Convert a color image to black and white – Adobe Photoshop CS3 User Manual
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PHOTOSHOP CS3
User Guide
170
Colorize a grayscale image or create a monotone effect
1
If you are colorizing a grayscale image, choose Image > Mode > RGB Color to convert the image to RGB.
2
Do one of the following to open the Hue/Saturation dialog box:
•
Choose Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation.
•
Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation. Click OK in the New Layer dialog box.
3
Select the Colorize option. If the foreground color is black or white, the image is converted to a red hue (0˚). If the
foreground color is not black or white, the image is converted to the hue of the current foreground color. The
lightness value of each pixel does not change.
4
(Optional) Use the Hue slider to select a new color. Use the Saturation and Lightness sliders to adjust the
saturation and lightness of the pixels.
Convert a color image to black and white
The Black & White command 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
1
Choose Image > Adjustments > Black & White. Photoshop performs a default grayscale conversion based on the
color mix in the image.
2
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 Preset from the
palette menu.
Auto
Sets a grayscale mix based on the image’s color values, 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.
•
The grayscale ramps show how dark a color component will become in the grayscale conversion.
•
The mouse pointer changes to an eyedropper as you move it over the image. Click and hold on an image area to
highlight the color chip for the predominant color at that location. Click and drag to shift the color slider for that
color, making it darker or brighter in the image. Click and release to highlight the text box for the selected slider.
•
Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) a color chip to reset an individual slider to its initial setting. Press
Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) to turn the Cancel button to Reset, which resets all color sliders.
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
chip to open the Color Picker and further fine tune the tint color.
See also