: Turn Grayscale image into black image with transparency What I want is for the image to turn all grays into transparencies of black, which doesn't seem to work when I simply use "Colour Range"

@Alves566

Make a new layer. Flood fill with black. Attach a layer mask to the layer.

Select the greyscale layer to give it focus, then "Select All"

Switch to the channels palette, select the layer mask for the black layer, make it visible and then paste. This should paste the greyscale image into the layer mask of the black layer. Make the layer mask layer "not visible."

Switch back to the layers palette, hide the original greyscale image.

White will be opaque in the layer mask. Invert the colors of the mask if you want the blacks in the original greyscale to be opaque.

You can add a color-overlay layer style to alter the color of the black layer.

In the image below, "Layer 0" is the original greyscale; "layer 2" is the new black layer

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@Jessie844

Another option is to simply copy the original image into a separate alpha channel and inverse. Make a selection of that newly created alpha channel, then fill with black on a new layer.

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@Cofer715

You want to use the threshold filter I'd recommend applying it as a layer mask so that you can easily adjust it. You'll find it under the layer adjustments layer button in the layers palette:


You can adjust the threshold (hence the name) at which grays become either black or white:


You might also want to check out this link if you're looking to create those Shephard Fairey/stencil style effects.

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