9.5. Color Effects

You can apply color effects using ActionScript in multiple ways, and we’ll look at three. The first is relatively straightforward: Alter the emphasis of individual color channels (red, green, blue, and alpha) in an image using the ColorTransform class. The second is a more powerful technique that uses the ColorMatrixFilter to apply a detailed matrix to simultaneously change all color and alpha channels. The last method discussed is the simplest, using the Color class to apply a tint to a display object.

9.5.1. The ColorTransform Class

Although we’ll focus exclusively on color, you can use the ColorTransform class to adjust the alpha channel as well as the individual color channels of a display object or BitmapData object. In the examples that follow, we’ll be using the class to invert an image (create a color negative) and apply a simple saturation effect.