Photoshop Effects: Old-Fashioned, Hand-Tinted Effect

Step 3: Add A Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer Above The Background Layer

Click back on the original Background layer to select it, and then click the New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette:

Choose Channel Mixer from the list that appears:

The Channel Mixer adjustment layer should now appear between the Background layer and "Layer 1":

Step 4: Use The Channel Mixer To Create A Black And White Version Of The Image

We're going to use the Channel Mixer to create a nice black and white version of the image. We could simply desaturate the image, but that usually gives us poor quality results. The Channel Mixer allows us to create our own custom black and white version and adjust it until we're happy with how it looks. Also, by using the adjustment layer version of the Channel Mixer, we're not touching the original image in any way.

When the Channel Mixer dialog appears, the first thing you want to do is select the Monochrome option in the bottom left corner:

You'll see the image turn black and white in the Document Window when you select it. Then drag the Red, Green and Blue slider bars left and right to create a custom black and white version of the image. The idea is to keep all three values totaling 100%, which will give you the brightest possible image without "blowing out" any of the details in the highlights. The values you end up choosing for your image will depend entirely on the image itself. Here I've chosen 10% for Red, 45% for Green and 45% for Blue, which gives me a black and white version I'm happy with. Again, your numbers will depend on the image you're working with.

If you want to learn more about what exactly these Red, Green and Blue channels are, check out the RGB And Color Channels Explained section of the site.

Click OK when you're done to exit out of the Channel Mixer. Here's my image after converting it to black and white using the Channel Mixer: