Photoshop How To

Do you fully understand the difference between the Saturation and Vibrance tools that are common to most image-editing programs? Many photographers use both when processing images, and while they are quite similar, there are also important differences.

In this three-minute tutorial, Atlanta photographer Evan Ranft, explains how the Saturation and Vibrance tools differ, and when you should one or the other. As Ranft explains, both tools strengthen the intensity of colors in an image, but they do it in different ways.

Ranft says you can think of the Saturation tool as “taking a crayon and pressing hard on the paper to make sure the color is as strong as possible.” This tool increases the intensity of all colors in the spectrum. Vibrance, on the other hand, is more subtle and selective, and only increases colors in the midtones.

Ranft illustrates the differences between these similar tools by dropping the Vibrance setting to zero in one image, and the Saturation setting to zero in another. To learn a bit more about using these tools, watch this quick video.

You can find more editing advice on Ranft’s YouTube channel, and check out a recent tutorial of his we posted, with 14 helpful Lightroom tips and tricks.