Converting to black and white

Crazyhorse

Crazyhorse

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Hi

Please could you help me?:help:

Working in cs4 extended with portraits of people, what's the correct technique for converting to black and white?

Also, I need a bit of inspiration, is there any way to jazz them up a bit?

Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.:thumbs:

Many thanks.

Lisa
 
I use the channel mixer on a sub menu of the Image menu...can't remember which one off my head! It gives much more control over the conversion :)
 
Also there is 'calculations' and 'lab color', the former can be interesting to play with, the latter tends to give nice smooth mid tones
 
Thanks for the replies. I'll give it a go.

Lisa
 
Crazyhorse said:
Hi

Please could you help me?:help:

Working in cs4 extended with portraits of people, what's the correct technique for converting to black and white?

Also, I need a bit of inspiration, is there any way to jazz them up a bit?

Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.:thumbs:

Many thanks.

Lisa
Click to expand...

Might be a bit late but:-

Copy / Paste below in the quote and save into a file called "Auto Convert BW.jsx" then store that file in "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS2\Presets\Scripts"

You can amend the below to which B&W process you prefer!

Can't remember where I found this so apologies if it's yours!!!!!

Carl.

var imageFolder = Folder.selectDialog("Select the folder with JPGs to process");
if (imageFolder != null) processFolder(imageFolder);

function processFolder(folder) {
var fileList = folder.getFiles()
for (var i = 0; i < fileList.length; i++) {
var file = fileList;
if (file instanceof File && file.name.match(/\.jpg$/i)) {
open(file);
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var saveFile = new File(decodeURI(activeDocument.fullName.fsName).slice(0,-4) +"BW.jpg");
/*
Black and White Emulation.
Agfa 200X: 18,41,41 Agfapan 25: 25,39,36 Agfapan 100: 21,40,39 Agfapan 400: 20,41,39
Ilford Delta 100: 21,42,37 Ilford Delta 400: 22,42,36 Ilford Delta 400 Pro: 31,36,33
Ilford FP4: 28,41,31 Ilford HP5: 23,37,40 Ilford Pan F: 33,36,31
Ilford SFX: 36,31,33 Ilford XP2 Super: 21,42,37
Kodak Tmax 100: 24,37,39 Kodak Tmax 400: 27,36,37 Kodak Tri-X: 25,35,40
Choose from the values above
It uses the channel mixer to create the B&W
*/
BlackWhite(25,39,36); // Agfapan 25
SaveForWeb(saveFile,60);
app.activeDocument.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);
} else
if (file instanceof Folder) {
processFolder(file);
}
}
}
function SaveForWeb(saveFile,jpegQuality) {
var sfwOptions = new ExportOptionsSaveForWeb();
sfwOptions.format = SaveDocumentType.JPEG;
sfwOptions.includeProfile = false;
sfwOptions.interlaced = 0;
sfwOptions.optimized = true;
sfwOptions.quality = jpegQuality;
app.activeDocument.exportDocument(saveFile, ExportType.SAVEFORWEB, sfwOptions);
}
function BlackWhite(Red,Green,Blue) {
function cTID(s) { return app.charIDToTypeID(s); };
function sTID(s) { return app.stringIDToTypeID(s); };
var desc2 = new ActionDescriptor();
desc2.putEnumerated( sTID('presetKind'), sTID('presetKindType'), sTID('presetKindCustom') );
desc2.putBoolean( cTID('Mnch'), true );
var desc3 = new ActionDescriptor();
desc3.putUnitDouble( cTID('Rd '), cTID('#Prc'), Red );
desc3.putUnitDouble( cTID('Grn '), cTID('#Prc'), Green );
desc3.putUnitDouble( cTID('Bl '), cTID('#Prc'), Blue );
desc2.putObject( cTID('Gry '), cTID('ChMx'), desc3 );
executeAction( cTID('ChnM'), desc2, DialogModes.NO );
};
Click to expand...
 
That was one of my scripts, if you don't want to do the save here is a slightly different version that will give you the choice of film emulation.
Code: 
#target photoshop
function main(){
var Dlg =
"dialog{text:'Script Interface',bounds:[100,100,500,290],"+
"Text:StaticText{bounds:[20,20,240,40] , text:'Emulate B&W Film' ,properties:{scrolling:undefined,multiline:undefined}},"+
"panel0:Panel{bounds:[10,10,390,180] , text:'' ,properties:{borderStyle:'etched',su1PanelCoordinates:true}"+
"Film:DropDownList{bounds:[20,70,270,90]},"+
"button0:Button{bounds:[20,110,120,130] , text:'Ok' },"+
"button1:Button{bounds:[250,110,350,130] , text:'Cancel' }}};"
win2 = new Window(Dlg,"Convert Colour to B&W");
var bwList = [['Agfa 200X',18,41,41],
	['Agfapan 25',25,39,36],
	['Agfapan 100',21,40,39],
	['Agfapan 400',20,41,39],
	['Ilford Delta 100',21,42,37],
	['Ilford Delta 400',22,42,36],
	['Ilford Delta 400 Pro',31,36,33],
	['Ilford FP4',28,41,31],
	['Ilford HP5',23,37,40],
	['Ilford Pan F',33,36,31],
	['Ilford SFX',36,31,33],
	['Ilford XP2 Super',21,42,37],
	['Kodak Tmax 100',24,37,39],
	['Kodak Tmax 400',27,36,37],	
	['Kodak Tri-X',25,35,40]];
	
	for (i in bwList) {
	win2.panel0.Film.add('item',bwList[i][0])
  }
win2.panel0.Film.selection=0;
win2.panel0.Film.onChange = function(){
Sel = parseInt(this.selection);
	}
var done = false; 
    while (!done) { 
      var x = win2.show(); 
      if (x == 0 || x == 2) {
        win2.canceled = true;
        done = true; 
      } else if (x == 1) { 
        done = true; 
       var result = valiDate();
        if(result != true) {
        	alert(result);
        	return;
        }else
        {
			if(documents.length){
       BlackWhite(bwList[Sel][1],bwList[Sel][2],bwList[Sel][3]); 
			}
        }
      } 
   } 
}
main();

function valiDate(){
return true;
};

function BlackWhite(Red,Green,Blue) {
  function cTID(s) { return app.charIDToTypeID(s); };
  function sTID(s) { return app.stringIDToTypeID(s); };
    var desc2 = new ActionDescriptor();
    desc2.putEnumerated( sTID('presetKind'), sTID('presetKindType'), sTID('presetKindCustom') );
    desc2.putBoolean( cTID('Mnch'), true );
        var desc3 = new ActionDescriptor();
        desc3.putUnitDouble( cTID('Rd  '), cTID('#Prc'), Red );
        desc3.putUnitDouble( cTID('Grn '), cTID('#Prc'), Green );
        desc3.putUnitDouble( cTID('Bl  '), cTID('#Prc'), Blue );
    desc2.putObject( cTID('Gry '), cTID('ChMx'), desc3 );
    executeAction( cTID('ChnM'), desc2, DialogModes.NO );
};
 
The above looks very ineteresting but it's gone over my head! What exactly will the above script do?
 
All it will do is give you a choice of presets to convert your document to Black & White using the channel mixer.
 
Thanks for that Paul, sorry for not remembering it was you!!!

Carl.
 
Paul MR said:
That was one of my scripts, if you don't want to do the save here is a slightly different version that will give you the choice of film emulation.
Code: 
#target photoshop
function main(){
var Dlg =
"dialog{text:'Script Interface',bounds:[100,100,500,290],"+
"Text:StaticText{bounds:[20,20,240,40] , text:'Emulate B&W Film' ,properties:{scrolling:undefined,multiline:undefined}},"+
"panel0:Panel{bounds:[10,10,390,180] , text:'' ,properties:{borderStyle:'etched',su1PanelCoordinates:true}"+
"Film:DropDownList{bounds:[20,70,270,90]},"+
"button0:Button{bounds:[20,110,120,130] , text:'Ok' },"+
"button1:Button{bounds:[250,110,350,130] , text:'Cancel' }}};"
win2 = new Window(Dlg,"Convert Colour to B&W");
var bwList = [['Agfa 200X',18,41,41],
	['Agfapan 25',25,39,36],
	['Agfapan 100',21,40,39],
	['Agfapan 400',20,41,39],
	['Ilford Delta 100',21,42,37],
	['Ilford Delta 400',22,42,36],
	['Ilford Delta 400 Pro',31,36,33],
	['Ilford FP4',28,41,31],
	['Ilford HP5',23,37,40],
	['Ilford Pan F',33,36,31],
	['Ilford SFX',36,31,33],
	['Ilford XP2 Super',21,42,37],
	['Kodak Tmax 100',24,37,39],
	['Kodak Tmax 400',27,36,37],	
	['Kodak Tri-X',25,35,40]];
	
	for (i in bwList) {
	win2.panel0.Film.add('item',bwList[i][0])
  }
win2.panel0.Film.selection=0;
win2.panel0.Film.onChange = function(){
Sel = parseInt(this.selection);
	}
var done = false; 
    while (!done) { 
      var x = win2.show(); 
      if (x == 0 || x == 2) {
        win2.canceled = true;
        done = true; 
      } else if (x == 1) { 
        done = true; 
       var result = valiDate();
        if(result != true) {
        	alert(result);
        	return;
        }else
        {
			if(documents.length){
       BlackWhite(bwList[Sel][1],bwList[Sel][2],bwList[Sel][3]); 
			}
        }
      } 
   } 
}
main();

function valiDate(){
return true;
};

function BlackWhite(Red,Green,Blue) {
  function cTID(s) { return app.charIDToTypeID(s); };
  function sTID(s) { return app.stringIDToTypeID(s); };
    var desc2 = new ActionDescriptor();
    desc2.putEnumerated( sTID('presetKind'), sTID('presetKindType'), sTID('presetKindCustom') );
    desc2.putBoolean( cTID('Mnch'), true );
        var desc3 = new ActionDescriptor();
        desc3.putUnitDouble( cTID('Rd  '), cTID('#Prc'), Red );
        desc3.putUnitDouble( cTID('Grn '), cTID('#Prc'), Green );
        desc3.putUnitDouble( cTID('Bl  '), cTID('#Prc'), Blue );
    desc2.putObject( cTID('Gry '), cTID('ChMx'), desc3 );
    executeAction( cTID('ChnM'), desc2, DialogModes.NO );
};
Click to expand...

This looks really interesting but what exactly do I do with this :help:

Sorry if its obvious sometimes I just need it spelling out.

Steve
 
All you need to do is to copy the script into a text editor (notepad) or better still ExtendScript Toolkit and save it as FileName.js or FileName.jsx if using Photoshop CS2/3 or 4
and put it in:
PC:- C:/Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CS#/Presets/Scripts/
Mac:- [hard drive]/Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS#/Presets/Scripts/

To use:
Open the document you want to change to Black and White then:
File - Scripts - and choose the script
You will then have the choice of emulation to choose from.
 
I really wanna get this working, done all of the above steps butwhen I try to apply it to an image I get this, any ideas?
Untitled-115.jpg
 
I really wanna get this working, done all of the above steps butwhen I try to apply it to an image I get this, any ideas?
Click to expand...

Did you get the very last }; at the end?
 
For what it's worth I cant get it to work with notepad, CS4 just doesn't see the file as a script, I cheated and made a copy of an existing script, deleted everything in it and added the posted script, that worked fine. Wayne
 
Paul MR said:
All you need to do is to copy the script into a text editor (notepad) or better still ExtendScript Toolkit and save it as FileName.js or FileName.jsx if using Photoshop CS2/3 or 4
and put it in:
PC:- C:/Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CS#/Presets/Scripts/
Mac:- [hard drive]/Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS#/Presets/Scripts/

To use:
Open the document you want to change to Black and White then:
File - Scripts - and choose the script
You will then have the choice of emulation to choose from.
Click to expand...

Thank you it worked a treat (well except the first one on the list which gave me a script error, other conversions work fine) Great B&W conversion tool, now all it needs is a preview option if you have 5 mins to spare. :lol::lol:

Steve
 
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