4 Ways How to make an image black and white in Illustrator

When working with logos, sometimes you need to create black or black and white color versions. Whether you are creating a poster, infographic, flier, or banner, changing images to black and white can add a touch of class and elegance to your design.

If you are wondering how to achieve this professional touch, this guide will cover different methods you can use to convert an image to black and white in Illustrator. If you do not know how to use Illustrator, check out our previous posts.

Why Convert an Image Black and White?

You do not have to convert all images or designs to black and white. However, in selected designs, you will notice black-and-white imagery to be rich and aesthetic in its simplicity. 

By removing color, you will bring out texture and emphasize form and contrast for a different and unique visual experience for the viewer.  This technique is often used in branding, advertising, and fine art to create a strong, memorable impact.

Brands that Apply Black and White

Many top brands apply this style to brand themselves and appear professional. Examples include Chanel, Adidas, Nike, Uber, and many more.

Chanel Logo

Preparing Your Workspace in Illustrator

Before you start, you need to set up your software depending on the final usage of the image, whether for printing or screens. Adobe Illustrator has two key color modes. 

You can either use RGB or CMYK color modes. Both can be used to convert images to black and white. RGB is used when you want a document for social media or screens. CMYK on the other hand is used when you intend to print documents or images. I will show you how to set up both of them.

To set up, open Adobe Illustrator and make sure the layers panel is visible. To do this, go to Window>Layers.

To open a new workspace, go to File>New or Control+N and set up document sizes and bleed, then choose Okay. An artboard appears on your screen.

You can change the mode at any time by going to File>Document Color Mode and choosing RGB or CMYK. I will leave it as CMYK.

Go to File>Place to import your image. Navigate to where your image is and select it to import it to your workspace. Now you are ready to make it black and white.

Different Methods to Convert an Image to Black and White

 Depending on your image, you can use different methods to achieve a black-and-white image in Illustrator.

1. Method 1: Convert Using the Grayscale Mode
2. Method 2: Applying a Black and White Effect
3. Method 3: Remove Saturation to Make an Image Black and White
4. Method 4: Image Tracing to transform an Image to Black and White

Method 1: Convert Using the Grayscale Mode

This is the easiest way to do it.

1. Select your image by clicking on it, then choose embed on the top menu.
2. Navigate to Edit > Edit Colors > Convert to Grayscale.
3. Illustrator will automatically convert the image to grayscale, removing all color.
4. Adjust the shades by playing with the brightness and contrast settings under Edit > Adjust Colors.

Method 2: Applying a Black and White Effect

Another method involves using Illustrator’s built-in ‘Edit Colors’ function to apply a black-and-white effect:

1. Select the image you want to convert.
2. Go to Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Color Balance.
3. In the dialog box, reduce the saturation slider to -100 to remove color.
4. Use the lightness and contrast sliders to refine the image to your liking.

This approach gives you a bit more control over the image’s appearance, allowing you to tweak individual settings for a more custom look.

Method 3: Remove Saturation to Make an Image Black and White

1. Go to File>Open and navigate to the image to import it to Illustrator.
2. Select the image, then go to Edit > Edit Colors > Saturate
3. Moving the slider up will saturate the colors and make it more colorful.
4. Moving the slider in the opposite direction will desaturate your image to black and white.

Method 4: Image Tracing to transform an Image to Black and White

You can also make the image black and white by converting it to a vector with shades of gray. Select the image, then go to image trace on the drop-down menu. Choose shades of gray from the drop-down. 

How to Export Your Black and White Image

Go to File>Export, then choose the necessary format, like JPEG or PNG formats. For PDFs, go to File>Save as>PDF, then adjust the settings to save. If you encounter issues, make sure the image is embedded or in high resolution as well.

Black and White vs. Grayscale: What’s the Difference?

Some artists and designers use black and white and grayscale interchangeably. However, they are technically not the same. 

Black and white uses two colors, that is, black and white, while Grayscale uses different shades of black. If you want to change an image to a 1 color print job, convert it to grayscale.

In case of any questions, just contact me.

Related Illustrator Tutorials

1. Copy in Illustrator
2. How to use Illustrator
3. Drawing an Arrow in Illustrator
4. Removing backgrounds in Illustrator
5. Corners in Illustrator

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