How to Turn Color Image to Black and White Using Photoshop

How about changing a color picture into black and white for a different mood. Here's how:

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adobe Photoshop (any edition)
• PC platform machine with MS Windows XP/Vista O.S., any version
• Prepared image
• Sharp eyes
• Practice

1. 
    
   Oak tree wallpaper

   Open the image file you want to change in your Photoshop. This is the image I used. Courtesy of www.natures-desktop.com.
   
   There are many ways to convert color images to B&W in Photoshop. Following are the two methods I use most often. Your choice for this tutorial - - either follow Step 2, or Step 3 for the instructions.

2. - - METHOD 1 - -
   
   Go to the top menu and select Image > Calculations..., to bring up the dialog box.
   
   Here is what I did to the items selections for my image. You will have to experiment with the choices to suite what looks best on yours.
   
   - In the Calculations window -
   
   SOURCE 1: (the image file name here; the image you are currently using) / You can also choose another image on your hard drive.
   LAYER: Background; selected from the drop-down menu.
   CHANNEL: Gray; selected from the drop-down menu / with the Invert box "unmarked".
   
   SOURCE 2: (the image file name here; the image you are currently using) / You can open a second image on your hard drive. If you are using a different image here, this one can be used to either layer on top or below the image you opened in Source 1. Since I used the same picture, meaning no image "over-lay", my image file name here is the same as in Source 1.
   LAYER: Background (if you are using a different image here than for Source 1, you can set this image to be the Foreground, Mid-ground or Background). Since I used the same image as Source 1, the default layer is "Background".
   CHANNEL: Blue; selected from the drop-down menu / with the Invert box "unmarked".
   
   BLENDING: Normal; selected from the drop-down menu.
   OPACITY: 100% (Type in the value here. The higher the percentage, the brighter the image will be).
   MASK: Unchecked the box.
   RESULT: New Channel; selected from the drop down menu.

3. - - METHOD 2 - -
   
   Go to Image on the top menu, select Adjust > Channel Mixer..., to bring up the selection window.
   
   Here's what I set for my image in this tutorial:
   
   Put a "check mark" in the Monochrome box, the last item in the pop-up window. You need to check the box here to have your image successfully change from color to B&W.
   
   For the OUTPUT CHANNEL: Blue; from the drop-down menu
   
   Values I entered in the SOURCE CHANNELS box:
   Red: 44
   Green: 17
   Blue: 63
   
   For the Constant item, I had the "triangle" mark set in the center on the slide; percentage "0".

4. 
    
   Final image

   This is the result for the image after using either the methods in Step 2, or Step 3.
   
   Save the image using a different file name, then use it as your desktop image; wallpaper.

Tips & Warnings

• Some images downloaded from royalty-free sites are for personal use only, even though the images are free. If you want to use them on your blog/website or for other graphic projects and to show in public, you'll need permission from the original content provider.