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.

© Gary Wilkinson 2005 - All Rights Reserved

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 http://www.restoring-photos-made-easy.com website, where other methods of correcting common photographic restoration problems are discussed.

---

The Advantages of Underwater Camera Housing

You will need an underwater camera housing to keep your... Read More

Applications of Underwater Video Cameras

There's so much you can do with an underwater video... Read More

Birthday Party Photo Tips ? How to Make Yours Truly Stand Out

How many of the birthday party pictures you've seen are... Read More

Digital Camera Disc Formats

As it is a fact that digital cameras are comprised... Read More

Should You Print Your Digital Photos at Home or Use a Photo Printing Service?

There are lots of options available for getting your digital... Read More

Digital Cameras vs. Film Cameras- the debate goes on

One of the biggest debates in the photography world is... Read More

Optimize Your Photos for the Web

It doesn't matter if your emailing photos of your grandson... Read More

Light Meter Readings for Film and Digital

Reflected Light Readings for Film and Digital ImagesIn order to... Read More

A Guide to Underwater Camera Cases

If you are buying a new underwater camera or video... Read More

Underwater Photography: The Wonders Under the Sea

The world of photography is an amazing one. It's been... Read More

Using Film Speed Effectively (Black & White Film Thoughts)

It's hard to find sometimes but it's making a resurgence,... Read More

Getting Rid of Red Eye

The photos you took of the party are really great... Read More

Things You Should Know Before Buying A Digital Camera

In a traditional camera, the lens was king. If the... Read More

Removing Spot Scratches in Your Treasured Photos ? 5 Minute Digital Fix

Probably one of the most common problems you will be... Read More

10 MORE Ways to Make Money with Your Digital Cameras

1. Pet photos - advertise a Pet Photography business where... Read More

Hyperfocal Focusing: What Is It And Why Should You Use It?

When should you use hyperfocal focusing? Well, sometimes when shooting... Read More

Seven Ways for Saving Your Digital Images Forever!

So, you have taken lots of pictures with your new... Read More

Types of Digital Cameras

If you are in the market to purchase a digital... Read More

Using a Camcorder to Record Family Events Quickly and Easily

Let's start there (but not spend too much time on... Read More

Diffusion & Softening of Digital Photography Images

Like many people who've made the switch from film cameras... Read More

8 Simple Tips for Taking Great Baby Photos

Taking pictures of your new baby is a great way... Read More

Is your Digital Camera Compatible With Your Computer?

So you recently bought a digital camera or perhaps your... Read More

Start Up a Travel Photography Business

Too many people have the idea that being paid to... Read More

Use A Tripod!

Using a tripod is essential when taking photos - and... Read More

A Guide to Underwater Cameras

There are two types of underwater camera systems: an ""amphibious""... Read More

Photography 101 Part 2

Basic CompositionNow that you are beginning to understand how your... Read More

CCTV Camera Tip: Apply Simple Common Sense when Picking CCTV Cameras and Lenses

Get a good face shot: Use Higher quality cameras at... Read More

Sony Digital Cameras - Always On The Innovation Frontier

Sony was the first company to introduce digital cameras into... Read More

Make Your Digital Camera Batteries Last Longer

One technology that hasn't kept up with the rapid pace... Read More

Who Had The Better Brushes Leonardo or Michelangelo?

Ordinary photos of dull subjects do actually sell, but the... Read More

The Beauty of Nature Photography

Nature is all around us, and its beauties are unlimited.... Read More

Photography Courses Online

There are also some excellent online courses available and some... Read More

How Can I Preserve My Lifetime of Memories in Photographs?

Like most folks you have probably have organized and sorted... Read More