By

Philip

Lawson

Digital Imaging 5•The Basics - Scanning and Printing•The Master Image•Working with Layers•Working with Channels•Black and White

Greyscale• By Black and White we really mean

a Monochromatic Greyscale Image• Or a Duotone• Or a Line Drawing

Greyscale Printing• Printing Greyscale images is

Problematic• Printing in Colour Inks leads to

– Colour casts– Lack of decent blacks

• Printing in Black Ink leads to– Lack of decent gradation

• Best to use Greyscale Ink Printers– Differing density inks and– Differing dot sizes

Greyscale• By Black and White we really mean

a Monochromatic Greyscale Image• Or a Duotone• Or a Tritone• Or a Line Drawing

Creating Greyscale 1• Scan in Monochrome• “Image->Mode->Greyscale”• “Image->Adjust->Desaturate”• Copy a Channel to a New Greyscale

Image

Creating Greyscale 2• Create a new Layer and Flood fill

with Filter Colour of your choice• Create a Hue/Saturation Adjustment

Layer and set Saturation to –100%• Manipulate Opacity to

obtain desired effect• Flatten Layers• Change Mode to Greyscale

Adjusting Greyscale: Before• Almost all accurate adjustment is

done to Greyscale images with the Levels tools

Adjusting Greyscale: After 1• Trim Dynamic Range and Contrast

Adjusting Greyscale: After 2• Trim Printer Dynamic Range (Output

levels)

Adjusting Greyscale: After 3• Curves can be used for greater

precision or special effects

Tones 1• Toned prints can be made from

Greyscale images converted back to Colour

• Then Overlay a Colour Layer and Blend

Tones 2• Alternatively, convert Greyscale to

Duotone and select ink colour and transfer function

• Use dark/dense inks

Duotones 1• Duotones (and others) do not create

extra channels

Duotones 2• Colours are mixed according to the

precise transfer functions created• Double click to edit function or

colour

Line Art and Liths 1• Good Line Art requires very high

resolution scans• Line Art should ideally only be Black

and White – no Greys• Convert to Bitmap

– very poor

Line Art and Liths 2• Add a Threshold Adjustment Layer

for much greater Control

Line Art and Liths 3• For more effects play with Blend

Modes and Opacity of Adjustment Layer

End of Black and White

Photographs courtesy of Janet Edwards