Getting the right amount of brightness/contrast in grayscale

[Diane_King@adobeforums.com]

I just wanted to update those who tried to help. I created all my grayscales using the double Hue/Saturation adjustment layers and then found the darkest spot on the picture and used a curves adjustment to set it below 85% [gray]. After I packaged the document, I flattened all the images to grayscale and sent that to the printer. It came out much better. I believe this will be the method I will use to create grayscales from color photos from now on.

[AlFerrari]

After I packaged the document, I flattened all the images to grayscale
and sent that to the printer.




Are you sure about that sequence? Seems like flattening before packaging (as Dove likes to say <G>) would be better.

Al Ferrari

[Diane_King@adobeforums.com]

Al,

No, I wanted to keep the non-flattened images in the original folder. I packaged first to create the Links folder and then batch flattened the images in the Links folder. It made it easier and I was able to keep the original RGB images for when we go to color in the next edition.

[AlFerrari]

Ah, I see now. A seasoned packager, then.

Al

[Richard_Sohanchyk@adobeforums.com]

Richard, we get Photoshop User magazine if you can get me an issue number




Went to NAPP site to track articles:
March 2005 (I think this is the article I'm thinking of. I have to track down the actual magazine which is here somewhere. It's not in my pile of back issues which means I set it aside to work from)
"The WOW! Factor - BY LINNEA DAYTON, JACK DAVIS, and BEN WILLMORE
Photoshop's Channel Mixer gives you control to convert a color image to black and white. Here, we create a black-and-white portrait by combining two Channel Mixer conversions."

Other articles:
Dec 2003 pg 56
Oct 2004 pg 56

[AlFerrari]

Converting color images to grayscale is a fertile subject. Here are some links that may be usefull:

<http://av.adobe.com/russellbrown/ColortoBW.mov>

<http://studio.adobe.com/us/tips/tip.jsp?p=1&id=101668&xml=phscs2mrblkwht>

<http://studio.adobe.com/us/tips/tip.jsp?p=1&id=100694&xml=phs8bwconversion>

<http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag/ps_pro_primers.html>

<http://www.gballard.net/psd.html>

<http://www.curvemeister.com/downloads/index.html>

<http://luminous-landscape.com/>

<http://www.theimagingfactory.com/>

Al Ferrari