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What is the most straight forward way that gives good results to convert colour images to black and white in photoshop?

have a look at this thread:

http://forum.d70users.com/viewtopic.php ... ght=gorman

Channel Mixer in Photoshop. Play with the RGB values until you get the result you're after. If you want the same exposure, make sure your RGB values add up to 100.

Alistair

Thanks guys, I will try them out.

There at least 4 different ways to do it. I have a quicktime tutorial somewhere, I'll see if I can find it and email it to you.

Max

As ozimax says, there are quite a few ways to convert to b&w (as with anything in ps).
As always, there are advantages & disadvantages to each method.
Here are a few:
1) Simplest & quickest is converting to grayscale mode.
- Image> mode> grayscale
Discards your colour info, but makes the file size much smaller.

2) desaturate.
- via layer Hues/saturation (use opacity to control strength)
- or image>adjustments>desaturate (ctrl-shft U)
Less control, but sometimes gives you good enough results.

3) Channel mixer. More complicated, but more control.
Can also increase or decrease exposureas needed.
- image>adjustments>channel mixer (or layer)
- play with R, G & B sliders to taste. As mentioned by Alistair; always add up to 100 to maintain the exposure.
- remember to click monochrome box
(Variation of this is simply using a single colour channel before converting to grayscale)

4) Via layers: Create 2 hue/saturation layers over the image.
-Top layer: decrease saturation to -100
-2nd layer: Use hue slider to get the most pleasing/effective tonalities.

5) Using calculations
- I've forgotten how to do it this way. It's been so long since I've used it. Perhaps someone else uses this technique?

Whlst the first two are simple, the more complicated ones give more control, similar to using colour filters on your lenses for B&W (without the hassle).

Personally, I generally use method 3 in a layer. This allows changes later down the track & I can adjust opacity if needed.
I can generally replicate the results better (I use a predominantly red weighted (~80%) tone for "retouch" of skin for portrait shots.
It also allows usage of a layer mask for selective recolour.
YMMV

Joolz

Wow, talk about comprehensive.
Thanks joolz.

Thanks Joolz.

This question seems to come up often enough. Might I suggest that a compilation of posts like this one from Joolz and Xerubus' post be placed in the Tutorials section with updates from anyone with the knowhow? I know that I for one have a difficult time remembering the complexities of this process.

I use to desaturate but I find it makes blotchy artefacts or something. Grayscale always seems to come out really smooth, and Xerubus' process I think I did wrong because I can't get the tainted color to come out right for some reason. I did however attempt to follow the instructions to the tee. Did anyone else have this problem?

That or in the tips and tricks section.

I have heaps of "free" quick time PS tutorial videos (gleaned from magazines etc) which I would be happy to share. I think they are a little large for posting here, but they are very good techniques from some well known pros.

Max