How to replace a color in an image using GIMP (step by step)

Learn how to replace one color in an image with another in GIMP in three different ways.

Method 1

1. Open GIMP.

2. Open the image you want to edit.

Note: When a “Convert to RGB Working Space” window appears, you click on the Keep button.

3. In the right window, you right-click on the small image thumbnail and then click on Duplicate Layer.

GIMP Duplicate Layer

Or click on Layer (top menu) > Duplicate Layer.

4. Click on the “Item Visibility” button (eye) of the bottom layer (thumbnail of image) to hide the item.

GIMP Item Visibility button

5. Click on the top layer (thumbnail of image) to select it.

GIMP top layer

6. Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and use the scroll button of your mouse to zoom in on the area of the image where you want to change the color.

Ctrl keyboard key and mouse scroll button

7. Click on the “Foreground Select” button located in the “Toolbox” window.

Foreground Select Tool in GIMP 2

Or click on Tools (top menu) > Selection Tools > Foreground Select.

Tools menu in GIMP 2

8. Select around the edge of the area you want to replace the color and make sure to connect the end to the start. Easiest way to do this is to click, draw line, click, draw line, click, draw line, etc.

Select using Foreground Select tool in GIMP

9. Press the Enter key on your keyboard.

10. With the paint brush tool, you draw inside the selected area and on the color you want to replace. Don't draw outside the selected area and don't worry about the color of the paint brush tool because the color doesn't matter.

Use Paint Brush tool in GIMP

You can adjust the stroke width of the paint brush tool in the “Foreground Select” area located in the bottom left corner of GIMP.

Stroke width setting in GIMP

11. Click on the Select button of the small “Foreground Select” window that appears at the top right corner of the image.

Foreground Select window in GIMP

Now you can see the selection around the edge of the area.

Foreground selection on image in GIMP

12. Click on Colors (top menu) > Hue-Saturation.

Hue-Saturation in GIMP

A “Hue-Saturation” window will appear.

13. Use the Hue bar to change the color of the selected area.

Replace color in an image using GIMP

14. Click on the OK button located in the bottom right corner of the “Hue-Saturation” window.

15. Click on Select (top menu) > None.

16. You can now save the image (Click on File (top menu) > Export As).

Method 2

1. Open GIMP.

2. Open the image you want to edit.

Note: When a “Convert to RGB Working Space” window appears, you click on the Keep button.

3. Click on Colors (top menu) > Map > Color Exchange.

Colors menu in GIMP 2

Or right-click on the image > Colors > Map > Color Exchange.

A “Color Exchange” window will appear.

4. At From Color, you click on the color picker button.

Color picker button in Color Exchange window in GIMP 2

5. On the image, you click on the color that you want to replace.

6. At To Color, you select the desired replacement color.

Color selection button in Color Exchange window in GIMP 2

7. Click on the OK button.

8. Click again on the OK button.

9. You can now save the image (Click on File (top menu) > Export As).

Method 3

1. Open GIMP.

2. Open the image you want to edit.

Note: When a “Convert to RGB Working Space” window appears, you click on the Keep button.

3. Click on the “Select by Color” button in the top right corner of the “Toolbox” window.

Select by Color Tool in GIMP 2

Or click on Tools (top menu) > Selection Tools > By Color Select.

Tools menu in GIMP 2

4. Click on the color in the image you want to replace.

GIMP will automatically select the same color throughout the image.

5. Click on the “Foreground Select” button located in the “Toolbox” window.

Foreground Select Tool in GIMP 2

Or click on Tools (top menu) > Selection Tools > Foreground Select.

Tools menu in GIMP 2

6. Select the desired replacement color.

Select a color in GIMP 2

7. Click on the OK button.

8. Click on the “Bucket Fill” button located in the “Toolbox” window.

Bucket Fill Tool in GIMP 2

Or click on Tools (top menu) > Paint Tools > Bucket Fill.

Tools menu in GIMP 2

9. Make sure that the Fill whole selection option is checked (selected). You can find this option at the bottom of the “Toolbox” window (bottom left corner).

Fill whole selection option in GIMP 2

10. On the image, you click on the color that you want to replace.

11. You can now save the image (Click on File (top menu) > Export As).