Desaturate using the Channel Mixer

In this tutorial you will learn how to desaturate an image the correct way, with the possibility to change the way the image turns out in black and white! This gives you the control you will never get with the more common technique, Ctrl+U

Step 1: Open an image of your choice, and learn how not to do it

For this example I chose the following image, a photograph I took in Paris, earlier this year. The car is a Peugeot.



Now that's a car most of us wouldnt mind driving! Ok, to desaturate, most people press Ctrl+U, which gives them the following screen. They simple drag the Saturate bar to the left, to extract all colours used in the image:



This leads to the following result:



The image looks rather dull, there is a lack of lightning and the beautiful shine the photograph had is just gone!

Step 2 : Doing it the proper way: Channel Mixer

We will add an adjustment layer, so you always have the opportunity to make changes to the way the imaghe displays in black and white!

To accomplish this, do the following:



Now a popup window appears, which gives you control over the percentage Red, Green and Blue used in the underlying layer.



Make sure you tick 'monochrome'.

Use the sliders to get different results. Make sure the level of detail stays the same. For some combinations, the image gets a bit choppy.

An example of a result using the Channel Mixer technique:



Don't like it? Double click the adjustment icon in the Layers Window, and simply edit it!



Some different settings, and voila, a new image! It's that easy!

Step 3: Adding extras

Using this technique, you can create several different end-results. for the following image, I duplicated the original layer, moved it to the top in the layer order and set it to Soft Light.

This tutorial is written and is copyrighted by RedDragon for 13dots (www.13dots.com) and is NOT to be used or republished in anyway without the explicit permission from 13dots.com. You may link to it.

Nice car you have there, Rick... must've set you back quite a bit. Your web designing looks to be paying off.

Seriously, though... great tut, Rick!

yeah, mind telling me where I can get one of them cheaply??

Nice tute, I never realised the difference between all the de-saturation methods before.

Very kewl, that last pic has the best glossyness I have seen

Thanks!

If I knew the colour in the last photo was available, I would have never bought the plain red one

Oh, their shop is located at the Avenue des Champs Elysées in Paris, for those interested

Many thanks Rick, I never knew this.

Great tutorial Red! Thanks for adding it!!

I really like this tutorial Red, it's awesome and very well explained.
Haven't used the Channel Mixer before, so I found this tut very useful.
Thanks!

That looks sweet Red

Thanks for adding this tut

Eddie