How to Change Colors in iDVD and iMovie

Desktop video and DVD authoring software has kicked open the door to the home movie enthusiast who has limited video editing experience but a strong imagination. With Apple's iMovie, it's easy to import and edit digital footage, add special effects, edit soundtracks and add titles. IDVD is Apple's DVD authoring program, with tools to create stylized chapters, professional menus and high-quality DVDs. Each program gives you the option to make adjustments to color -- either to the footage in iMovie, or to the fonts and buttons in iDVD.

Instructions

1. iMovie Image Color Balance

   • 1
     Open your iMovie video project. Click the clip you want to adjust from either the "Project Library" window or the "Event Browser" window. Drag the clip to the timeline.
   • 2
     Drag the yellow bar across your clip to select your first in point, or the portion of the clip on which you want to change color, and release the mouse button. Select "Edit," then scroll to "Split Clip."
   • 3
     Double-click the split clip to open the "Inspector" window. Click the "Video" tab in the "Inspector" window. Move the "Red," "Green" or "Blue Gain" slider to the left to increase the density of that color, or to the right to decrease the density of the color. Click "Done" when you have achieved the desired color balance.

   iDVD Font Colors

   • 4
     Launch iDVD. Select a theme from the "Themes" pull-down menu after the "My Great DVD" window opens.
   • 5
     Select "Project," then scroll to "Add Text." Type your text in the "Click to edit" box that appears in the iDVD menu window. Select the font, the weight and the size of the text from the pull-down menu below your typed text.
   • 6
     Select the "Info" button at the bottom-left corner of the interface. Select the color box in the pop-up "Text Info" window. Highlight the text, then use the color picker to select a color for the text. Choose a color from the color wheel, the sliders, the palette, the spectrum or the crayons.
   • 7
     Adjust the opacity -- or saturation -- of the color by moving the "Opacity" slider to the left to increase the opacity, or to the right to decrease the opacity.
   • 8
     Close the "Text Info" box when you are finished with color and opacity choice, then save your iDVD project with a memorable name.

   iDVD Button Color

   • 9
     Launch iDVD. Select a theme from the "Themes" pull-down menu. Click the "Buttons" tab at the lower-right corner of the iDVD interface, then select a button style from the pull-down menu in the upper-right corner.
   • 10
     Click the "+" icon at the bottom-left corner, and scroll down to "Add Submenu." Select the button's shape from the pane.
   • 11
     Select the "Info" button at the bottom-left corner of the interface. Select the color box in the pop-up "Button Info" window. Highlight the button, then use the color picker to select a color from the color wheel, the sliders, the palette, the spectrum or the crayons.
   • 12
     Adjust the opacity -- or saturation -- of the color by moving the "Opacity" slider to the left to increase the opacity, or to the right to decrease the opacity.
   • 13
     Close the "Button Info" box when you are finished with color and opacity choice, then save your iDVD project with a memorable name.