Black & White Photos, Done Properly
Convert photos to black and white online — with the control a real editor gives you: per-color gray mixing, contrast shaping, film grain and toning. Free, in your browser.
The gray mixer makes the difference
Great black & white photos are about how colorsmap to gray. OpticRaw's B&W mix panelgives you 8 sliders — red, orange, yellow, green, aqua, blue, purple, magenta — to brighten or darken each color's contribution. Darken blues for a dramatic sky; lift orange for luminous skin.
Shape the tones
- Contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks for the classic punchy look.
- Tone curve for matte fades or deep filmic blacks.
- Clarity and grain for texture straight out of the darkroom.
- Split toning via color grading wheels — sepia, selenium-like cool tones, or duotones.
Works with Lightroom B&W presets
Import .xmp presets that use Treatment: Black & White or Gray Mixer settings and they apply correctly, including the mix values.
Frequently asked questions
How is this better than a grayscale filter?
A grayscale filter throws color information away. OpticRaw’s B&W mode keeps it and lets you decide how each color converts to gray — darken a blue sky, brighten skin tones — like the B&W mixer in Lightroom.
Can I tone my black & white photo?
Yes. Color grading still works in B&W mode, so you can add sepia warmth to highlights or a cool blue to shadows (split toning).
Is there a classic film B&W preset?
Yes — try the Silver B&W preset for a fine-grain film look, or B&W Contrast for a punchy street-photography style.
Does it work with RAW files?
Yes. Open ARW, CR3, NEF, DNG and other RAW formats, convert to black & white and export a full-resolution JPEG.
Works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. Your photos are processed on your device and never uploaded.