Published on November 26, 2021
Create a duotone effect in Photoshop
In this blog I’ll show you 2 different ways to create a duotone effect in Adobe Photoshop!
If you want to download the image I used, click here. Now, let’s get started!
Method 1: Gradient map
First you need to add a gradient map adjustment layer.
If you want to change the colors of the gradient map, click on it.
Make sure the gradient only has 2 color stops, otherwise it won’t be a duotone effect. Select the color stop and click the color box to change the color. This effect looks best when you pick one light color and one dark color.
You can change the ratio between the 2 colors. I picked purple and yellow, if I want it to be more yellow I drag the yellow color stop closer to the middle.
Click OK if you’re done editing the colors. You can reverse the colors by checking the ‘Reverse‘ box. There are 3 different reverse methods, you can try them out to see how that looks. If you don’t like it, simply uncheck the reverse box.
And that’s how you create a duotone effect with the gradient map adjustment layer! If you want to adjust the colors, repeat the process (select the gradient map layer and click on the gradient). Now let’s continue with the second method!
Method 2: Quick actions – Duotone
First select ‘window‘ in the top menu and make sure ‘properties‘ is selected.
Duplicate the background layer (press CTRL+J). Select the layer copy and open the properties panel. Under ‘quick actions‘, you’ll see ‘view more‘. Select that.
You’ll see a list of quick actions. Select ‘Add duotone effect‘.
To change the colors, select ‘gradient map‘.
You’ll see a pop-up window. Again you can change the colors by clicking the gradient. You can also check the reverse box to reverse the colors. This all works the same as described before.
To adjust the colors later, double click ‘gradient map‘ in your layer panel. The pop-up window shown in the image above will open and you can adjust the colors.
And that’s the second method to create a duotone effect! Want to learn more about Adobe Photoshop? Check out my other blogs or take a look at my YouTube channel.
Photoshop
Basics
Photo editing
Creative editing
Camera Raw
Neural filters
Text effects