Lightroom converting black & white images to Monochrome

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
December 5, 2020
1 reply
443 views

My elderly computer was recently replaced. I have Lightroom and a flatbed scanner for 35mm black & white negatives. Recently I've discovered scanning a black & white negative when I open them in Lghtroom on the new computer, its converted to Monochrome. I "do not want" monochrome, I want black & white, how to do I stop this conversion...My elderly computer with Lightroom worked perfectly for "me".

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Rob_Cullen

Community Expert

A matter of semantics! 'Black & White' IS Monochrome, or if you want to be more accurate- Monochrome without a single color "Tint".

But the topic 'deepens' when talking about scanners.

You can possibly set the scanner to scan as "Greyscale" or "RGB color". It only makes a difference to the channels you see in the scan file. And both options should still look identical in a photo editor- an image with only 'Monochrome' tones of grey (black to white).

If you are seeing your scanned (B&W negative) images with a color (eg. sepia brown) then I suggest you need to calibrate your monitor/screen.

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.3, Photoshop 27.5, ACR 18.3, Lightroom 9.3, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .

G

Gene PB82DAuthor

Participant

Thanks Wobert C;

The scanner is set to greyscale, the images when opened have that light brown appearance, I did have the monitor calibrated. The problem is the computer also has a version of "Paint" that I opened the image with - no light brown tint to the photo? I saved a black & white photo off the Internet and opened it in Lightroom, it opens with the light brown tint to it. In "Develop" down at the Split Toning on the right margin it reads "MONOCHROME photo selected"? The thumbnail images before openig are clearly greyscale without the brown tint ?

Rob_Cullen

Community Expert

Lightroom is very sensitive to the Monitor Profile that is being used to display photos.

'Paint' and many other programs are not!

Recheck your Calibaration. Check your monitor has the calibrated profile set as 'Default'.

or- To test another profile, follow the suggestions here at the Lightroom Queen site-

MONITOR sRGB PROFILE

Rarely, a Windows update might also replace a good Graphics Driver with a 'poor' one, so also suggested is you update your Graphics card Driver from the OEM. (Manufacturer).

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.3, Photoshop 27.5, ACR 18.3, Lightroom 9.3, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .

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