Using Photoshop CS2 Duotones for Better Black-and-White
Photoshop’s Duotone feature is one of the best ways to craft a custom interpretation of a black-and-white image, especially if you want to add a subtle warm or cool tone to the photo. But it doesn’t give up its secrets easily and the interface is not as user friendly as other commands in the program. In this issue, we’ll take a look at using the Duotone command for getting better black-and-white images.
STEP 1 Placing Color Sampler Points
The Duotone feature provides several ways to craft a black-and-white or a monochromatic-toned image. In order to better understand the duotone effect and what it’s doing, we’ll first place a few color sampler points in the image. In the Toolbox, click-and-hold on the Eyedropper tool and select the Color Sampler tool from the flyout menu. Place three color sampler points in the image in the following locations: the dark shadows on the lower mountain; the snowfield on the far left; and the grassy plain in the center of the image.
CREDIT: ©SEÁN DUGGAN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
STEP 2 From Grayscale to Duotone
To access the Duotone mode, you have to start with an image that’s in Grayscale mode and 8 bits per channel. Once you’ve created a basic grayscale effect that you like, choose Image>Mode>Grayscale to place the image in Grayscale mode. If necessary, convert to 8-bit by choosing Image>Mode>8 Bits/Channel. Then, choose Image>Mode>Duotone.
STEP 3 Choosing a Second Ink Color
In the Duotone Options, open the Type pop-menu at the top and choose Duotone to add a second ink color. Click in the white color swatch for Ink 2 to open the Color Libraries picker. If you’re going for a traditional black-and-white effect (as opposed to wild and crazy colors), the colors you’d use are grouped in the middle section of the vertical color selector. Click in that area to choose from a range of warm and cool gray colors. For this example, choose Pantone Warm Gray 7 C. Click OK to return to the main Duotone Options.
STEP 4 The Duotone Curve Controls
Many people will just stop there. But to really get the most out of duotones, you need to adjust the curve for each ink color. Click on the Curve icon (the box with the diagonal line) for Ink 1 (Black). In the Duotone Curve dialog, the curve is the opposite from what you may be used to when adjusting Curves in Photoshop. In this curve the highlights, or no ink coverage (white), is in the lower left, and the shadows, or maximum ink (black), is in the upper right. For this image, we only want black to carry the darkest tones in the image.
STEP 5 Adjusting the Curve for Ink 1 (Black)
In the curve for the black ink, we’ll drag down on the points for the lower part of the curve. What this adjustment means is that very little black ink will be used in the midtones or brighter tones in the image. The immediate effect is that the image gets lighter, which is good since the initial result of adding a second ink is that the image may get too dark. Adjust your black ink curve similar to what is shown here and click OK. (Tip: You can type in the numbers in the percentage fields shown above to reproduce this curve.)
STEP 6 Adjusting the Curve for Ink 2 (Warm Gray)
Next, click on the curve icon for the Pantone Warm Gray ink. Since black is being used for the darkest tones, let’s remove the warm gray ink from that part of the image by dragging the upper right corner point down three squares on the grid. If you look at the numeric field for that point (100%), it should now be at 70%. Farther down the curve, raise it up a bit to add more of the warm gray ink into tonal areas where the black ink is not being used. Click OK when you’re done adjusting the Ink 2 curve.
STEP 7 Adding a Third Ink Color
To add some more tonal depth to some of the bright areas of the snow, we’ll add a third color and make this a tritone. Open the pop-menu at the top of the dialog and choose Tritone. Click in the color swatch for Ink 3 to open the Color Libraries dialog and then click in the middle area of the vertical ink selector. Use the triangle arrow buttons at the top and bottom to scroll through until you find Pantone Cool Gray 5 C and click on that to select it. Click OK to return to the main Duotones Options.
STEP 8 Adjusting the Curve for Ink 3 (Cool Gray)
Click the curve for Ink 3. Drag the lower-left point (the 0% point) up to the first grid line, or simply type 10 in the 0% numeric field. Then, drag the upper-right point (the 100%) all the way down to the lower-right corner. This places the Cool Gray ink only in the very brightest tones of the image (the snow) and ensures that there will be some tones representing that area. Use this trick to add ink coverage into areas that are very bright and that might not normally receive much ink. Click OK once you’re curve looks similar to the one here.
STEP 9 A Final Tweak to the Black Curve
When creating a duotone effect, you often find that you need to go back and readjust one of the ink colors. In this version that we’ve worked on, let’s increase the black ink coverage in the shadows and decrease it in the highlights to add a bit more contrast into the image. This is a subjective adjustment that will vary depending on the image you’re using. Click on the Ink 1 curve and adjust the black curve as needed. When finished, click OK in the Duotone Curve dialog and then click OK in the Duotone Options dialog.
STEP 10 Checking the Info Palette Values
In the Info palette, you can see how the different inks are being used in varying amounts in different parts of the tonal range. In this image, the color samplers represent the deep shadows (#1), the highlights in the snow (#2), and the light grassy field (#3). Ink 1 is Black, Ink 2 is Warm Gray, and ink 3 is Cool Gray. You can see that Black is handling most of the darker tones, while in the middle values, Warm Gray is being used the most. Both Ink 2 and Ink 3 are handling the highlights in the snow.
STEP 11 Duotone Flexibility
The great thing about using the Duotone feature is that you can readjust it at any time simply by going back to the Image>Mode menu and choosing Duotone again. Your settings will be the way that you left them.
STEP 12 Saving Duotones; Loading Duotone Presets
If you create a duotone effect that you want to keep, click the Save button in the Duotone Options dialog and save your setting for future use. Another great way to learn how to brew up a fine duotone for black-and-white is to take a look at some of the duotone presets that come with Photoshop. To access these, bring up the Duotone Options dialog and click the Load button. You’ll automatically be taken to the correct folder. In the Duotones, Tritones, or Quadtones folder there is a folder for Gray. Open this to see the choices for black-and-white duotone effects.
STEP 13 Deconstructing a Duotone Preset
Once you’ve chosen a preset gray duotone, open up each of the curves for the different ink colors and see how it was constructed. This can provide valuable insight into creating your own duotone curves.
STEP 14 Converting to RGB; Saving as EPS
If you want to print your duotone image on an inkjet printer, you should convert it back to RGB mode. Before you do this, however, make sure you save a version of your image in Duotone mode so you have the ability to go back and modify your settings if needed. Then, choose Image>Duplicate to create a copy that you can convert to RGB. If you want to include a duotone in a page layout or illustration document that will be printed on a press, it needs to be saved in the Photoshop EPS format.
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