Create stunning mono images

Jon Adams shows how to use your gift to craft classic B&W finishes

- Jon Adams

This issue’s cover feature on Raw editing (page 26) includes simple steps for creating a dramatic black-and-white image – but if you’re new to mono photography, knowing how to build on this basic knowledge to make more creative images can be daunting. To flatten the learning curve and help you achieve great tonal results as quickly as possible, our Mono FX Kit brings all the basic ingredients together into a one-click Photoshop kit.

Simply load up any colour image into Photoshop, then click through the layer stack in the Mono FX Kit, converting to mono, adding contrast, using classic toning recipes, and finishing off with a vignette and a presentation border. The kit also enables you to produce files sized to fit on A4 or A3 paper, so once you’ve created your mono image, you’re all set to make a breathtaking print. See our printer Big Test on page 100 for a suitable model!

About your free Mono FX Kit

The Mono FX Kit is included in this issue’s download. You need Photoshop CC to use it; instructions are on the next page. In the kit are four files, which enable you to create A3- or A4-sized images in either portrait or landscape format. Just pick the size you want!

Load up your image