How to make a photo black and white in Photoshop
Jul 06, 2025 am 12:24 AMTo process photos into natural and layered black and white effects, there are three common methods in Photoshop. 1. Use "Desaturation" to quickly process: Press Shift Ctrl U (Windows) or Shift Command U (Mac) to remove colors with one click, but the picture may appear dull; 2. Use "Black and White Adjustment Layer" to fine control: the light and darkness of different color channels can be adjusted separately to enhance the details and three-dimensionality; 3. Use "Channel Mixer" to create a classic black and white style: check "monochrome" and adjust the ratio of the red, green and blue channels, which can achieve a retro or cinematic effect. Newbie recommend starting with simple methods and gradually mastering more refined color grading techniques to achieve ideal results.
Turning a photo into a black and white effect is actually quite simple in Photoshop, but it is still a bit particular to do it naturally and layered. Many people think that just "desaturation" is done, but it turns out that it looks dull and untextured. The following methods are suitable for different needs, and you can choose according to your own situation.

Quick processing with "desaturation"
This is the easiest method, suitable for scenarios with low demands on effects.
Operation steps:

- Open the photo, press
Shift Ctrl U
(Windows) orShift Command U
(Mac) to desaturate directly. - In this way, the color information of the entire image is cleared, leaving only grayscale.
But the problem with this method is that all colors are converted to the same grayscale, lacking contrast and detailed expression . For example, red and green may turn into similar gray, and the picture will appear flat.
Use the "black and white adjustment layer" to finely control it
If you want to make black and white photos more layered, it is recommended to use the "Black and White Adjustment Layer".

Operation method:
- Click the "Create a new fill or adjust layer" button below the layer panel and select "Black and White".
- Adjust the sliders corresponding to each color channel. For example, you can make the blue darker and the yellow brighter, so that the photo has a more three-dimensional feeling.
The advantage of this approach is that the light and darkness can be adjusted according to different colors , thereby retaining more details and emotional expressions. For example, in portraits, you can appropriately brighten the corresponding tones of skin to make the characters stand out.
Try the "Channel Mixer" for classic black and white effects
If you like the blue or yellow style of old photos, you can try the "channel mixer".
Operation steps:
- Add "Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer".
- Check "monochrome" and the image will turn black and white.
- Next, the ratio of the three channels of red, green and blue can be adjusted to obtain different black and white styles.
Common settings such as:
- Turning the red channel up will make the skin softer.
- There are more blue channels, and the overall cold is suitable for scenery.
This method is suitable for advanced users, and you can create a movie or retro style with a slight adjustment.
The above methods have their own applicable scenarios. Novice can start practicing from "desaturation", and then try the "black and white adjustment layer" or "channel mixer" after proficiency. The key is to adjust it according to the content of the photo, not a one-click job.
Basically, that's not difficult to operate, but you have to take some thought to adjust the effect.
The above is the detailed content of How to make a photo black and white in Photoshop. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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