Convert Photo to Black and White

Turn your photo into grayscale in one click, then fine-tune its contrast and brightness before downloading it.

The editor is designed for a computer or tablet: open this page on a larger screen to edit your image.

100% local processing, nothing is uploaded

How does it work?

Drop your photo: it opens in the editor, already converted to black and white. In the right-hand panel, under “Adjustments and filters”, the Black and white slider goes from 0 (color) to 100 (grayscale): an in-between value gives muted colors.

A good black and white often benefits from a little extra contrast: adjust the contrast (+10 to +25) and the brightness, add some grain for a film look if you like, then click Export.

Examples

A contrasty black and white portrait

A 3024 × 4032 pixel portrait: black and white at 100, contrast +20 and grain 8. Exported as JPG at quality 90, the file keeps its full resolution (12 MP), enough for a 10 × 13 inch print at 300 dpi.

Muted colors instead of gray

With the slider at 60 instead of 100, 40% of the original saturation remains: a bright blue sky becomes a bluish gray, for a subtle “desaturated” look across a series of photos.

Frequently asked questions

Can I go back to color?
Yes, as long as the tab is open: set the Black and white slider back to 0. The original image is kept in the layer; the adjustment only changes how it is displayed.
Is the exported file lighter?
Slightly, as JPG or WebP, because an image without color compresses better. The file stays in RGB color (with three identical channels) so that it opens everywhere.
Which formats can I open and export?
You can open JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF (first frame) and standalone SVG images, as well as AVIF if your browser can read it. Export produces a PNG, JPG or WebP file. PSD, RAW and HEIC files are not supported: for an iPhone photo, use the HEIC to JPG converter first.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. Images are opened, edited and encoded in your browser, on your device. No image, file name or layer text is uploaded: you can even go offline once the page has loaded. Closing the tab erases your work in progress.