PDF (adobe.com)

Convert a color image to black and white

The Black & White adjustment lets you convert a color image to grayscale while maintaining full control over how individual colors are converted. You can also tint the grayscale by applying a color tone to the image, for example to create a sepia effect. Black & White functions like the Channel Mixer, which also converts color images to monochrome while allowing you to adjust color channel input.

For a video on converting color images to black & white, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0017.

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Click the Black & White icon  or a Black & White preset in the Adjustments panel.

    • Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Black & White. In the New Layer dialog box, type a name for the adjustment layer and then click OK.

    Photoshop applies a default grayscale conversion based on the color mix in the image.

    Note: You can also choose Image > Adjustments > Black & White. But keep in mind that this method makes direct adjustments to the image layer and discards image information.
  2. In the Adjustments panel, manually adjust the conversion using the color sliders, apply an Auto conversion, or select a previously saved custom mix.
    Preset
    Select a predefined grayscale mix or a previously saved mix. To save a mix, choose Save Black & White Preset from the panel menu.

    Auto
    Sets a grayscale mix based on the color values of the images, maximizing the distribution of gray values. The Auto mix often produces excellent results, or can be used as the starting point for tweaking gray values using the color sliders.

    Color Sliders
    Adjust the gray tones of specific colors in an image. Drag a slider left to darken or right to lighten the gray tones of an image’s original color.

    • To adjust a particular color component, select the On-image adjustment tool  and then click in the image. Drag left or right to modify the color slider for the predominant color at that location, making it darker or brighter in the image.


      Note: If you are using the Black & White dialog box instead of the Adjustments panel, click and hold on an image area to activate the color slider for the predominant color at that location, then drag horizontally to shift the slider.

    • Click the Reset button  to reset all color sliders to the default grayscale conversion.

    Preview
    Deselect to view the image in its original color mode.

  3. To apply a color tone to the grayscale, select the Tint option and adjust the Hue and Saturation sliders as needed. The Hue slider changes the tint color, the Saturation slider makes the color more or less concentrated. Click the color swatch to open the Color Picker and further fine-tune the tint color.