B + W Conversion software: I would like a suggestion for black & white conversion software for PC Win10. A while ago I had a free app that I enjoyed. I think it's no longer free. I now...

fran120

I would like a suggestion for black & white conversion software for PC Win10.
A while ago I had a free app that I enjoyed. I think it's no longer free. I now have a subscription for Adobe and would like a plugin or complete app.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

fran120 wrote:

I would like a suggestion for black & white conversion software for PC Win10.
A while ago I had a free app that I enjoyed. I think it's no longer free. I now have a subscription for Adobe and would like a plugin or complete app.

Go into LR and experiment with the many different B&W presets. You can adjust the image from there.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

fran120 wrote:

I would like a suggestion for black & white conversion software for PC Win10.
A while ago I had a free app that I enjoyed. I think it's no longer free. I now have a subscription for Adobe and would like a plugin or complete app.

Get the Nik Collection. There's an app in it that can be used as a plug-in for Lightroom Classic and Photoshop.

Otherwise, there must be hundreds of ways to convert to B&W directly, in Lightroom Classic or Photoshop. In Lightroom Classic, you can create your own profile to do it.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

fran120 wrote:

...I now have a subscription for Adobe and would like a plugin or complete app.

Both Lightroom and Photoshop have extensive tools to do B&W conversions.

Personally I prefer to use the ones in Photoshop... but LR can do it pretty well, too. There are even some presets built into it, where you can do the conversion with a single click. Very quick and easy, though I don't use those because I usually want more control over the process (which is much like using a variety of filters for B&W, back in the days of film).

amersfoort

Use the B&W adjustment layer in Photoshop. Easy to use and great to refine the initial output from the conversion.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

burkphoto wrote:

Get the Nik Collection. There's an app in it that can be used as a plug-in for Lightroom Classic and Photoshop.

Otherwise, there must be hundreds of ways to convert to B&W directly, in Lightroom Classic or Photoshop. In Lightroom Classic, you can create your own profile to do it.

I agree with Bill - NIK SilverEfex Pro is my go-to for B&W. Cost is, I believe, $150, but SilverEfex is one of seven modules that come with the software. There's also sharpening SW, noise-reduction SW, HDR SW, ColorEfex Pro, and other modules as well.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

fran120 wrote:

I would like a suggestion for black & white conversion software for PC Win10.
A while ago I had a free app that I enjoyed. I think it's no longer free. I now have a subscription for Adobe and would like a plugin or complete app.

To start out with learning about BW conversion it would most likely work well for you to simply use the tools you have. LrC can be very powerful in converting from color to BW. You can use the presets (Basic panel, under Profile) and then adjust them or do it very simply by hitting the V key and then adjusting as needed in the B & W panel, which only shows up after you convert to BW. You can use the V key in both the Library panel and the Develop panel. By using the V key you get a quick take on if that image will look good in BW, not all images do.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

One of the online Lightroom gurus has written and said that the person who created the current Lightroom Classic B&W presets is the same person that did it for NIK Silver Effects Pro "back in the day" when that was as good as it got.

If you already have the Adobe subscription, use it!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

My LR6 looks like about 25 individual B&W presets. They're non destructive. Just click one and see the results. You can undo the change or click another to replace, as well as edit from there in the Develop module. My experience is the edit the original color image to completion as a color image. Then, run the B&W conversion and adjust from there as a B&W image. If you create a virtual copy at the end of the color edit, you can then compare the two, if trying to decide which you like better.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

bsprague wrote:

One of the online Lightroom gurus has written and said that the person who created the current Lightroom Classic B&W presets is the same person that did it for NIK Silver Effects Pro "back in the day" when that was as good as it got.

If you already have the Adobe subscription, use it!

I use the two together. Sometimes I get what I want faster with LrC, sometimes with Silver Efex Pro 2.

I use the old free version 2 of Nik Collection that Google offered for a time. No more often than I need it, the paid upgrade to version 3 is not worth it.

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

IN photoshop go to Image, adjustments, black and white
then start playing with the sliders.

OR in photoshop try this , something different

Image, calculations, then blending mode , hard light or what ever u like, change channels
then change opacity of blend to what looks good.
save as a new document. If you play with this you'll get as good or better results than most add on programs.

If you want to use an add on try Topaz.b&W effects.
or try NIK , its getting harder and harder to find.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

fran120 wrote:

I would like a suggestion for black & white conversion software for PC Win10.
A while ago I had a free app that I enjoyed. I think it's no longer free. I now have a subscription for Adobe and would like a plugin or complete app.

You don't "need" a plugin. You have everything you need with the subscription.

http://vnf-west.nl/BlackandWhite/7BW_PS_Conversion.html

fran120

Thanks for all your responses. I'll try PS or LR and maybe download free trials of some additional software.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

Gene51 wrote:

You don't "need" a plugin. You have everything you need with the subscription.

http://vnf-west.nl/BlackandWhite/7BW_PS_Conversion.html

Very instructive and useful.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

fran120 wrote:

I would like a suggestion for black & white conversion software for PC Win10.
A while ago I had a free app that I enjoyed. I think it's no longer free. I now have a subscription for Adobe and would like a plugin or complete app.

Topaz

Nik

Adobe Camera Raw Processor, precise control then finish in Photoshop.