Open the document that contains the image.
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Apply colors to grayscale images
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to colorize grayscale images in Adobe InDesign using the Color or Swatches panel.
Use this procedure to apply color to grayscale images by targeting the image content and selecting a color.
Before you begin
Ensure the image is saved as a grayscale or bitmap in PSD, TIFF, BMP, or JPG format.
Select the image using the Direct Selectiontool.
Open the Color panel (Window > Color > Color) or the Swatches panel (Window > Color > Swatches).
Apply a color from the panel.
You can include multiple layers in a PSD image, but the bottom layer must be opaque. However, you cannot apply color to a PSD image with a transparent background, and alpha or spot channels to grayscale images.
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