Converting a color image to grayscale is not as simple as just removing the color. If you simply desaturate an image (change the saturation to 0), you will end up with an image that still has a full range of values, but it will be very flat-looking.
A grayscale image has only black, white, and all the shades of gray in between. There are a few ways to convert an image to grayscale and get good results.
One way to convert an image to grayscale is to use the Channel Mixer. To do this, go to Image > Adjustments > Channel Mixer.
In the Channel Mixer dialog box, check the Monochrome box at the bottom. Then, play with the sliders until you get a result that you like. You can also experiment with the Red, Green, and Blue sliders to get different results.
Another way to convert an image to grayscale is by using Lab Color mode. To do this, go to Image Mode Lab Color. This will desaturate your image and leave you with only two channels: L (for lightness) and a. The L channel is your grayscale image. To view it by itself, go to Window > Channels. You should see your L channel highlighted in the Channels panel. To view just the L channel by itself, hold down the Command/Ctrl key, click on the L channel, and then go to Image > Apply Image. In the Apply Image dialog box, make sure that your Blending is set to Normal, your Opacity is at 100%, your Invert checkbox is unchecked, and your Scale is set to 1.
Then click OK.
Photoshop also has a number of filters that can be used to convert an image to grayscale. One filter that can be used is the Black & White filter. To use this filter, go to Filter > Convert for Smart Filters. This will allow you to apply a Smart Filter which can be adjusted later if needed. Next, go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter. In the Camera Raw dialog box, go to the presets drop-down menu and choose one of the black and white presets.
Once you have converted your image to grayscale, you may want to adjust the levels or curves. This can be done by going to Image > Adjustments > Levels or Image > Adjustments > Curves. Adjusting these will help you get the perfect grayscale image.
There are a few different ways that you can convert an image into grayscale in Photoshop. Experiment with each method until you find one that works best for you and produces the results that you are looking for.
How Do I Grayscale One Layer in Photoshop?
If you have ever wondered how professional photographers seem to always have such perfect images in their portfolio, then part of their success may come down to knowing how convert color images into stunning black & white photos using Photoshop’s built-in tools.
Thankfully, there are several easy methods for converting images from color into beautiful black & white photos. And while each method may produce slightly different results, they all start with opening up an RGB color image file into Photoshop.
Method #1: Using The Grayscale Mode Conversion Tool
The first method we’ll cover involves using Photoshop’s “Grayscale” mode conversion tool which can be found under Image->Mode->Grayscale. Once activated, this tool will immediately remove all color information from our photo leaving us with a black & white version instead.
However, while this method may be quick & easy – it’s not always ideal as it permanently destroys our original color information meaning we can’t go back & easily change our mind later on if we wanted too.
Method #2: Duplicating Our Background Layer First
As an alternative (and often recommended) method we can start by duplicating our background layer first before doing anything else by pressing CTRL+J on our keyboard or going up under Layer->Duplicate Layer.
Next while still having our duplicated layer selected let’s go up under Image->Mode
