How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop

This tutorial will show you a quick and easy way to add a monochrome color effect to your images using Adobe Photoshop . The term monochrome means that the colors in an image are limited to different shades of the same tone or the same primary color. And it is a great way to simplify an image or convey a certain mood or emotion. Black and white photography is monochrome because it only uses shades of gray, but any color can be used.

 

How to convert color photo to monochrome

Here's how to create a basic monochrome effect. Once you've got the hang of it, we'll show you how to combine a few steps to speed things up.

 

Step 1: Add a Solid Color fill layer above the image

The easiest way to convert a color photo to monochrome is to use a Solid Color fill layer.

In the Layers panel, the original image will appear on the Background layer. Add a Solid Color fill layer above the image by clicking the New Fill or Adjustment Layer icon :

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 4

And select Solid Color from the list:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 5

Step 2: Select the main color from the Color Picker

The Color Picker opens and the image will be temporarily blocked by whatever color is currently selected.

By default it is black:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 6

In the Color Picker, select the color you want to use. For now, we just want the hue (primary color). We'll come back and adjust the saturation and brightness in a moment.

 

For example, choose pink red:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 7

Click OK to close the Color Picker and now the new color blocks the image:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 8

Step 3: Change the blend mode of the fill layer to Color

Back in the Layers panel, fill the Solid Color layer above the Background layer.

To blend the color from the fill layer with the image below, change the blend mode of the fill layer from Normal to Color :

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 9

Blend mode Color keeps the tonal (brightness) values ​​of the underlying image but replaces the original colors with colors from the fill layer, creating the original effect:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 10

 

Step 4: Reopen Color Picker

The only problem, at least in the example case, is that the color saturation is too strong and also too bright.

To fix that, reopen the Color Picker by double-clicking on the fill layer's color swatch in the Layers panel:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 11

Step 5: Adjust the color saturation and brightness

Then adjust the saturation and brightness as needed.

Reduce the Saturation (S value) to 30% and the Brightness (B value) to 40%. Click OK when you're done:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 12

And when the saturation and brightness are reduced, the effect is much more subtle:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 13

In the Layers panel, you can turn the effect on and off to compare it to the original image by clicking on the fill layer's visibility icon:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 14

And that's the basics of how to convert a color image to monochrome using the Solid Color fill layer in Photoshop!

A faster way to create a monochrome color effect

Now that we know how to create a standard monochrome effect in Photoshop, here's how to combine a few steps and create a monochrome effect even faster!

 

Before continuing, delete the fill layer by dragging it to the trash:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 15

And now, back to the original image:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 16

Step 1: Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color

Instead of adding a Solid Color fill layer from the Layers panel, a better way is to go to the Layer menu in the menu bar, select New Fill Layer , and then select Solid Color :

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 17

Step 2: Set Mode to Color

The reason it's better is because this time, Photoshop will open the New Layer dialog box first. And from here, we can change the blend mode of the fill layer before adding it.

Change the Mode (short for Blend Mode) option from Normal to Color :

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 18

Step 3: Select a color from the Color Picker

Then click OK to close the dialog box and the Solid Color fill layer appears above the image, just like before. But this time, because Photoshop automatically sets the blend mode to Color, the fill layer doesn't block the image from view. Instead, the color and image blend together.

Since the default color is black, the initial result is a black and white effect:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 19

But you can choose any color you like from the Color Picker. This time we'll use a sepia tone by setting the Hue (H) to 30 °, Saturation (S) to 40% , and Brightness (B) to 45% :

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 20

Click OK to close the Color Picker and here is the result:

How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop Picture 21

4 ★ | 2 Vote

May be interested