Toning images scanned from B&W negs?

[Nacio Jan Brown]

I have a large number of scans of B&W negs scanned as monochrome. Is it possible using CS5 to warm these up a bit. Obviously the channel mixer won't work because there is only the monochrome channel. I'm looking for a tone just a bit warmer than the unpleasantly cool gray of a laptop screen. TIA for any tips. njb

[Zaitz]

I have a large number of scans of B&W negs scanned as monochrome. Is it possible using CS5 to warm these up a bit. Obviously the channel mixer won't work because there is only the monochrome channel. I'm looking for a tone just a bit warmer than the unpleasantly cool gray of a laptop screen. TIA for any tips. njb

There are many good ways. I use SilverEfex but that is add-on software. Best to just link to tutorials I think. These have helped me in the past.

http://layersmagazine.com/2629.html
http://photo.tutsplus.com/tutorials/post-processing/mastering-the-art-of-black-and-white-toning/
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/photoshop/toning.htm

Convert the image back to RGB if you need to add some color. Obviously grayscale mode won't work too well :D.

[Greg Miller]

One method is to create a hue/saturation layer. Click on "colorize", adjust Hue to get the tone that you want (a value somewhere around 40 makes a nice sepia), and then adjust saturation to increase or decrease the intensity of the toning. I also like to set the blending mode of this layer to "color" to avoid effecting luminosity ("color" allows hue and saturation to change but not luminosity) You can create an action to make it easy to repeat for several images.

[keith schreiber]

What Greg said, but remember that in order to colorize your grayscale scans you will have to change to RGB mode.

Also, if your grayscale images look unpleasantly cool, your display may be in need of calibration. Grayscale should appear neutral gray, not cool (bluish) gray.

~ Keith

[Mike Anderson]

...
Also, if your grayscale images look unpleasantly cool, your display may be in need of calibration. Grayscale should appear neutral gray, not cool (bluish) gray.

~ Keith

I like sepia toned images. I notice when I'm working with a number of them (in "sepia mode") then look at an untoned greyscale image it looks blue! When my eyes adjust out of "sepia mode" untoned greyscale images go back to looking grey.

...Mike

[MumbleyJoe]

Personally, I created a custom gradient map so that I could vary the intensity of tone and the hue as well across the range of tones. I don't know why I bothered really, but I felt like it made a bit of a difference.

Anyway, now I just apply the custom gradient map to my monochrome image (in color mode, because I slightly adjusted the luminosity unintentionally). Anyway, it worked for me.

[keith schreiber]

I like sepia toned images. I notice when I'm working with a number of them (in "sepia mode") then look at an untoned greyscale image it looks blue! When my eyes adjust out of "sepia mode" untoned greyscale images go back to looking grey.

...Mike

No argument there, Mike. :D I like warm images too, warm prints in particular, which is why I do most of my wet printing with the platinum/palladium process using all palladium most of the time. And for digital printing I prefer Cone's Sepia inkset.

The part of my comment that you quoted, though, was in direct response to what the OP said about "the unpleasantly cool gray of a laptop screen." It need not be that way. Even if you don't have a Spyder or i1, calibration can be done with software tools in the OS. On Macs, it is System Preferences > Displays > Color > Calibrate. On Windows, it is (or at least was last time I had a PC) Adobe Gamma.

For a more complete answer, I would ask the OP whether the purpose of altering the image hue is for on screen display only, or is it also for printing. If the latter, there may be better solutions, such as QTR and/or monochrome inksets, that should be explored.

~ Keith

[Ken Lee]

You might find this article helpful: Photoshop Fill Layer (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/bronze.php)

[bob carnie]

Very simple method I use.
If you like split tone silver prints , a way to mimic is to change mode to RGB, open colour balance, add yellow to highlights, cyan/blue to shadow, and a slight red to taste to midtone.
Very lovely tonalitys.

[Brian Ellis]

No argument there, Mike. :D I like warm images too, warm prints in particular, which is why I do most of my wet printing with the platinum/palladium process using all palladium most of the time. And for digital printing I prefer Cone's Sepia inkset.

The part of my comment that you quoted, though, was in direct response to what the OP said about "the unpleasantly cool gray of a laptop screen." It need not be that way. Even if you don't have a Spyder or i1, calibration can be done with software tools in the OS. On Macs, it is System Preferences > Displays > Color > Calibrate. On Windows, it is (or at least was last time I had a PC) Adobe Gamma.

For a more complete answer, I would ask the OP whether the purpose of altering the image hue is for on screen display only, or is it also for printing. If the latter, there may be better solutions, such as QTR and/or monochrome inksets, that should be explored.

~ Keith

Adobe dropped Adobe Gamma a few iterations ago, somewhere around CS3 maybe. Which is good because it was mostly useless and probably gave some people a false sense of confidence that they had calibrated their monitor when they really hadn't.

[drew.saunders]

Ilford has a "digital toning" document that will give help you get started.

http://www.ilford.com/en/pdf/prods/galerie/gold/Gold%20Creative%20Tips_en.pdf

[David Higgs]

I use Ken's method with all my B+W images

Thanks Ken :)

[JohnnyV]

You might find this article helpful: Photoshop Fill Layer (http://www.kenleegallery.com/html/tech/bronze.php)

Before Lightroom I used Ken's Photoshop Fill technique. It's really the way to go.

[Brian Ellis]

You could also try using QTR - www.harrington.com - to make your black and white prints if your printer is supported by QTR (most are). QTR allows you to use up to three different curves on the highlights, midtones, and shadows to produce effects ranging from warm to cold to tone your prints.