5 Tools to Invert Image Color for Lightboards

The ideal image for use with a lightboard has light colors in the foreground and a black background. This allows the image background to become "invisible" when overlaid on the lightboard video image. But what if your image doesn't have a dark background?

There are a number of free and paid software programs that you can use to create the ideal image for use with your lightboard.

Here are five of our favorites:

  1. MS Paint: This classic, pre-installed program is one of the easiest ways for Windows users to invert colors.
    Steps: select all, right click, invert color.
  2. Preview (Mac): If you're using a Mac, then preview makes inverting colors a breeze.
    Steps: In the menu, follow tools --> adjust color… . Reverse the dark and light sliders in the adjustment window that opens (as shown in the image above).
  3. Adobe Photoshop: Photoshop provides a robust set of editing tools that may seem overwhelming to some users. However, inverting images only takes a few clicks.
    Steps: in the menu, follow Image --> Adjustments --> Invert
  4. Photoshop Elements: Adobe's slimmed down version of Photoshop also makes this process easy.
    Steps: in the menu, follow Filter --> Adjustments --> Invert
  5. Snagit: While it's most commonly used as a screenshot tool, Snagit also can be used for color inversion. 
    Steps: Image --> Effects --> Filters --> Invert Colors

inverting image colors in mac preview