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How to Use the Sponge Tool in Photoshop Elements to Fix Dull Colours

4 min read

Why the Sponge Tool Deserves a Spot in Your Editing Toolkit

Have you ever looked at a family photo and noticed that someone's shirt looks washed out while the grass behind them screams neon green? Or perhaps Grandma's beautiful blue dress has faded to grey in an old print you scanned. The Sponge Tool in Photoshop Elements is your paintbrush for colour intensity — letting you boost or reduce saturation exactly where you want it.

Unlike global adjustments that affect your entire image, the Sponge Tool gives you precise, brush-based control. You paint directly onto the areas that need attention, leaving everything else untouched. It is perfect for those moments when one part of your photo needs colour help but the rest looks just fine.

Understanding What the Sponge Tool Does

The Sponge Tool works like a real sponge soaking up or releasing colour. It has two modes:

  • Saturate — Intensifies colours, making them richer and more vibrant
  • Desaturate — Drains colours, making them more muted or closer to grey

Think of a holiday photo where the Christmas tree looks perfect but everyone's faces have a slight greenish cast from the tree lights. You could desaturate just the skin tones slightly while leaving that festive tree alone. Or imagine a faded beach photo where the ocean has lost its blue — a few strokes with the Sponge Tool in Saturate mode can bring the water back to life.

Finding the Sponge Tool in Photoshop Elements

The Sponge Tool lives in Advanced mode, where you have access to all of PSE's professional tools.

  1. 1Open your photo in Photoshop Elements and switch to Advanced mode using the tabs at the top of the screen.
  1. 1Look at the Toolbar on the left side of your workspace.
  1. 1Find the Sponge Tool — it shares a spot with the Dodge Tool and Burn Tool. Click and hold on that icon to reveal the flyout menu.
  1. 1Select Sponge Tool from the flyout.

Once selected, you will see the Tool Options bar appear along the bottom of your screen. This is where you control how the tool behaves.

Setting Up the Sponge Tool for Best Results

Before you start painting, take a moment to configure your settings in the Tool Options bar:

  1. 1Choose your Mode — Select Saturate to boost colours or Desaturate to reduce them.
  1. 1Set the Flow to a low value like 10–20%. This controls how quickly the effect builds up. Lower values give you more control because the change happens gradually with each brush stroke.
  1. 1Adjust your Brush Size using the size slider or the bracket keys on your keyboard. For detailed areas like eyes or jewellery, use a smaller brush. For larger areas like sky or clothing, increase the size.
  1. 1Keep the brush Hardness fairly low — around 0–30% — for natural-looking transitions.

Boosting Faded Colours Step by Step

Let us bring some life back to a faded photo:

  1. 1Open your image and switch to Advanced mode.
  1. 1Select the Sponge Tool from the Toolbar.
  1. 1In the Tool Options bar, set Mode to Saturate and Flow to 15%.
  1. 1Zoom in to the area you want to enhance — perhaps a child's faded red jumper in an old Christmas photo.
  1. 1Paint over the faded area with gentle, overlapping strokes. Watch the colour gradually become richer.
  1. 1Build up the effect slowly. It is much easier to add more saturation than to undo overdoing it.
  1. 1Step back frequently using View → Fit on Screen to check your progress.

Toning Down Overly Bright Colours

Sometimes colours are too intense — perhaps a fluorescent shirt is distracting from people's faces:

  1. 1Select the Sponge Tool and set Mode to Desaturate.
  1. 1Keep Flow low at around 15%.
  1. 1Paint over the offending bright area, gradually reducing its intensity.
  1. 1Stop when the colour still looks natural but no longer screams for attention.

Tips for Natural-Looking Results

The secret to success with the Sponge Tool in Photoshop Elements is restraint. Here are some tips:

  • Work on a duplicate layer — Go to Layer → Duplicate Layer before you begin. This way, you can reduce the layer opacity later if your changes are too strong.
  • Take breaks — Your eyes adjust quickly. Step away and come back to judge your work with fresh eyes.
  • Compare often — Use the History Panel to toggle between your original and edited versions.
  • Watch skin tones — Over-saturating skin can make people look sunburned or orange. When boosting colours near faces, work carefully around the edges.

When to Use the Sponge Tool vs Other Adjustments

The Sponge Tool shines when you need localised colour changes. For overall colour adjustments affecting your entire photo, global tools like Enhance → Adjust Colour → Adjust Hue/Saturation might be faster. But when different areas of your photo need different treatment — boosting a faded dress while leaving the background alone — the Sponge Tool in Photoshop Elements gives you the precise control you need.

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