Black & White to Sepia Photo Manipulation

An Antique Look for Your Black and White Photos
How to Make Sepia Prints from Black and White Photos
Using Photoshop or Print Shop

Using Photoshop

Open the File

If your black and white photo is digital, click on File, Open and browse to select it.

If it is not digital, scan it in using File, Import. I imported this photo at 720 pixels per inch because I wanted to create a small print (about 2 x 4 in.). For a larger print, use higher scan resolution and vice versa.

Save your scanned black and white photo to a file before making any changes. You may want to use it again sometime.

Color it Sepia

Click on Image, Adjustments; choose Photo Filter from the menu.

Click on the Filter down arrow to get the filter menu; choose Sepia. Place the cursor on the density slider and move the slider toward the right until you get the amount of sepia you desire. I used 87% here.

Click OK.

Fine Tune

In this case (and every one is different!), I thought the print needed to be lighter and contain a bit more yellow. It's a judgment call.

For these effects, I clicked on Image, Adjustments, Levels. To lighten all channels, I left RGB selected and moved the center slider to the left. Then to add more yellow, I changed the Channel to Blue (since blue is the complement or opposite of yellow).

Then I moved the center slider toward the right until I got the right amount of yellow (more yellow, less blue).

Save

Save the sepia version to a new name in order to preserve the original color photo you have on file.

Using Print Shop

Open the File

If your color photo is digital, click on Insert, Import and browse to select it.

If it is not digital, scan it in using File, Acquire. I imported this photo at 720 pixels per inch because I wanted to create a small print (about 2 x 4 in.). For a larger print, use higher scan resolution and vice versa.

Save your scanned color photo to a file before making any changes. You may want to use it again sometime.

Convert to Antique

Click on Effects, choose Apply Photo Effects, Filter, Antique. You can leave it right there as or fine tune to your liking.

Fine Tune

For more intensity, select Effects again, then Brightness and Focus. Play with the sliders until you are happy with the result.

I reduced the Saturation by -28 because I thought it had too much yellow.

I would prefer even less yellow but Print Shop's Color Adjustment is a step function, rather then a slider. I couldn't find a happy medium between too much yellow and too much red for the warmer look I wanted.

Save

Save the sepia version to a new name in order to preserve the original color photo you have on file.