diff --git a/src/spatialdata/_utils.py b/src/spatialdata/_utils.py
index 4ae696cd..48c0220d 100644
--- a/src/spatialdata/_utils.py
+++ b/src/spatialdata/_utils.py
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ def _error_message_add_element() -> None:
 
 
 def _check_match_length_channels_c_dim(
-    data: DaskArray | DataArray | DataTree, c_coords: str | list[str], cls_dims: tuple[str]
+    data: DaskArray | DataArray | DataTree, c_coords: str | list[str], dims: tuple[str, ...]
 ) -> list[str]:
     """
     Check whether channel names `c_coords` are of equal length to the `c` dimension of the data.
@@ -326,15 +326,15 @@ def _check_match_length_channels_c_dim(
         The image array
     c_coords
         The channel names
-    cls_dims
-        The dimensions of the particular `ImageModel`
+    dims
+        The axes names in the order that is the same as the `ImageModel` from which it is derived.
 
     Returns
     -------
     c_coords
         The channel names as list
     """
-    c_index = cls_dims.index("c")
+    c_index = dims.index("c")
     c_length = (
         data.shape[c_index] if isinstance(data, DataArray | DaskArray) else data["scale0"]["image"].shape[c_index]
     )
diff --git a/src/spatialdata/models/_utils.py b/src/spatialdata/models/_utils.py
index f5df85e3..fb5a937d 100644
--- a/src/spatialdata/models/_utils.py
+++ b/src/spatialdata/models/_utils.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 from xarray import DataArray, DataTree
 
 from spatialdata._logging import logger
+from spatialdata._utils import _check_match_length_channels_c_dim
 from spatialdata.transformations.transformations import BaseTransformation
 
 SpatialElement: TypeAlias = DataArray | DataTree | GeoDataFrame | DaskDataFrame
@@ -374,3 +375,33 @@ def convert_region_column_to_categorical(table: AnnData) -> AnnData:
             )
             table.obs[region_key] = pd.Categorical(table.obs[region_key])
     return table
+
+
+def set_channel_names(element: DataArray | DataTree, channel_names: str | list[str]) -> DataArray | DataTree:
+    """Set the channel names for a image `SpatialElement` in the `SpatialData` object.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    element
+        The image `SpatialElement` or parsed `ImageModel`.
+    channel_names
+        The channel names to be assigned to the c dimension of the image `SpatialElement`.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    element
+        The image `SpatialElement` or parsed `ImageModel` with the channel names set to the `c` dimension.
+    """
+    channel_names = channel_names if isinstance(channel_names, list) else [channel_names]
+
+    # get_model cannot be used due to circular import so get_axes_names is used instead
+    if "c" in (dims := get_axes_names(element)):
+        channel_names = _check_match_length_channels_c_dim(element, channel_names, dims)  # type: ignore[union-attr]
+        if isinstance(element, DataArray):
+            element = element.assign_coords(c=channel_names)
+        else:
+            element = element.msi.assign_coords({"c": channel_names})
+    else:
+        raise TypeError("Element model does not support setting channel names, no `c` dimension found.")
+
+    return element
diff --git a/tests/io/test_metadata.py b/tests/io/test_metadata.py
index 8f1ffdf5..c0c02a3d 100644
--- a/tests/io/test_metadata.py
+++ b/tests/io/test_metadata.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 from spatialdata import SpatialData, read_zarr
 from spatialdata._io._utils import _is_element_self_contained
 from spatialdata._logging import logger
+from spatialdata.models import get_channels
 from spatialdata.transformations import Scale, get_transformation, set_transformation
 
 
@@ -113,12 +114,14 @@ def test_save_transformations_incremental(element_name, full_sdata, caplog):
 # test io for channel names
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("write", ["overwrite", "write", "no"])
 def test_save_channel_names_incremental(images: SpatialData, write: str) -> None:
+    old_channels2d = get_channels(images["image2d"])
+    old_channels3d = get_channels(images["image3d_numpy"])
+
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp_dir:
         f0 = os.path.join(tmp_dir, "sdata.zarr")
         images.write(f0)
 
         over_write = write == "overwrite"
-        old_channels = images["image2d"].coords["c"].data.tolist()
 
         new_channels = ["first", "second", "third"]
         images.set_channel_names("image2d", new_channels, write=over_write)
@@ -136,10 +139,10 @@ def test_save_channel_names_incremental(images: SpatialData, write: str) -> None
             assert images["image3d_numpy"].coords["c"].data.tolist() == new_channels
             assert images["image3d_multiscale_numpy"]["scale0"]["image"].coords["c"].data.tolist() == new_channels
         else:
-            assert images["image2d"].coords["c"].data.tolist() == old_channels
-            assert images["image2d_multiscale"]["scale0"]["image"].coords["c"].data.tolist() == old_channels
-            assert images["image3d_numpy"].coords["c"].data.tolist() == old_channels
-            assert images["image3d_multiscale_numpy"]["scale0"]["image"].coords["c"].data.tolist() == old_channels
+            assert images["image2d"].coords["c"].data.tolist() == old_channels2d
+            assert images["image2d_multiscale"]["scale0"]["image"].coords["c"].data.tolist() == old_channels2d
+            assert images["image3d_numpy"].coords["c"].data.tolist() == old_channels3d
+            assert images["image3d_multiscale_numpy"]["scale0"]["image"].coords["c"].data.tolist() == old_channels3d
 
 
 # test io for consolidated metadata