How to Make an Image Black and White in DaVinci Resolve

Table of Contents

• Quick Answer
• Method 1: Reduce Saturation to 0
• Method 2: Use the RGB Mixer
• Which Method Should You Use?
• How to Make Only One Image Black and White
• How to Make an Entire Video Black and White
• Faster Alternative: Convert a Still Image Online
• FAQ

Quick Answer

The easiest way to make an image black and white in DaVinci Resolve is to select the clip, open the Color page, and reduce Saturation to 0. That single adjustment strips out every color while keeping all of the brightness detail — which is exactly what a black and white (grayscale) image is.

If you want to turn a picture black and white in under a minute, this is the method to use. The RGB Mixer method below takes a little longer but gives you control over how each color translates into a shade of gray.

Method 1: Reduce Saturation to 0

1. Import your image or video into DaVinci Resolve (drag it into the Media Pool).
2. Drag the file from the Media Pool onto the timeline.
3. Select the clip on the timeline.
4. Open the Color page using the page tabs at the bottom of the window.
5. Find the Saturation control in the Color Wheels panel. It defaults to 50.
6. Reduce Saturation to 0 — drag the value down, or click the number and type 0.
7. Return to the Edit page and preview the result in the viewer.

Setting Saturation to 0 removes the color information from the clip while preserving its luminance — the brightness values of every pixel. What remains is the grayscale rendering of your image: same light and dark relationships, no hue. That is the full definition of a black and white image, so nothing else needs adjusting.

To save a still image as a file, open the Deliver page, choose PNG or JPEG as the format, and render the frame.

Method 2: Use the RGB Mixer

Reducing saturation is fast, but it decides for you how every color turns gray. The RGB Mixer lets you make that decision yourself:

1. Open the Color page with your clip selected.
2. Open the RGB Mixer panel from the palette toolbar in the middle of the screen.
3. Enable the Monochrome checkbox.
4. Adjust the red, green, and blue channel contributions to control how different colors appear in grayscale.

With Monochrome enabled, DaVinci Resolve rebuilds the image as a weighted mix of the red, green, and blue channels. Raising the red contribution brightens reds — skin tones, for example — and darkens blues such as skies, a classic "red filter" black and white look. Raising the green contribution brightens foliage and grass.

This is the real difference between the two methods: two colors with identical brightness can end up as completely different shades of gray, and with the RGB Mixer you choose which one gets to be lighter.

Which Method Should You Use?

Saturation = 0

• Fastest
• Good for simple black and white conversion
• Best for beginners

RGB Mixer with Monochrome

• More control
• Better for cinematic black-and-white grading
• Lets you control tonal relationships between colors

A practical workflow: start with Saturation = 0. If the result looks flat or muddy, switch to the RGB Mixer and rebalance the channels until the tones separate the way you want.

How to Make Only One Image Black and White

If your timeline has multiple clips, you do not need to isolate the image first. Every grade on the Color page applies only to the clip that is selected when you make the adjustment. Select the one clip you want, drop its Saturation to 0, and everything else on the timeline keeps its original color.

Just confirm the right clip is highlighted in the timeline before you touch the Color page — that highlighted clip is the one that turns black and white, and it sits exactly where you placed it.

How to Make an Entire Video Black and White

To make a whole video black and white in DaVinci Resolve, you have two options:

1. Grade every clip. Set Saturation to 0 on one clip, then copy that grade to the rest — middle-click and drag the graded clip onto each other clip in the timeline, or right-click and use Grab Grade / Apply Grade.
2. Use an Adjustment Clip. Open the Effects panel, drag an Adjustment Clip onto a video track above your footage so it spans the entire timeline, select it, and set Saturation to 0 on the Color page. One grade now applies to everything beneath it.

The Adjustment Clip approach is usually the cleanest: it is a single layer you can shorten, remove, or keyframe — delete it and the color comes back. It works in the free version of DaVinci Resolve too.

Faster Alternative: Convert a Still Image Online

DaVinci Resolve is built for video editing and professional color grading — if that is the work you are doing, it is the right tool. But if you only need to convert a single still image to black and white, opening a video editor just to pull one saturation slider down can be more setup than the job needs.

For a one-off image, an online converter is often faster: drop the file in, get the black and white result, download it. You can make image black and white online with our free browser tool — it converts images to grayscale using Rec. 709 luma weights, runs entirely in your browser, and requires no upload or signup. It is also a quick way to preview how a photo will look in grayscale before you commit to a grade in Resolve.

FAQ

How do I make an image black and white in DaVinci Resolve?

Select the clip, open the Color page, and reduce Saturation to 0. For control over how each color converts to gray, use the RGB Mixer panel instead and enable Monochrome.

How do I remove all color in DaVinci Resolve?

Set Saturation to 0 on the Color page — it lives in the Color Wheels panel. Saturation 0 removes all color information from the selected clip while keeping brightness detail intact.

What saturation value makes a clip black and white?

Exactly 0. DaVinci Resolve's Saturation control defaults to 50; any value above 0 keeps some color, and only 0 produces a fully black and white clip.

Can DaVinci Resolve make a PNG black and white?

Yes. PNG, JPG, and other still image formats follow the same workflow: import the file, add it to the timeline, and reduce Saturation to 0 on the Color page. Export the finished frame as a PNG or JPEG from the Deliver page.

Is grayscale the same as black and white?

In everyday use, yes — both describe an image containing only shades of gray with no color. Technically, "grayscale" names the image itself (brightness values with the hue removed). Note that this is different from reversing a black and white image: converting to black and white removes color, while reversing swaps the tones so dark areas become light and light areas become dark.

How do I make a video black and white in DaVinci Resolve?

The same way as an image — set Saturation to 0 on the Color page. For an entire timeline, span an Adjustment Clip across the video and grade that once, or copy the grade from one clip to all the others.

Should I use Saturation or RGB Mixer for black and white?

Use Saturation 0 when you just need a clean black and white conversion quickly. Use the RGB Mixer with Monochrome enabled when the tonal mix matters — for cinematic grading, or when you want specific colors to land darker or lighter in the final image.