LuttieBlack and White Converter
Turn a photo black and white and decide how each colour translates to grey. Start from a neutral conversion or a classic lens filter, adjust the mix, and download the result at full size.
How bright each colour looks to the eye
A black and white photo is a decision about colour
Removing colour doesn't tell you how bright a red jacket or a blue sky should be. Two colours that look completely different can land on the same grey and vanish into each other. The mix of red, green and blue decides which colours separate and which merge, and that is most of what makes a black and white picture work.
Film photographers made this choice with a coloured filter on the lens. The looks above use the same idea, so the result reads like a photograph and not like a desaturated colour picture.
Which look for which photo
Landscapes with sky
Red or Orange filter. The sky darkens and clouds stand out. Red is the dramatic version.
Portraits
Orange or Yellow filter. Skin gets lighter and smoother. Avoid Blue, which brings out every blemish.
Forests and gardens
Green filter. Leaves that would turn a heavy dark grey become lighter and show more detail.
Street and architecture
Neutral or High contrast. Start neutral, then raise Contrast until the blacks are solid.
Fog, mist and distance
Blue filter. It adds haze instead of cutting through it, for a soft, old-fashioned feel.
Going further than a conversion
A conversion sets the greys. A finished black and white picture usually also has a shaped tone curve, sometimes a warm or cool tint, and a little grain. The curve and the tint are free in the Luttie editor (film grain is part of Pro), along with free black and white LUTsyou can use on video. To check that your blacks and whites aren't clipping, open the result in the histogram viewer.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn a photo black and white?
Choose your photo above, pick a look such as Neutral or Red filter, and press Download. The conversion happens as soon as the photo loads, and the sliders let you change how light or dark each colour becomes.
Is this black and white converter free?
Yes. There is no account, no watermark, and the download is at the photo's full size.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The photo is read and converted in your browser and never leaves your computer or phone.
What is the difference between black and white and grayscale?
Grayscale usually means one fixed recipe: each pixel is replaced by its brightness. A black and white conversion is a choice about how bright each colour should be. Making reds lighter and blues darker gives a very different picture from the same photo, which is what the filter looks and sliders here control.
What do the red, yellow, green and blue filters do?
They copy the coloured glass filters used on black and white film. A filter lightens its own colour and darkens the opposite one. Red turns a blue sky nearly black and brightens skin. Yellow does the same more gently. Green lightens leaves and deepens skin tone. Blue lightens the sky and exaggerates haze and skin texture.
Why do the three colour sliders change the brightness?
Each slider is how much that colour contributes to the grey. When the three add up to 100%, a neutral grey stays the same brightness. Push them above that and the picture gets lighter overall, below and it gets darker. The filter looks all add up to 100%.
Shape the tones and add a tint to your black and white.
Grading is free in the browser, for photos and video.
Open the editor →