How to convert a color image to black and white in Inkscape

Inkscape is a powerful tool, comparable to Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. The crucial advantage is its price. Inkscape is a free open-source program. Today I will show you how easy is to convert color pictures into black and white images.

Why should I do that?

Well, there is a story about Dick Whittington and his cat which is based on real people and real events. Richard (Dick) Whittington undoubtedly existed but there is no evidence about his cat. There is a drawing where he is portrayed with a cat though.

This drawing can’t be a proof because it’s based on a much older drawing, where Richard Whittington is portrayed in the same setting but his hand is not on the cat. Instead of that it lies on the skull. Don’t ask me why. This drawing was also made way after Richard’s death, by the way.

We wanted to present both pictures side by side so the similarities were as obvious as possible. The problem is that one of them was available in black and white mode and the other in sepia. If both were in black and white, things would look much more convincing (and professional), agree?

The solution is simple:

1. Import both images into Inkscape (ctrl-I).
2. Place images side by side with your mouse. Adjust sizes, if necessary (click one of them and change the size by dragging one of the handles at the corner of the image).
3. Select both images (ctrl-A).
4. In the top menu click Filters, Color, Greyscale. A smaller pop-up menu for fine-tuning will appear. You can play with options if you want. It’s a great time killer. But it’s not obligatory. The default settings will do the job just right.
5. Click Apply.
6. Save your work in the desired format.

This is the result:

Easy, right?