Black & White Conversions
Black & White Conversion Techniques
08 August 2008 13:30
Colour to Monochrome Conversion Techniques
Converting images to black & white is one of those techniques that has never lost its popularity, and probably never will. Shooting images in colour rather than black & white offers you the opportunity to maintain colour or convert to black & white later, rather than being limited from the start. There are a number of ways to convert images, all come with distinct advantages and disadvantages. To get you started, here are five conversion methods that are simple to apply.
Option 1: Grayscale
- Go to Image > Mode > Grayscale
This method converts images automatically and results in flat images lacking brightness and contrast. Previously bright colours can be interpreted badly, leaving a washed out and disappointing image with little tonal separation.
Available in: Photoshop & Elements
Option 2: Desaturate
- Go to Image > Adjustments > Desaturate (Ctrl + Shift + U)
This method yields a similar result to a greyscale conversion although It is a little brighter. Again, control over the conversion is limited to automatic.
Available in: Photoshop & Elements
Option 3: Converting to LAB mode
- Go to Image > Mode > Lab Color
- Click on the Channels palette (part of the Layers Palette), drag the A & B Channels to the dustbin at the bottom of the palette.
- Now drag the Alpha 2 Channel to the dustbin.
- Click the palette back to Layers.
- Go to Image > Mode > Grayscale or RGB Color.
LAB conversions produce the brightest results of all the options. It also produces a more pleasing level of contrast than desaturate and greyscale.
Available in: Photoshop
Option 4: Channel Mixer Conversions
- Click on the half black, half white circle on the Layers Palette.
- Choose the Channel Mixer adjustment layer.
- Tick the Monochrome option in the dialogue.
Now use the sliders to adjust the values to achieve the desired effect.
The channel mixer offers control over the red, green and blue channels to create your desired conversion. These can be set to achieve normal, low, high contrast and special effect conversions
Note: To achieve the best results, all three values should add to a total of 100. This will give you correct tone separation.
Available in: Photoshop
Option 5: Black & White (Adjustment layer)
- Click on the half black, half white circle on the Layers Palette.
- Choose the Black & White.
This brings up a dialogue of colour sliders (similar to those in Channel Mixer) that can be set to achieve different effects. There are also presets that relate to contrast and a tint option to colour your images.
Available in: Photoshop CS3 & Elements 6
The method you chose really depends on personal taste and the job you’re working on. I personally use Channel mixer most often but use all the others occasionally. Check out the August edition of Digital Photo Magazine where Jon Adams will be looking at black & white conversions in detail.