# Black & White Conversion in PS  - Best Way?



## bethany138 (Oct 5, 2005)

I have used both the desaturate method and the lab color method.  

What do you think is the best way to convert color to B&W?
And which will print nicer?


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## 'Daniel' (Oct 5, 2005)

I desaturate then work with curves, sometimes I curve so it looks good then desaturate and then do extra work with contrast etc.  However it could just be my mind but I think that it's best to take the photos in black and white originally if possible in digital.


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## pursuer (Oct 5, 2005)

The channel mixer, hands down.


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## woodsac (Oct 5, 2005)

I'm a plug-in junkie   Digital Film Tools or NIK

But for converting without them, channel mixer!!! I still do all the normal adjustments I would do to a color photo before I convert. Then there's always some little tweeking to do after the conversion.


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## DocFrankenstein (Oct 5, 2005)

Alsways shoot color raw

Then put it in photoshop and
1) Use Channel mixer
or

2) Go to Image -> Adjustments -> Photofilter and then select the one you like


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## danalec99 (Oct 5, 2005)

bethany138 said:
			
		

> What do you think is the *best way* to convert color to B&W?


There is no 'best way'. Some are happy with desaturation, some with Channel Mixer and yet others are comfy with the Gradient Map. A bunch of others with the plugins. You have to figure out _your _comfort zone.

I)
- I shoot in RAW, and Desaturate the image in the Adobe RAW Developer
- Then I play with the Contrast and Brightness in the RAW Developer itself

In PS, before I save as .tiff, I might play with Shadow/Highlights, Curves and/or Brightness & Contrast (if needed) and the USM.

II)
If the image is .jpeg, I use the Channel Mixer
- Monochrome/60-40-0
- Play with Shadow/Highlights, Curves and/or Brightness & Contrast (if needed) and the USM.


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## Digital Matt (Oct 5, 2005)

pursuer said:
			
		

> The channel mixer, hands down.



Agreed.  I think there is indeed a best way, and that is it.  Gives you the most control over the final look.


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## bethany138 (Oct 6, 2005)

I don't know how to do channel mixer. :blushing: 

Explanation?? :mrgreen:


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## Meysha (Oct 6, 2005)

For the Channel Mixer:

Click, Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Channel Mixer

Then tick the 'monochrome' box. Change levels to suit your photo.
Hit OK.
Done! :mrgreen:


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## Digital Matt (Oct 6, 2005)

Meysha said:
			
		

> For the Channel Mixer:
> 
> Click, Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Channel Mixer
> 
> ...



1 thing to note is, you want the percentages to equal 100%, however you do it.  Like 60% Red, 40% Blue, or 80 red, 10 green, 10 blue, for instance.

Another thing you can do then is, after you've set up the channel mixer how you want it, duplicate it, set the new layers blend mode to soft light, and then adjust the opacity as desired for more contrast.


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## bethany138 (Oct 6, 2005)

Good tips!

I tried the channel mixer but it didn't seem to work right...so this time I will use 100%.

Good Stuff... :hug:: 


Anybody else got a favorite b&w conversion????  
Maybe a specific action (please share if you do)!?  :mrgreen:


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## bethany138 (Oct 7, 2005)

Are there any more techniques anyone would like to share with us??

:hug::


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## JohnMF (Oct 12, 2005)

Like most people here i think, i prefare to use the channel mixer as explained above (channel mixer allows you to recreate the effects that using a coloured filters would do in traditional photog). However i dont always think it is the best choice all of the time. I usually try afew different techniques, and then see which one i prefare.


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## luisps (Dec 16, 2005)

Have you tried the Film & Filter technique from guru Russell Brown? Here you have the link:

http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

Near the end of the web page look for *Seeing in Black & White. *There
you have a Quicktime Tutorial explaining the technique.

Hope you like. Regards.

Luis (from Spain)


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## e_ (Dec 25, 2005)

**CREDIT: Russell Brown

Hello Bethany

...another cool B&W conversion tip using Photoshop which i've written up into 8 easy steps (note - this will also work in Adobe Elements):

1. Open original document and duplicate for conversion (never mess with your original)

2. On the duplicate image, go - Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation > click OK > click OK > set Layer control to "color"

3. Repeat step [2.] as follows, go - Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation > click OK > slide "Saturation" slider to "-100%" > click OK

4. In the Layer control panel - double click on the "Hue/Saturation #1" box and your fun begins: play with the "Hue" slider to achieve the desired affect 

5. Fine tune your image using the Curves or Levels tool

6. Save, either - 

(a) To keep a copy of the image file with all layers intact - "Save As" in the Photoshop format/PSD* and check the "Layers" box in the "Save Options" window. You can then return at any time to make further adjustments for printing if required

(b) To save normally there are two steps. First, go - "Layer" > "Flatten Image" and then "Save As" in the format of choice (TIFF, JPEG, etc)

7. Done!

8. Have fun ...



e_


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## duncanp (Dec 27, 2005)

*noobish suggestion* i dont own photoshop but at school i just change it into 8-bit or whichever one in that list


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## linzmcwilliams (Jan 3, 2006)

Channel mixer hands down.


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## FatVana (Jan 4, 2006)

Bethany, These are some examples of two click PhotoShop Black and White adjustments.  B&W is such a taste thing no one was is the best it's what you like the look of and speaks to you.  All the images including the color original I did a quick Auto Contrast ajustment to.  Then applied the one click B&W adjustment.  (Sorry about the spelling issues.  I just can't spell)

Original Color







Then Desaturated: image>Adjustments>desaturate






Then Gradient Map: image>adjustments>gradient map>in pulldown choose the black to white option.






Then Channel Mixer: image>adjustments>Channel mixer> click the Chrom... box in the lower left hand corner.






And lastly the channel mixer and the curves adjustment: same as above then...image>Curves>  add points to the line and play.






I hope this helps I also hope these images show up I've never posted images before.


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## orangetree (Jan 11, 2006)

When you do get the effect you like. I would highly suggest making it an action for simple repeat process...


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## markc (Jan 11, 2006)

The nice thing about the channel mixer is that you can adjust based on the image. If you have a lot of noise, you can use less blue channel and more green channel. To help with skin blemmishes, you can use a lot of the red channel.


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## orangetree (Jan 11, 2006)

Personally i love the discovery channel.

Oh yeah and the Foodnetwork Channel Iron Chef is so funny LOL


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## Jen (Jan 30, 2006)

What a very helpful thread!  I am going to go play now...


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## ClarkKent (Jan 30, 2006)

I too agree....channel mixer is the best way.


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## bethany138 (Feb 15, 2006)

Ok.. this is an old thread.. didn't even know it was still alive.. I have used channel mixer TONS now.. and Love it...   Thanks for all the tips


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## ChopstickHero (Mar 19, 2006)

I'm working with PS CS2 and using the RAW Convertor built in. is it better to just desaturate using this and play with all the settings? or is it better to turn it to a JPG/TIFF and then using the channel mixer? i currently just desaturate in the RAW convertor rather than use the channel mixer, b/c it saves me a few steps and i can usually still get enough control. what do you guys/gals think?


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## Digital Matt (Mar 19, 2006)

If you are getting the look you like, then stick with it.  There are 1000 ways to do things in Photoshop, and the way that works best for you, is the way to go.


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## Exitspeed (Mar 28, 2006)

Channel mixer. You can look at how each color looks in monochrome sepratly and then adjust each one so you get the best of all the different colors...

Don't know if that's the best way to explain it, but that's the jist...


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## bethany138 (Apr 20, 2006)

Exitspeed said:
			
		

> Channel mixer. You can look at how each color looks in monochrome sepratly and then adjust each one so you get the best of all the different colors...
> 
> Don't know if that's the best way to explain it, but that's the jist...


 
LOL - thanks...  you're like the 5th person to say this...lol.  Sorry.. this thread has lived for a longgg time for some reason.


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## Nov (Apr 29, 2006)

The set of actions from http://www.mountphotography.com has many of the different conversion routines (as well as loads of other tools for mono photography). Well worth a look.


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