In the digital age, we shoot full-color photographs. Which is a good thing, because it means we can distill the perfect black-and-white shot in Photoshop.
Rather than just trashing color—the way the Grayscale command does (hey, it was once our only option!)—or performing a linear channel merge—as with the Channel Mixer—Photoshop’s Black & White blends the midpoints of six color ranges. This provides you with superb control and all but eliminates your chance of clipping highlights or shadows.
Here’s how to convert a full-color photograph into the best of all possible black-and-white images:
This article was last modified on January 5, 2023
This article was first published on October 2, 2009
Commenting is easier and faster when you're logged in!
Recommended for you
5 Ways Photography Skills Can Improve Your Graphic Design
For some, making the connection between photography and graphic design is pretty...
How to Turn a Photograph Into a Cartoon in Photoshop
Learn the simple steps for creating a seemingly hand-drawn cartoon from a photo,...
How to Turn a Photo into Graffiti with Photoshop
You can turn any photograph into a piece of graffiti artwork in Photoshop, witho...