Converting Color Photos To Black And White
Essential Adobe Photoshop Training And Tutorials For Digital Photographers
Written by Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com
In these next few sections, we're going to look at how to convert color digital photos and images to black and white in Adobe Photoshop.
It seems like no matter what you want to do in Adobe's professional image editing program, there's several ways to accomplish it, and converting color photographs into black and white is no exception. There's quick ways of going about it, and there's more time consuming ways. Of course, as with most things in life, the quick way is usually not the best way, and fortunately for us, the better ways of converting to black and white don't really require much more time or effort.
Of course, we're all interested in achieving the highest level of image quality, right? Right. Still, there may be times when a quick and easy way of converting color photos to black and white is all we really need, especially if we're going after a certain creative effect where converting to black and white is simply one of several steps in the process, not the end result. For that reason, we'll look at both the quick and dirty methods for black and white conversion in Photoshop and the better ways of going about it.
Specifically, we'll look at:
Converting Color Photos To Grayscale Images
The absolute quickest way to convert a color photo to black and white, yet also the worst way to go about it as far as image quality is concerned, is by converting your photo from an RGB image into a Grayscale image. With this method, Photoshop essentially throws the color in your photo out the window, but if quick and dirty is all you need, converting your image to Grayscale is the way to go.
Using A Hue/ Saturation Adjustment Layer
Another way to achieve a quick black and white conversion is by completely desaturating the colors in your photo using a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. We'll see how to do that in this section.
Using The Luminosity Blend Mode
Yet another simple way to convert a color image into black and white is by using the Luminosity blend mode in the Layers palette. We'll see how to do that here.
Using The Lab Color Mode
Now we're getting into the better ways of converting color to black and white. Photoshop's Lab color mode conveniently separates the lightness values of your image from the color, giving us a great way to convert to black and white without a lot of hassle and while achieving decent results. This section covers how to do it. And no, Lab is not short for "Laboratory" so don't be frightened by the name.
Creating A Custom Black And White Conversion With The Channel Mixer
The most popular method of converting color photos to black and white among professional photographers and image editors is by using Photoshop's Channel Mixer. Of all the methods we'll cover, using the Channel Mixer requires the most time and effort but it also gives us complete control over the conversion, allowing you to adjust the results to your liking. This section covers how to use this method to create the best black and white photos you can.
Fast, High Quality Black And White Conversions
Getting high quality black and white conversions of color photos usually means a trip to the Lab color mode or using the Channel Mixer, both of which take time. Here's an easy way to still get high quality results even when you don't have time to spare! .
