Grayscale converter

Converts a colour image to black and white using luminance weighting, so the tonal relationships stay natural.

By The FreeImageEditor editorial teamLast reviewed How we test

Drop an image here

JPG, PNG, WebP, BMP, AVIF · up to 60 MB · processed on your device

Colour discarded, tonal values kept.

How to use it

  1. 1Add the image.
  2. 2Compare colour and greyscale side by side.
  3. 3Download.

Not all greyscale conversions are equal

Averaging red, green and blue equally produces a flat, muddy result, because human vision is far more sensitive to green than to blue. This tool uses luminance weighting — roughly 21% red, 72% green, 7% blue — which is the standard used in video and imaging, and keeps skies, foliage and skin tones separated the way your eye expects.

File size effects

A greyscale image often compresses better than the colour original because two of the three colour channels become constant. If size is the goal, converting to greyscale then compressing gives a bigger saving than compression alone.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get the colour back?
No. The colour information is discarded, so keep your original file.