How to Make Footage Black and White in Premiere Pro (Beginner-Friendly Guide)
Looking to give your video a black and white look in Adobe Premiere Pro? Whether it’s for a stylized edit, emotional tone, or throwback feel, turning your footage grayscale is easy. This guide walks beginners through the exact steps using the Lumetri Color panel, without needing any plugins or advanced color correction.
Step 1: Open the Effects Tab
If you don’t already see the Effects panel in your workspace:
Go to Window > Effects
Use the search bar and type Lumetri Color
You can either drag the Lumetri Color effect directly onto your clip or apply it via the Lumetri Color panel.
Step 2: Open the Lumetri Color Panel
For a more direct workflow:
Go to Window > Lumetri Color
This will open the Lumetri Color panel in your workspace
Select your clip in the timeline to activate the color controls
Once selected, Lumetri Color will be applied automatically and show up in your Effect Controls panel.
Step 3: Desaturate the Footage
Inside the Lumetri Color panel:
Look for the Saturation slider
Slide it all the way to 0 to remove all color from your clip
Your footage is now black and white.
Step 4 (Optional): Adjust Contrast and Exposure
To enhance the visual impact:
Increase Contrast for a more dramatic look
Adjust Exposure if the clip is too dark or too bright
These tweaks help give your black and white footage more depth
All changes will reflect in real time, and you’ll see Lumetri Color listed in your Effect Controls panel.
That’s It
You’ve now successfully created a black and white effect in Premiere Pro using Lumetri Color. This is a simple but powerful way to change the mood or storytelling style of your video.
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