Home
>
Photography
>
Sepia Toned Prints from Your Colour or Black and White Photos ? 5 Minute Digital Fix

Sepia Toned Prints from Your Colour or Black and White Photos ? 5 Minute Digital Fix

Quite often I will have clients bring in old photographs of their "elder" relatives that were taken before colour photography was around.

This generally means that the photos in question are either black and white or, in many cases, the photos have been tinted, usually a muddy brown colour better known as Sepia.

Some clients will ask for their restored photos to be produced in pure black and white even though the original is in Sepia.

Others will ask me to retain the warm Sepia tone and in fact there are some clients who bring in old black and white prints who ask that we produce a Sepia toned restored version because they like the "old world" feel that a Sepia toned print gives.

Not only can you create a Sepia print from your old black and white photographs, but it is just as easy to create that "old world" feel from a colour photograph as well.

The example image on our web-site is a simple colour floral arrangement which we will apply a Sepia tone to using Adobe Photoshop CS.

Step 1

After opening the image up in Adobe Photoshop CS, the first step is to remove all of the colour information from the image by choosing Image-> Mode-> Greyscale.

All of the colour information will have been removed leaving you with a pleasing black and white photograph with, hopefully, a full range of tones from pure white to pure black.

Step 2

If your image appears a little flat, or is too dark or light, then use the Image->Adjustment->Levels command to "tweak" the left and right sliders below the histogram (looks like a black "mountain range") to get the desired result prior to toning.

Step 3

Because we set the image "mode" to Greyscale in the previous step we do not have the ability to re-apply any "colour tinting" while the image is left as is.

So the next step is to select Image-> Mode-> Duotone.

Step 4

This is where the fun really begins ...

Make sure the upper left "Type" option pull-down is set to "Duotone".

This will activate Inks 1 and 2 field entries.

Step 5

You will now be able to select two colours (hence the term "duotone") which will then be applied to your photo to produce the toned effect we are looking for.

Click on Ink 1's colour swatch and select a "black" colour of your choosing.

I generally set Ink 1 to "PANTONE Black C".

Step 6

Now click on Ink 2's colour swatch and select a "warm reddish brown" colour of your choosing.

I generally set Ink 2 to "PANTONE 145 C" (which looks like a nice "warm mustard brown" to me), but you can select any brown (or in fact any colour at all) and watch what effect a particular colour has on toning your photo.

As you will see we have been able to turn a colour photo into a very pleasing Sepia toned print in less than five minutes using the "Duotone" feature in Photoshop.

But we are not quite finished yet ...

As you have seen you have total control of the tone colour by changing the value of the Ink 2 setting.

What if the tone colour is correct but the photo is still too dark or too light and/or flat?

Step 7

You can fine tune the final result by applying a "Hue/Saturation" adjustment layer.

You will notice that if you try to add a "Hue/Saturation" adjustment layer to your duotone print it is "greyed out".

You now need to revert back to a mode of "RGB Colour" by selecting Image-> Mode-> RGB Color.

You will then be able to add a "Hue/Saturation" adjustment layer and make final adjustments to the overall appearance of your Sepia tone print.

By the way ... Want to know where the term Sepia comes from?

Sepia comes from the Greek word for the rich reddish-brown pigment obtained from a fluid that is secreted by the cuttlefish from their ink sac.

The cuttlefish is a relative of the squid and octopus family (cephalopods).

If you find the steps being taken are a little hard to understand in this text based article, you can click on the link at the end of this article to see the same method explained on our website with the aid of example graphical images.

You can see this method complete with example images at sepia tone prints from colour or black and white photos

Feel free to re-print this article provided that all hyperlinks and author biography are retained as-is.

Gary Wilkinson is a photographer, photographic restorer and the owner of a photographic retail business. He is also the publisher of the sepia tone prints from colour or black and white photos website, where other methods of correcting common photographic restoration problems are discussed.

Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..

In The News:

The rollout of Apple's iOS 17 brought a subtle "Rebound" notification tone that's gotten some criticism. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains a fix.

Fitness centers and workout studios are starting to establish policies that prohibit shooting phone videos to protect people's privacy.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents

Apple recently notified a small number of iPhone customers in 92 countries that their phones may be under attack by mercenary spyware.

An artificial intelligence-powered home security system can fire paintballs and tear gas at trespassers. The camera identifies human faces and animals.

Technology expert Kim Komando gives her tips and tricks on enhancing your user experience a smartphone and other devices you use everyday.

A new camera called NUCA uses artificial intelligence to create deepfake photos of subjects by stripping away clothing in close to real time.

The Kimberley Kube trail-ready camper has a compact but spacious design and combines luxury, functionality and ruggedness for a weekend getaway.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Emails instructing you to reset your password for an account may be legitimate, or they may be scams. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains.

Northrop Grumman's Manta Ray uncrewed underwater vehicle aims to revolutionize undersea missions — it glides through the ocean without human assistance.

Learn how to work Google's calendar application to streamline and organize your daily tasks from technology expert Kim Komando.

If you do not want Facebook to have automatic access to your private photos, follow our tips to protect yourself. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson goes into detail about Apple’s recent iOS update that allows iPhone users to instantly translate spoken language simply by using the Action Button.

Safeguarding your digital life with a reliable physical backup isn't just a precaution, it's a necessity. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides the essential backup checklist.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how a Redditor exposed false recycling claims at their apartment, highlighting a report that only 21% of U.S. recyclables are processed.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson offers a travel toolkit featuring five technology tools to help you with booking flights and hotels for your summer vacation.

The bubble behind the clock on your iPhone can appear in different colors. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what each of those colors mean.

Scammers are using the power of artificial intelligence to mimic voices of people and are using the fake voices to commit crimes, like kidnappings.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the science behind the Invisibility Shield, a 6-foot shield that makes people become invisible.

The International Olympic Committee on Friday announced plans to use AI in various Olympic aspects, including athlete identification, training and judging.

Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains an easy trick to avoid squinting while working or surfing the web by zooming in on your personal computer.

Streaming giant Roku has recently been targeted by a pair of cyberattacks, and the company confirmed over a half million Roku accounts were compromised.

The Land Aircraft Carrier combines an all-terrain, six-wheeled vehicle with a two-seat aircraft, which features electric vertical takeoff and landing.

Sepia Toned Prints from Your Colour or Black and White Photos ? 5 Minute Digital Fix

Photography