Converting Black and White Photos

Have you ever wanted to use some photos on a layout, but couldn't because the colors in the photo didn't go with the colors of the paper and embellishments? Have you ever considered converting your photos to black and white? I did when I created the layout below using the Little Boy Blue Scrapbook Kit from Picture it Made. Although the company is no longer in business, I wanted to share some directions on converting a photo to black and white.



I wanted to use the original photo for this layout, but the original had colors in it that didn't work well with the kit. So I decided to convert it to black and white. This can be done in most editing software programs. I converted mine using Adobe Photoshop Elements 5. Here are the steps below:


Photoshop Elements 5

Open Photoshop Elements.

Click on Edit and Enhance.

Click on File, then open, and choose the photo you want to edit.

Once the photo is opened, click on enhance.

Click on convert to black and white.

Click save as and type a name for your black and white photo.

Then you are ready to print your photo.

Microsoft Word
You can also use Microsoft Word to convert your photo to black and white.
Open Microsoft Word.
Insert your picture through the Insert Menu/Picture/From File.
Select the picture with one click.
Choose the Format Menu.
Select Picture.
Select the Picture Tab.
Choose the color drop down arrow from Image Control.
Select Grayscale.
Click on OK.

Give it a try on your next layout!