Can I still adjust the color of jpg files with Preview?

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Level 1

8 points

Can I still adjust the color of jpg files with Preview?

For years I've used Preview to make slight adjustments to the exposure levels and white balance of my jpg images. Today I opened an image and tried to lighten the shadows, but when I went to Tools > Adjust Color, the window looked like the attached image--greyed out, so that I couldn't make any of the adjustments I wanted.

I recently started using Adobe Lightroom to import my photos, then save them to folders on my mac. And I fairly recently updated to OS Mojave 10.14.6, which is about as much as my laptop can handle.

Can anyone tell me how I can go back to using Preview the way I always have?

MacBook Air

Posted on Mar 6, 2021 10:40 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Level 10

118,583 points

Mar 6, 2021 10:47 AM in response to theronous

I just opened a jpg in Preview on macOS 11.2.2 and though the panel is strangely grayed out, the controls do still work and I was able to under/over-expose the image by moving the slider control.

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Answer 2

Kurt Lang

Level 9

63,962 points

Mar 6, 2021 1:26 PM in response to theronous

I just tried this on a copied image, and though the controls look identical to your screen shot, and like VikingOSX's test, I can still make any adjustments I want. Do they not move for you?

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Answer 3

theronous Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 6, 2021 2:41 PM in response to Kurt Lang

Turns out there's just a bit of a lag between when I open the window and when I can get the sliders to move. I guess I was just too impatient! It works as normal after a second.

Thanks to both.

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Answer 4

VikingOSX

Level 10

118,583 points

Mar 6, 2021 2:49 PM in response to theronous

You are welcome.

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Can I still adjust the color of jpg files with Preview?

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