Don’t you think Photoshop is a magician? What do you think? Why am I saying so? Photoshop has a clump of options to make your image more glam than before. What choices are you looking to do with Photoshop? Photoshop can do retouching, image masking, adjusting layer, clipping path, image manipulation, color correction, and a lot more things. In this article, I am going to discuss details about Photoshop Layers, types of Layers, and how to make a layer black and white in Photoshop. Intently go through the discussion below.

What are Photoshop Layers?

Understanding Layers in Photoshop is significantly essential. Why? Because it helps to streamline your photo editing procedure and make sure your image quality is high.

The Photoshop layer permits you to add additional elements to an image. Do you worry about changing the image as you are thinking about the quality of your image? Say “bye-bye” to your worry; layer in Photoshop will not alter your image even quality will remain the same. Using layer option, you can add text, any new photos, sharpen your photograph, even allows to complete vector photography. While maintaining the above tasks of adding, removing, or altering any elements, Photoshop documents those changing individually sans affecting each other.

Using layer option is a good process if you would like to modify your existing image. Layer in Photoshop ensures the satisfaction of a user by keeping the truthfulness of your photograph. You can work on the working file until you are satisfied with yours alters.

Many professional photographers maintain a layered version of their photographs that they can go back to it and edit later. Even a photographer can keep the flattened version of the moving image to utilize in an eCommerce website. It will always be challenging to complete a task like how to make a layer black and white in Photoshop if you don’t keep general knowledge about the layer in Photoshop.

Types of Layer in Photoshop

There are 5 types of Photoshop Layers are image, adjustment, fill, shape, and type. The majority of us work with the image layer. But, you should be familiar with other layers too because we don’t know when we need to work with which layers.

Image Layers: The most popular one is generally a digital version of a transparent acetate sheet. In this layer, either you can generate a blank layer and add images on that, or you can create layers from images itself. Don’t worry about the number of layers. You can create unlimited amounts of layers as your computer memory permits.

Adjustment Layers: Would you like to modify the color and contrast of your image? An adjustment layer is the choicest one to complete this task. You will get more benefits if you choose an adjustment layer for your image correction instead of using them openly on the image layer because you can smear the revisions sans enduringly affecting the pixels.

Adjustment layers work non destructively. You can edit or delete the adjustments at any time because you are working on the layers. Adjustment layers do the correction only to all the layers under them, sans doing any changes any of the layers above them.

Fill Layers: A fill layer is quite similar to the Adjustment layer. It allows you to add a layer of compact color, a gradient, or a pattern. Layer masks are also included with Fill layers. You can edit, rearrange, duplicate, delete, and merge images using fill layers. Even if you need to blend fill layers with other layers, you can do it quickly. Simply you need to adjust opacity and blend options that are on the layer’s panel. In the end, you can control the fill layer to just a part of your photograph by either creating a selection first or painting on the mask later.

Shape Layers: Photoshop allows you to draw shapes using drawing tools. These shapes are generally based on vector portrait, means to create points, and paths of these shapes; you need to follow mathematics equationsinstead of following pixels. Easily you can resize these elements sans causing any ruin.

Type Layers: This layer helps you to type text on your image. It is simpler than other layers. Only select type tools, click on your image, and start typing. Here you can specify the family and size of the fonts from the option bar. While you select the Commit button from the Options bar, you generate a type layer. On the Layers panel, you will see a layer that is mentioned with a T icon.

Note: 

· Are you worried about affecting any layers while working in another layer? Wave your hands to your worries because you can edit every layer in a photograph without impacting others. Any single pixel will not be affected while working with Photoshop layer. Even when an element is present on a layer, you have to mark a selection to select it. Select the Move tool and simply drag the item.

Learn and Create a Layer Black and White in Photoshop

In this post, I would like to let you understand 3 methods of generating a black and white layer in Photoshop. Let’s get this show on the road,

Method 01> Destructive Grayscale Process: Let’s began step by step from below

Step 01: Open your required image in Photoshop. Duplicate the image.

Step 02: Generally, duplicate the image into the grayscale formula. All you need to do is, select it and then go to the Image > Adjustments > Desaturate menu item and click.

Step 03: This selection will provide you one color layer and one color grayscale.

This process is so simple that you can change a lot of images using this method. Just remember, don’t continue your work on the grayscale layer after you desaturated it. Again, if you ever need to go back to color, you are caught.

Method 02> Using an Adjusting Layer and Clipping Mask: This is a paperback solution that uses an adjustment layer with a clipping mask. Similar to Method 01, here also I will use duplicate layers. This time, I will simply avoid the Menu item. Follow step by step

Step 01: Choose the Hue/Saturation icon in the Adjustments panel. This will generate a new adjustment layer.

Step 02: A new will be formed after step 01, and the Properties panel will come automatically. Inside this panel, drag the Saturation bar all the way to the left side, and you will find that there is no color in the image.

Step 03: The full image becomes grayscale after step 02. Even the original layer too. As I don’t want to change the color of the original layer, so it is necessary to clip the adjustment layer to the duplicate layer only. To do this, first press and hold down the Alt key (Option on Mac) on my keyboard and then drift the mouse over the dividing line between the adjustment layer and the duplicate layer. When you find the little hand alters into a downward-facing arrow, simply click. That will discharge the original layer from the effect of the adjustment layer.

You will know the adjustment layer is clipped when you will see the layer indent, and a small, downward-facing arrow appears near the thumbnail indicator.

Method 03> Using a Layer Form: This is the most sophisticated option to make a layer black and white in Photoshop. Using this process will experience some knowledge of the layer style dialog.

Step 01: This dialog is accessible in a few different ways, but I would like to get into it by simply double-clicking on the thumbnail of the layer I’d like to work on. This will open the window as will select the layer in question by clicking on it one time and then clicking the FX, or Add a Layer Style menu that sits at the down of the Layers panel.

Step 02: Then select Color Overlay from Option.

Step 03: Color Overlay option will appear from the Layer Style option. Now it is time to make this specific layer as a grayscale. To do so, click once on the color picker box inside the area.

Step 04: Color Picker option will appear in a new window. Set value respectively to Hue > 0, Saturation > 0 and Brightness > 50%. Click the OK button to exit the Color Picker window.

Step 05: GO ahead and click on Blend Mode > choose Saturation from the drop-down menu. After completing this, you will find that the layer turned to grayscale, and I believe the same result you are also wanting.

Step 06: Don’t think that everything is done. A little adjustment is there. If you had another blend mode applied to the full layer, you would see that this grayscale had overlaid itself on top of portions that you may not have been looking for it too. Even though this grayscale is now limited to this one layer, you can further fix it by heading into the Blending Options area of the Layer Style dialog and checking the box that says Blend Interior Effects As Group.

What this does is associate the blending effects of any alterations that you made in this dialog as a group before applying it to the pixels of the layer as a whole. This will give you the future option of using the full layer blending mode. This is an updated subject, so that I won’t go into it now. Just know that you should check this box. Once that’s done, you can click the OK button, and you are all finished. You will have your grayscale image.

By now, you will have realized how to make a layer black and white in Photoshop successfully. So what does all this mean? Creating a layer of black and white in Photoshop is considerably simple. Keep practicing. Otherwise, you will forget it.

Final Image

Smartphone Apps to make Black and White Photo

Have you ever wondered about changing a color image to black and white? Below are a few apps that will help you to achieve your goal

1. Lenka: This app is free professional black and white apps to complete your task. It has a simple interface. As a result, you don’t need to pay too much time to learn so that during the learning curve, you will be able to focus on your photography.

This app is specially designed for amateurs and professionals. Once you start using it, you don’t need to look further. You will stick yourself with its powerful features. It is free and available for both Android and iOs.

2. Snapseed: Snapseed is one of the most popular smartphone apps nowadays. It is extraordinary for portraits and street photography. It is free to download and has been around for quite a while.

Snapseed is very easy to use, and it is significantly more efficient to convert your color image to black and white. The unique feature of this app is the app’s use of lens filters that let you regulate the tonal range of your photos. Free and Available for both Android and iOS.

3. Hypocam: Comparing to another app on this list, you will experience different tastes while working with Hypocam app. Its slidable circles will allow you to correct the exposure and contrast of your snapshot.

In the free version, there are 3 black and white filters are available. If you need more options, you need to buy it. Hence, You’ll experience this free app user-friendly with its sleek UI. Everything you need is front and center. Available for both Android and iOs.

Final Words

Sometimes you will wrinkle your eyebrows and regret that “wish I could capture this image in black and white!”. Say welcome to Photoshop and other useful apps that will help you to learn how to make a layer black and white in Photoshop. Black and white images provide strong and compelling messages and lovely to see.