Hi! How can I make black and white prints out of color prints? I don't have negatives. Should I use a color copier and just make black and white copies or would it be better to scan? Thanks!

-- Kim Ponzi (feelosh@aol.com), July 19, 2001

Answers

Hi Kim, I suggest you scan your color photo, then convert to grayscale. If you have Photoshop you may want to look at the RGB channels to see which ones/what combination will give you the best grayscale image. You can then change the file to duotone [if you like toned images], then to RGB, and print at 1440 dpi.

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), July 20, 2001.

Why don't you have the negatives?

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), August 23, 2001.

Why should she have the negs and why does it matter, do you have every negative for every photo you have?

-- stephie (stephie9000@hotmail.com), August 30, 2001.

Kim:

Another option is to copy the colour prints using B&W film and a macro lens or closeup lenses on a normal lens. This now however is a poor second choice, as the quality of scanners and digital printers is so good that one can even enhance a b&W copy to give better contrat, sharpness, freedom from dust marks etc etc.

One can easily maipulate the images, so an "Ex" or tree growing out of a head can be removed. Any Kinkos or similar shop can scan an original for you very easiliy. Another alternaive I have used is to photograph the print with a good (2 megapixels +) digital camera to get a digital file.

Yet another possibilty is to make full size negative from your scanned file so B&W contact prints can be made. This is now a recognized art form in itself.

cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), September 02, 2001.