Render B&W View

[stevieray]

Is there a way to quickly convert an image to B&W and then back again?  It is useful for getting a rough idea whether or not a particular image will make a strong B&W, or not. 

Thanks.

[Kirk Baker]

Is there a way to quickly convert an image to B&W and then back again?  It is useful for getting a rough idea whether or not a particular image will make a strong B&W, or not. 

No, there is not any quick way to do that currently.

-Kirk

[FVlcek]

Hi Stevie.

There is a workaround by using Colour Management built into PM. There are B&W ICM profiles floating around on the web, one is included with Capture 1 RAW processing software (even the demo). You can embed the profile (mine is called C1_BW9.ICM) into your files using PM's Embed ICC Profile command in Tools menu. Now, when you turn colour management on and off (C key), the files will turn from B&W to Colour. The files insides are not changed, just their header with colour profile (meaning you can afterwards again embed the sRGB or AdobeRGB original profile and they are as they were before).

If you do Save As/FTP/... and tick the option Conert to sRGB, they will be permanently converted to B&W!

Best works with sRGB profiled files though (because they look normal on your screen with C off).

To Kirk, actually if you implement this feature (which I think would be useful as well), this could be the way to go - the code for colour management is already there, you would have to add just few lines into the interface code ;-) (for example, toggle with B key?) - like temprorarily assign B&W ICC on/off. You would just have to get somebody create a B&W ICC profile to include with it, or find a free one. I am no expert in CM so I don't know if B&W profile is simply few numbers or if it is more difficult.

Frantisek

[Kirk Baker]

There is a workaround by using Colour Management built into PM. There are B&W ICM profiles floating around on the web, one is included with Capture 1 RAW processing software (even the demo). You can embed the profile (mine is called C1_BW9.ICM) into your files using PM's Embed ICC Profile command in Tools menu. Now, when you turn colour management on and off (C key), the files will turn from B&W to Colour. The files insides are not changed, just their header with colour profile (meaning you can afterwards again embed the sRGB or AdobeRGB original profile and they are as they were before).

If you do Save As/FTP/... and tick the option Conert to sRGB, they will be permanently converted to B&W!

Best works with sRGB profiled files though (because they look normal on your screen with C off).

To Kirk, actually if you implement this feature (which I think would be useful as well), this could be the way to go - the code for colour management is already there, you would have to add just few lines into the interface code ;-) (for example, toggle with B key?) - like temprorarily assign B&W ICC on/off. You would just have to get somebody create a B&W ICC profile to include with it, or find a free one. I am no expert in CM so I don't know if B&W profile is simply few numbers or if it is more difficult.

There are also sepia tone profiles that will do the same thing.

If I added such a feature, how would the UI work?  Selectable for any image, or a global for all images?

-Kirk

[stevieray]

I think that a Command B during the preview that would toggle the image back and forth between color and B&W would be the way to go.  But, that is just my .02 ....

Thanks.

[Kirk Baker]

I think that a Command B during the preview that would toggle the image back and forth between color and B&W would be the way to go.  But, that is just my .02 ....

What should it do in the Contact Sheet?

-Kirk

[stevieray]

If possible, simply render the currently selected item(s) as B&W and back again.