 Have you faced those lack luster black and white
conversions that the photoshop default provides?
Well here is a photoshop tip that will add zip.
PHOTOSHOP B&W CUSTOM CONVERSION
Photoshop 6.0 or greater required
It is very important to provide a backup path as you work. You
will be leaving a trail in Photoshop (PS) that you can go back
to in the event of an error or change of mind, without having
to completely start over from scratch. Please follow each step.
For images captured in RAW format; select one
A) Use your camera specific software.
B) Use PS 7.0 with optional Adobe download for RAW conversion.
C) Use PS 8.0 (CS)
Make any adjustments or corrections you would like in that application and
then “SAVE AS” 1) using a descriptive title for
a name (ei: GoldTree represented here as xxx), 2) underscore CamImg (stands
for camera image), 3) dot PSD (Photoshop document
/ to be certain of retaining PS layers). Should look like this “xxx_CamImg.psd”.
Now the original RAW data will remain intact without further modification.
For camera captured images in jpeg or tiff modes, open PS then
File>Open and click on the image file to be opened. Then immediately “SAVE
AS” 1) using a descriptive title for a name (ei:
GoldTree represented here as xxx), 2) underscore CamImg (stands
for camera image), 3) dot PSD (Photoshop document
/ to be certain of retaining PS layers). Should look like this “xxx_CamImg.psd”.
For images captured from a film or flatbed scanner; select one
A) They are directed to the desktop, then use PS>File> Open.
B) They are directed right into Photoshop>New Document.
Immediately “SAVE AS” 1) using a descriptive title
for a name (ei: GoldTree represented here as xxx), 2) underscore ScanImg (stands
for scanner image), 3) dot PSD (Photoshop document
/ to retain PS layers). Should look like this “xxx_ScanImg.psd”.
Now the original Scanner data will remain intact without further modification.
Once the camera image (CamImg) or scanner image (ScanImg) is
open in PS use the necessary tools to only spot and cleanup the
image file. Upon completion of that function immediately “SAVE
AS” xxx_Spot.psd. You will have your backup Img
file and your Spot file.
You will now use the Spot file and make any necessary gross
or overall color correction. Do not go into small detail here. “SAVE
AS” xxx_ClrPix.psd (color picture).
Using the ClrPix file immediately “SAVE AS” xxx_BW.psd.
Now go to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Channel Mixer>click.
Click on the Green Channel at the top of the dialog box. The green
channel is used because it is the one with the most information.
Click or check the monochrome box at the lower left of the dialog
box. Using the adjustment sliders set Red=20%, Green=70%, Blue=10%.
These are the approximate values PS would select if the image
was desaturated or changed in grayscale. These settings are rarely
the best, so adjust the sliders to optimize your image, just as
if you had added a filter on the camera.
Once you have achieved the optimized best look, click on the
background layer in the layers pallet. Click on Add New Layer
at the bottom of the layers pallet (the icon with a half black
and half white circle). Select a Hue / Saturation Layer. In the
hue/saturation dialog box use the H/S slider to separate the image
tones for the best look. Use the Lightness slider to adjust the
strength of the filter applied. In the layers pallet you will
now have, starting from the bottom, background layer, hue/saturation
layer, and channel mixer layer. You may now click on the channel
mixer icon (three circles) and readjust if necessary. Click “SAVE” and
you will now have a perfect Black & White image, which is
still fully customizable, with your color image underlying it.
You may click on the eye icons in the layers pallet to turn on
and off your adjustments to see your adjustment results and the
base image.
Now click “SAVE AS” add “xxx_810.psd” (or
what ever size you are going to make or print / 46, 57, 1114).
Now go to Image>Image Size> set your Height (10), Width
(8), Pixel count per inch (300 for prints) and click OK. This
will physically adjust the pixels in the file. If you are ever
going to make a different size image (do not use
file xxx_810.psd), OPEN the file labeled xxx_BW.psd and do a “SAVE
AS” rename it to xxx.57 (new size).psd, then resize the
H, W, P and click OK.
Once you have a file sized correctly and are ready to print
then you must bring the screen image up to 100% viewing, using
the apple key plus the + symbol (on PC use Ctrl+). Then you may
add some additional sharpening, if you wish, by going to Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp
Mask and for starters set the Threshold to 0, Radius to 1.0, and
amount from 50% to 150% (depending on image size, image texture,
etc.) by watching the effect in the image window then click OK.
Then you may proceed to your printing method.
Create a New Folder and label it xxx_Printers and move all of
you files created during this procedure into the folder. The folder
is now ready to burn to CD or your method of archiving.
askRodger@pictureline.com
Rodger Newbold 2004
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