BETTER COLOR-TO-GRAYSCALE USING LAB

Converting a color image to grayscale by choosing Grayscale from the Mode menu often produces some pretty flat-looking grayscale images. Rather than doing that, try one of our favorite tips for getting better grayscale images. Start with an RGB color scan, then go under the Image menu, under Mode, and choose Lab Color. Then go to the Channels palette. You'll see four channels. Drag the B channel to the Trash icon to delete it. Now, delete the channel called Alpha 2, leaving just Alpha 1 (which was the original Lightness channel). Now go under the Image menu, under Mode, and choose Grayscale. Go to the Layers palette and click on the Background layer. If your grayscale image appears too light, make a copy of the layer and change the Blend Mode to Multiply. If it appears too dark, lower your Multiply layer's Opacity until you dial in a perfect-looking grayscale image.