my Image Splitter

Make images black and white

Turn colour photos into black and white (shades of grey) in one click. Free, private, up to 20 images at once.

or drop them here

  • JPG · PNG · WebP · GIF
  • Up to 20 images
  • Stays on your device

How to make an image black and white

  1. Add your images

    JPG, PNG, WebP or GIF, up to 20 at once.

  2. Black and white is already on

    Choose the format to save in: JPG for photos, PNG for graphics. Transparent areas stay transparent in PNG and WebP.

  3. Convert and download

    Each file gets -bw at the end of its name, so it never replaces your colour original. Download them one by one or all together in a ZIP.

How the black and white works

Each colour becomes the grey of the same brightness, using the standard formula that counts green the most and blue the least, the way our eyes see them. A bright yellow becomes a light grey, and a deep blue a dark one.

The result is shades of grey: what people usually mean by a black and white photo. It isn't a two-colour image of pure black and pure white, so it isn't meant for stencils or tracing.

Black and white questions

Can I turn the result back into colour?

No: the colours are gone from the black and white file. Your original file is never changed, so keep it if you may need the colour version.

Is transparency kept?

Yes, in PNG and WebP. JPG has no transparency, so transparent areas get the background colour you choose (white by default).

Will the file be smaller?

Often a little, because there's less colour information, but it depends on the image. Each result shows its real size before you download; the compressor makes it smaller still.

Can I make only part of a photo black and white?

Not with this tool: it turns the whole image black and white.

Are my images uploaded?

No. Everything happens in your browser, on your device. See the privacy page.

More free image tools

All of them run in your browser, with no sign-up and no uploads.