How to Create a Monochrome Color Effect in Photoshop

This tutorial will show you a quick and easy way to add a monochrome color effect to your images using Adobe Photoshop . The term monochrome means that the colors in an image are limited to different shades of the same tone or the same primary color. And it is a great way to simplify an image or convey a certain mood or emotion. Black and white photography is monochrome because it only uses shades of gray, but any color can be used.

How to convert color photo to monochrome

Here's how to create a basic monochrome effect. Once you've got the hang of it, we'll show you how to combine a few steps to speed things up.

Step 1: Add a Solid Color fill layer above the image

The easiest way to convert a color photo to monochrome is to use a Solid Color fill layer.

In the Layers panel, the original image will appear on the Background layer. Add a Solid Color fill layer above the image by clicking the New Fill or Adjustment Layer icon :

And select Solid Color from the list:

Step 2: Select the main color from the Color Picker

The Color Picker opens and the image will be temporarily blocked by whatever color is currently selected.

By default it is black:

In the Color Picker, select the color you want to use. For now, we just want the hue (primary color). We'll come back and adjust the saturation and brightness in a moment.

For example, choose pink red:

Click OK to close the Color Picker and now the new color blocks the image:

Step 3: Change the blend mode of the fill layer to Color

Back in the Layers panel, fill the Solid Color layer above the Background layer.

To blend the color from the fill layer with the image below, change the blend mode of the fill layer from Normal to Color :

Blend mode Color keeps the tonal (brightness) values ​​of the underlying image but replaces the original colors with colors from the fill layer, creating the original effect:

Step 4: Reopen Color Picker

The only problem, at least in the example case, is that the color saturation is too strong and also too bright.

To fix that, reopen the Color Picker by double-clicking on the fill layer's color swatch in the Layers panel:

Step 5: Adjust the color saturation and brightness

Then adjust the saturation and brightness as needed.

Reduce the Saturation (S value) to 30% and the Brightness (B value) to 40%. Click OK when you're done:

And when the saturation and brightness are reduced, the effect is much more subtle:

In the Layers panel, you can turn the effect on and off to compare it to the original image by clicking on the fill layer's visibility icon:

And that's the basics of how to convert a color image to monochrome using the Solid Color fill layer in Photoshop!