in a desktop app processes privately on the device.
1. Prepare the copy and its story
Keep the unchanged scan and name a separate working file, such as Album-012-colour-test. Start with the best safe capture available, not a small message thumbnail.
Record useful references: a relative’s recollection, another photograph or a dated note. Separate supported details, recollections and unknown colours.
“Anne remembers a navy coat” keeps the source clear. An unrelated internet picture of a similar coat does not prove this person’s clothing colour.
Do not disturb a fragile physical print for an optional effect. You can finish with the black-and-white version if that serves the family better.
2. Try an automatic colour option
In the Elements Editor, choose File > Open and select the working copy. Choose Enhance > Colorize Photo.
Adobe’s documented workspace offers four colour candidates on the right. Select one and use Before/After to compare it with the source.
Choose a candidate for the picture’s intended use, not because its colours look historically certain. If your edition shows a different workspace, check its help before applying another effect.
3. Inspect or make one small correction
Look at the whole image, then faces, hands, clothing edges and familiar objects. Watch for colour spilling across boundaries or changing oddly through shadows.
For a specific correction, Adobe documents switching to Manual, selecting an area with Quick Selection Tool or Magic Wand Tool, and marking it with the Droplet tool.
Choose a colour for that droplet from the Color Palette. Make one purposeful adjustment and compare again. This is optional; you can reject a candidate instead of learning extra controls today.
Check expressions, shapes and lettering separately if you used other restoration effects too. Attractive colour can distract from a changed face.
4. Accept or reset
Use Before/After once more. Select OK to accept, or Reset to return to the original treatment in that workspace.
A quieter interpretation may suit the photograph better than stronger colour. Stop after a few meaningful adjustments if the result still looks awkward.
Keep any useful family notes even if you reject the colour version. Learning a name or occasion is worthwhile progress.
5. Save a clearly labelled copy
Use File > Save As. Choose JPEG, a folder you can find and a separate filename containing colourised. Click Save. Do not overwrite the source.
In JPEG Options, choose a high quality setting, such as 12, and Baseline (Standard), then OK. Keep any adjustable working file separately if needed.
Open the saved image outside Elements. Check the frame, appearance and dimensions, and confirm it is the version you intended to keep.
Include a caption such as “Colourised interpretation, 2026. Colours suggested; original black-and-white scan retained.” Add the source of a particular recollection when useful.
Check it worked
You should have the unchanged source, a separately named result and an explanation of uncertain colour. Share that explanation with the image; a filename or app caption may not travel through every destination.
If the JPEG option is unavailable for the current working format, keep the project and use the matching Elements saving help below. Do not replace the only original to force a conversion.
Next step
Keep the names and stories beside your scanned photos.
Sources and scope
Checked 9 September 2026: Adobe colourisation controls and saving images. Researched instructions, not a hands-on colourisation test.