Using Photoshop

• 1). Open Photoshop and click "File," then click "Open." Browse to the folder on your computer where you store your Yahoo Messenger buddy icons; it may be under "My Documents" and then "My Pictures." Double-click an icon to open it in your workspace.
  
  
• 2). Click "View" and then click "Fit on Screen." This doesn't make your image bigger, it just gives you more space to work on it.
  
  
• 3). Click the "Fill" tool, which looks like a tipping paint can, on the "Tools" palette on the left side of the screen. Note the new toolbar at the top of the screen. Pull down the "Fill" menu and select "Foreground." Double-click the top left colored square in the "Color Picker," which looks like two squares overlapping each other. Click on a color and then click the "OK" button.
  
  
• 4). Hover your mouse over an area of the image you want to change the color for and notice your cursor looks like the paint can. Click inside the area on the picture and it changes color. Repeat for areas with the same color or choose a new color from the "Color Picker."
  
  
• 5). (Optional) Click the "Image" menu at the top of the screen, then select "Adjust" and choose "Hue/Saturation." Move the "Hue" slider bar to the left or right and notice how the entire buddy icon changes color. Move the "Saturation" bar to the right for a bright, neon image or to the left to remove color and go black and white. Click "OK" when finished.
  
  
• 6). Resave the image by clicking "File," then choosing "Save As" and giving it a new name; don't save it on top of the original in case you want to access it. Save it to your buddy icon folder, then select it for your chat window.
  
  

Using Paint

• 1). Open Paint and click "File," then click "Open." Browse to the folder on your computer where you store your Yahoo Messenger buddy icons. Double-click an icon to open it in your workspace.
  
  
• 2). Click the "Fill" tool, which looks like a tipping paint can, on the "Tools" palette on the left side of the screen. Click a color from the "Color Box" at the bottom of the screen.
  
  
• 3). Hover your mouse over an area of the image you want to change the color for and notice your cursor looks like the paint can. Click inside the area on the picture and it changes color. Repeat for areas with the same color or choose a new color from the "Color Picker."
  
  
• 4). Click the "Paintbrush" tool on the "Tools" palette, then click a color from the "Color Box." Draw lines on your buddy icon or paint in sections of the background to give your icon a new color.
  
  
• 5). Resave the image by clicking "File," then choosing "Save As" and giving it a new name; don't save it on top of the original in case you want to access it. Save it to your buddy icon folder, then select it for your chat window.