How to Whiten Teeth in Photoshop: A Complete Guide

(Last updated on August 30th, 2023)

Quick Summary

1. Select the teeth area with the lasso tool or the quick selection tool.
2. Create a hue/saturation adjustment layer and invert the mask to black.
3. Change the edit option to Yellows and lower the saturation and increase the lightness of the teeth.
4. Use a soft brush with low opacity to paint on the mask with white to reveal the whitening effect.
5. Save and export your photo as a photoshop file or a JPEG file.

Do you want to make your smile brighter and more attractive in your photos? If so, read on to learn how to whiten teeth in photoshop in just a few minutes. Whitening teeth in photoshop is a simple and effective way to improve the appearance of your photos, whether they are portraits, selfies, weddings, or any other occasions where you want to show off your pearly whites. In this article, I will show you how to whiten teeth in photoshop using four easy steps:

• Select the teeth
• Adjust the hue and saturation
• Apply a mask and a brush
• Save and export the photo

I will also show you how to whiten teeth for multiple people in an image, and share some useful tips and tricks on how to whiten teeth in photoshop more effectively and efficiently. By the end of this article, you will be able to whiten teeth in photoshop like a pro and make your photos look amazing. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Select the teeth

The first step is to select the teeth area in the photo that you want to whiten. You can use either the lasso tool or the quick selection tool for this task. Here are the steps to use each tool:

• To use the lasso tool, follow these steps:
  1. Click and drag around the teeth, and then release the mouse button when you complete the selection.
  2. To add or subtract from your selection, hold down Shift or Alt (or Option on Mac) while drawing with the lasso too
• To use the quick selection tool, follow these steps:
  1. Click and drag over the teeth, and then adjust the size of the brush with the bracket keys ([ or ]) if needed.
  2. To add or subtract from your selection, hold down Shift or Alt (or Option on Mac) while clicking or dragging with the quick selection tool.

Step 2: Adjust the hue and saturation

The next step is to adjust the hue and saturation of the selected teeth area. Hue is the color of an object, while saturation is the intensity or purity of a color. To adjust these values, we will use a hue/saturation adjustment layer, which is a non-destructive way of editing colors without affecting the original image. Here are the steps to create and modify a hue/saturation adjustment layer:

• Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation, or click on the icon that looks like a half-filled circle at the bottom of the layers panel.
• A new layer will appear above your image layer, with a white mask that covers your entire image. This means that any changes you make to hue and saturation will affect your whole image. To limit these changes only to your selected teeth area, press Ctrl+I (or Command+I on Mac) on your keyboard to invert the mask from white to black.
• Now, you will see that your mask is black, with a white outline around your selected teeth area. This means that any changes you make to hue and saturation will affect only your selected teeth area.
• Go to Properties panel (if it’s not visible, go to Window > Properties), and move the sliders until you get the desired effect. You can also change the edit option from Master to Yellows, which will target only the yellowish pixels in your selected area.

Step 3: Apply a mask and a brush

The third step is to apply a mask and a brush to fine-tune the whitening effect and remove any unwanted areas. A mask is a way of hiding or revealing parts of a layer, while a brush is a tool that allows you to paint on a mask with different colors, sizes, hardnesses, and opacities.

To apply a mask and a brush, follow these steps:

• Select your hue/saturation adjustment layer, and then click on the mask icon (the white rectangle with a black circle inside) at the bottom of the layers panel. A white border will appear around the mask icon, indicating that it is active.
• Select the brush tool from the toolbar (or press B on your keyboard), and choose a soft round brush with a low opacity (around 20%) from the options bar at the top of the screen. You can also adjust the size of the brush with the bracket keys ([ or ]).
• Paint on the mask with black or white colors to hide or reveal parts of the adjustment layer. Painting with black will hide the whitening effect, while painting with white will reveal it. You can use this technique to remove any areas that you don’t want to whiten, such as gums, lips, tongue, or background. You can also use this technique to smooth out any edges or gaps in your selection.

Step 4: Save and export the photo

The final step is to save and export your photo in different formats and resolutions. Here are the steps to save and export your photo as a photoshop file (.psd) or a JPEG file (.jpg):

• To save your photo as a photoshop file (.psd), follow these steps:
  1. Go to File > Save As, and choose Photoshop from the Format menu.
  2. This will preserve all your layers and adjustments, and allow you to edit your photo later if needed.
• To export your photo as a JPEG file (.jpg), follow these steps:
  1. Go to File > Export > Export As, and choose JPEG from the Format menu.
  2. This will compress your photo and reduce its file size, making it suitable for printing, sharing, or uploading.
  3. You can also adjust the quality and resolution of your photo from the options on the right side of the screen.

Related Links

• Use Perspective Warp in Photoshop
• Draw a Line in Photoshop
• Use the Liquify Tool in Photoshop

Whitening Teeth for Multiple People in an Image

Whitening teeth for multiple people in an image is similar to whitening teeth for a single person, but it requires some extra steps. Here are some tips on how to do it:

• First, you need to create a separate selection and adjustment layer for each person’s teeth. This way, you can adjust the hue and saturation values individually for each person, depending on how yellow or dull their teeth are. You can use the lasso tool or the quick selection tool to make the selections, and then add a hue/saturation adjustment layer for each one.
• Second, you need to change the edit option from Master to Yellows for each adjustment layer, and then lower the saturation of the yellow to remove the yellowish tint from the teeth. You can also increase the lightness slightly to brighten the teeth, but be careful not to overdo it or they will look unnatural.
• Third, you need to use a mask and a brush to fine-tune the whitening effect and remove any unwanted areas for each person’s teeth. You can use the same technique as described in Step 3, but make sure you select the correct adjustment layer and mask before painting.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some useful tips and tricks on how to whiten teeth in photoshop more effectively and efficiently:

• Use keyboard shortcuts for faster selection and adjustment. For example, you can press Ctrl+J (or Command+J on Mac) to duplicate a layer, Ctrl+Shift+I (or Command+Shift+I on Mac) to invert a selection, Ctrl+U (or Command+U on Mac) to open hue/saturation dialog box, etc.
• Use layer styles and blending modes for more realistic results. For example, you can add some noise or texture to your adjustment layer by going to Layer > Layer Style > Blending Options, and then adjusting the noise or pattern overlay options. You can also change the blending mode of your adjustment layer from Normal to Soft Light or Overlay, which will blend the colors more naturally with the original image.
• Use smart objects and filters for non-destructive editing. Smart objects are layers that preserve the original data of an image, while filters are effects that modify the appearance of an image. To convert an image layer into a smart object, right-click on it and choose Convert to Smart Object. To apply a filter to a smart object, go to Filter > Filter Gallery, and choose any filter you like from the list. You can edit or remove the filter at any time by double-clicking on it in the layers panel.
• If you’re working on a large project, ensure you have enough RAM for photoshop.
• Use adjustment presets and actions for batch processing. Adjustment presets are predefined settings that apply hue/saturation adjustments to an image with one click. Actions are recorded sequences of commands that automate repetitive tasks in Photoshop. To use an adjustment preset, go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation Presets, and choose any preset you like from the list. To use an action, go to Window > Actions, and choose any action you like from the panel. You can also create your own presets and actions by clicking on the icons at the bottom of the respective panels.
• For batch processing, understanding how to make a contact sheet in Photoshop can also be beneficial.

Conclusion

In this article, I have shown you how to whiten teeth in photoshop using four easy steps:

• Select the teeth
• Adjust the hue and saturation
• Apply a mask and a brush
• Save and export the photo

I have also shown you how to whiten teeth for multiple people in an image, and shared some useful tips and tricks on how to whiten teeth in photoshop more effectively and efficiently. Whitening teeth in photoshop is a simple and effective way to improve the appearance of your photos, whether they are portraits, selfies, weddings, or any other occasions where you want to show off your pearly whites.

Now that you know how to whiten teeth in photoshop, why not give it a try and see the difference for yourself? You can also share your results or feedback with us in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.

Thank you for reading this article on “how to whiten teeth in photoshop”. I hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact me. I’m always happy to help. 😊

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