Tinted image (UIImage) ref: http://qiita.com/takkyun@github/items/86a70656981d7dca1088

file0.m

@interface SBLImageHelper
/**
 *  Generates an image which is tinted with a given color.
 *  @param image - an image to be tinted
 *  @param color - tint color
 *  @return an instance of UIImage
 */
+ (UIImage *)tintedImageFromImage:(UIImage *)image
                        withColor:(UIColor *)color;
@end


@implementation SBLImageHelper

+ (UIImage *)tintedImageFromImage:(UIImage *)image
                        withColor:(UIColor *)color
{
  UIImage *output = nil;
  CGRect rect = CGRectMake(0, 0, image.size.width, image.size.height);

  if (UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions != NULL)
  {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(image.size,
                                           NO,
                                           image.scale);
  }
  else
  {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(image.size);
  }

  CGContextRef context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext();

  // -- flipping geometry
  CGContextTranslateCTM(context, 0, image.size.height);
  CGContextScaleCTM(context, 1.0, -1.0);

  // -- setting up blend mode
  CGContextSetBlendMode(context, kCGBlendModeNormal);

  // -- first drawing the image
  CGContextDrawImage(context, rect, image.CGImage);

  // -- then setting up mask and fill the color
  CGContextClipToMask(context, rect, image.CGImage);
  CGContextSetFillColorWithColor(context, color.CGColor);
  CGContextFillRect(context, rect);

  output = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
  UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

  return output;
}

@end

file1.m

UIColor *tintColor = [[UIColor redColor] colorWithAlphaComponent:0.5];
UIImage *originalImage = [UIImage imageNamed:@"sample"];
UIImage *tintedImage = [SBLImageHelper tintedImageFromImage:originalImage
                                                  withColor:tintColor];

file2.m

@interface UIImage (SBLImageHelper)

/**
 *  Generates an image which is tinted with a given color.
 *  @param color - tint color
 *  @return an instance of UIImage
 */
- (UIImage *)imageWithTintColor:(UIColor *)color;

@end


@implementation UIImage (SBLImageHelper)

- (UIImage *)imageWithTintColor:(UIColor *)color
{
  UIImage *output = nil;
  CGRect rect = CGRectMake(0, 0, self.size.width, self.size.height);

  if (UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions != NULL)
  {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.size,
                                           NO,
                                           self.scale);
  }
  else
  {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(self.size);
  }

  CGContextRef context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext();

  // -- flipping geometry
  CGContextTranslateCTM(context, 0, self.size.height);
  CGContextScaleCTM(context, 1.0, -1.0);

  // -- setting up blend mode
  CGContextSetBlendMode(context, kCGBlendModeNormal);

  // -- first drawing the image
  CGContextDrawImage(context, rect, self.CGImage);

  // -- then setting up mask and fill the color
  CGContextClipToMask(context, rect, self.CGImage);
  CGContextSetFillColorWithColor(context, color.CGColor);
  CGContextFillRect(context, rect);

  output = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
  UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

  return output;
}

@end