When an image has colors that are not true to life, it is said to have a color cast. Poor white balance, particularly when using a digital camera’s built-in flash, is one of the most frequent causes of color casts. Color casts can be toned down or eliminated using image editing software.

Programs such Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and PaintShop Pro have built in tools for color correction.

They can be as simple as a single click on an “instant fix” button or using sophisticated tools and filters.

Free photo editing programs such as Picasa have image editing tools that make color correction easy.

The above image was opened in Picasa.

Upon double-clicking the image, the editing window opens.

Click the tuning tab and then adjust the color temperature slider. As you move the slider to the right or left, you can watch changes take place as you make them. The red-eye was also fixed using the red-eye removal tool found under the basic fixes tab.

This simple method of color correcting a digital image is fine for most people. If you have a more sophisticated image editing program, check the help file for information about color balance, color cast and color correction.

Note: if you do not have a calibrated monitor (most people don’t) the color corrected image may look slightly off.