True B&W

ShepsMom · December 8, 2009

I need to convert some color images, i'm trying to print some brochures with B&W photos and what to make sure they do not have a tint to them. So far they're coming out with some color cast. Of course, printing at home isn't helping much for a true representation of the b&w
Is there are way for a true B&W conversion? Any tips appreciated.

Thanks!

pathfinder · December 8, 2009

Marina, if your images in RGB in Photoshop read the same in each channel 2,2,2 - 10,10,10 - 128,128,128 - 245,245,245 - then you have a true monochrome image, a true neutral B&W. You do not mention how you are printing and evaluating your brochures. Inkjet at home, CMYK line printer, etc?

If you print this image on your printer at home, and you see a color tint to the image, the tint is from the profile or the limitations of your printer that you used at home. Printing a true neutral B&W image can be challenging for printers with less than perfect profiles, and almost impossible for some more inexpensive home printers.

The same file, printed by a professional lab, should not display a tint, if all three R,G,B channels are equal in each pixel as I stated above.

To get good B&W images at home requires very good profiles, specifically derived for B&W printing, with a specific paper, OEM ink, and a specific printer. You cannot use a generic color profile and expect to see quality monochrome prints with consumer grade ink jet printers. It just won't happen.

To print good B&W with my Epson 3800, I use special profiles specifically made for B&W, and a different profile for each type of paper.

ShepsMom · December 8, 2009

Thank you Pathfinder. I just found something that might work.
Here are the steps:

Mode>Lab Color
Channels>Delete channel "a", "b" will be deleted as well
Back to Mode>Grayscale
Back to Mode>RGB

There are no colors left, only B&W

What do you think of that?

ziggy53 · December 8, 2009

In Photoshop, Image - Mode - Grayscale, will also take you to a monochromatic image. It may not translate colors the way you want with either that method or the LAB method you mention.

The print profiles Pathfinder mentioned cannot be emphasized enough for accurate tonal translation to a specific printer.

jjbong · December 9, 2009

Sometimes you have to set the preferences for the printer driver. I found that doing everything right in Photoshop (as others in this thread have suggested), I would still get a cast on my Canon Pixma printer (a low-end model). I found that there was a way to tell the driver (in Windows using Printer Preferences) that I wanted grayscale.

John Bongiovanni

Sam · December 9, 2009

True B&W is a challenge. If your printer only has one black ink cartridge, good luck! You ain't gona get a true B&W print.

I haven't had a great deal of success even with commercial pro labs when printing with a photographic printing process.

Try calling any lab you want and ask them if they can print a true B&W print, and see what the answer is. Most of the current large format printers have multiple black, and gray cartridges and can print a good B&W, but the chemical printers seem to have problems.

Work flow, icc profiles, and testing is the only why.

Send them a test print or two.

Sam

pathfinder · December 9, 2009

The ImagePrint RIP previously was the most effective way to print lovely B&Ws. I had some success with it, but have not continued with it through the various upgrades of operating systems since Tiger in OS X.

The newer Epson drivers and profiles for their professional 8 ink inkjet printers are much better now, and with appropriate profiles I get very nice B&W prints from my Epson 3800.

Marina, there are a number of links about creating B&W images from color images in Photoshop in the stickies at the top of this forum

Here
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=114917

and here

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=56678

They should help you create a nice B&W image from a color image file. Getting the file to paper is then the final step we have been addressing.

Anthony · December 9, 2009

ShepsMom wrote:

I need to convert some color images, i'm trying to print some brochures with B&W photos and what to make sure they do not have a tint to them. So far they're coming out with some color cast. Of course, printing at home isn't helping much for a true representation of the b&w
Is there are way for a true B&W conversion? Any tips appreciated.

Thanks!

Have a look at www.photo-i.co.uk - in the forum dedicated to your printer.

I found one for my Epson 1400 which had a couple of good ideas...

http://www.photo-i.co.uk/BB/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=6319

Anthony.

ShepsMom · December 9, 2009

Thank you guys, i wont be using my printer, it will be send to the lab. So i'm trying to do my best in conversion at home.

Will check on all the links!!

pathfinder · December 9, 2009

If you are having a lab do your printing, just do a good B&W conversion, and you should be fine.

True B&W

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