Black & White Photo Converter
Turn color photos into dramatic monochrome and black & white portraits with custom contrast, brightness, and grain.
Choose a photo to convert to black & white
Drop a file here, click to browse, or paste one.
JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP
Your file is opened by this page and processed locally on your device. It is not uploaded.
About
This is a free online image to grayscale converter. It turns a color photo into black and white right in your browser, and you can keep some of the color if you want a softer look.
Choose a Method: Luminosity, Average or Desaturate. Luminosity weighs each color by how bright it looks to the eye, which usually gives the most natural result. Average gives the red, green and blue values the same weight. Desaturate averages the brightest and darkest of the three, a different look that can suit some photos better.
The preview updates as you change the method or the B&W strength, so you can compare before you download. The strength runs from 0% to 100%. At 100% the photo is fully black and white, and lower values blend some of the original color back in.
How to use the Black & White Photo Converter
- 1
Choose a photo
Drop a JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, GIF or BMP photo onto the page, or click to pick one. The preview appears as soon as the photo opens.
- 2
Pick a method
Under Method, choose Luminosity, Average or Desaturate. The preview changes as you choose.
- 3
Set the strength and format
Under Intensity, drag the B&W strength slider. Leave it at 100% for a full black and white photo, or lower it to keep some color. Under Save as, pick PNG, JPG or WebP.
- 4
Download
Click Download. The file is saved with -bw added to the original name, such as holiday-bw.png.
What people use it for
Black and white portraits
Turn a color portrait into a classic black and white image. Lower the strength if you want a hint of color left.
A consistent look across photos
Use the same method and strength on each photo to give a set of pictures one shared look.
Check how a picture reads in black and white
Preview a color image in grayscale to see whether its tones and contrast still work without color.
Questions
Is the Black & White Photo Converter free?
Yes. The tool is free to use, and the photo is converted in your browser.
Are my photos uploaded?
No. The page processes the photo on your device, and it is not uploaded.
What is the difference between Luminosity and Average?
Luminosity weighs the colors by how bright they look to the eye, which usually gives a more natural black and white. Average gives every color channel the same weight, which can make some colors look darker or lighter than you expect.
Can I keep some color in the photo?
Yes. Lower the B&W strength slider under Intensity. At 100% the photo is fully black and white, and lower settings blend some of the original color back in.
Which formats can I save the converted photo as?
You can save as PNG, JPG or WebP. PNG and WebP keep transparency, and JPG does not.
Does it add a watermark?
No. The tool does not add a watermark or logo to the photo.