How to Convert a Photo to Black and White Online: Grayscale, Two-Tone and Sepia
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Short answer: open Imgovo’s Grayscale Converter, add your photo, choose Grayscale, Black & white (two tones) or Sepia, adjust the sliders while you watch the preview and download the result as JPG, PNG or WebP. It runs in your browser, so the photo is never uploaded.
The four styles
| Style | What it does | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Original colors | No conversion | Comparing before and after |
| Grayscale (all shades) | Keeps the whole range from black to white | Portraits, landscapes, street photos |
| Black & white (two tones) | Every pixel becomes pure black or pure white | Scans, signatures, stencils, logos |
| Sepia (vintage brown) | A warm brownish tone | A vintage or old-print look |
The style strength slider starts at 100%. Lower it to blend part of the original colour back in.
Step by step
- Open the Grayscale Converter and add a photo by dragging it in, choosing a file or pasting from the clipboard. JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, TIFF and more are accepted.
- Choose a style.
- Set the style strength. At 100% the effect is complete.
- Adjust Brightness, Contrast, Saturation and Sharpen. They work with every style and update the live preview. You can compare with the original image preview.
- Choose the output format: JPG, PNG or WebP.
- Click Download image.
Use Reset adjustments to return the sliders to their defaults. Undo and Redo (Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Shift+Z) step back through the style, strength and every slider.
Tips for better black-and-white photos
- Contrast matters more than in colour. Without colour to separate objects, contrast does the job. A little extra contrast usually makes a flat photo stronger.
- Look at the brightness of colours. Red and green of the same brightness turn into the same gray. If the photo looks flat, increase the contrast.
- Use sharpening sparingly. A small amount brings out texture, but too much creates halos.
- Keep some colour for a muted effect. A style strength of 60–80% gives a soft, film-like look.
- Try sepia for portraits and old buildings, where a warm tone feels natural.
Scans, signatures and documents
For a scanned document or a signature, choose Black & white (two tones), adjust the brightness and contrast until the background is a clean white, and save as PNG, which keeps the edges crisp. For a photo of a document, good lighting helps more than any slider.
Which format should you save?
- JPG is best for photos and gives small files.
- PNG is best for graphics, screenshots and two-tone results, because it is lossless and keeps edges clean.
- WebP gives small files for websites.
Not sure which to choose? See JPG vs PNG vs WebP vs AVIF. If the file is too large, use the Image Compressor or read How to compress an image under 100 KB.
More looks
For colour effects, filters and sliders beyond black and white, use Photo Filters. To make only part of the photo colourful, you would need an editor with layers; the Grayscale Converter changes the whole picture.
Privacy
The conversion uses the HTML5 Canvas API in your browser, so your photo never leaves your device. The output is created from pixels only, so camera details and GPS location are removed, as explained in How to remove GPS location and EXIF data.
Try it now
Open the Grayscale Converter, add a photo and compare the styles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between grayscale and black and white?
Grayscale keeps every shade from black to white, so light and shadow stay soft. Black and white (two tones) turns every pixel into pure black or pure white. Use it for scans, signatures, stencils and high-contrast graphics.
How does Imgovo calculate the gray tones?
It uses the Rec. 709 luminance formula, which weights red, green and blue by how bright the eye sees them. The result looks more natural than a simple average.
Can I keep a little colour?
Yes. Lower the style strength to around 60–80% for a muted look with a trace of colour.
How do I make a black-and-white photo more dramatic?
Raise the contrast, adjust the brightness and add a little sharpening. These controls work with every style.
Can I go back to colour after saving?
Not from the saved copy. Your original file is not changed, so you can always start again from it.
Does the saved file contain my camera details or location?
No. The output is built from pixels only, so EXIF data such as camera model and GPS location is not included.