Hello everyone this is Chris from Spoon Graphics back with another tutorial for Adobe Photoshop.
Today I'm going to show you 5 ways to create the trendy Duotone look, the colourful photo effect
where the shadows and highlights of an image are replaced with vibrant contrasting hues.
This effect was popularised by the music app Spotify when it used the
duotone effect in its promotional imagery of artists and bands.
You can check out my first tutorial on the effect from back in 2015.
In this video I'll show you a selection of different methods to create the effect.
Some are quick and easy, while others provide you with more control over the final result.
Stick around to the end to see the easiest method using my free Duotone Gradient Presets from Spoon
Graphics, which allow you to apply various duotone colour schemes to an image with a single click.
But first, if you want to help support the channel,
follow the link in the description to check out Envato Elements.
The colourful photo effect we associate with the term ‘duotone’
isn't actually an authentic duotone image. Duotone was originally a printing method
that used 2 different Pantone ink to reproduce an image. It's used to print black and white
images with a more visually attractive appearance by adding a touch of colour,
such as a brownish sepia look or a hint of blue rather than the basic shades of grayscale.
In Photoshop there's a setting to generate an authentic Duotone image. First, convert
the image to Grayscale under Image > Mode, which then allows you to convert to Duotone.
In the Duotone settings, there are several presets that use Pantone colours,
such as Warm Gray or Cool Gray
The popular digital duotone effect uses much more vibrant colours than authentic duotone prints.
A quick and easy way to create the effect is using a Gradient Map.
Apply a Gradient Map adjustment layer to your
image from the Adjustment layers list at the bottom of the Layers panel.
Click the default black to white gradient to edit the colours.
Find two contrasting colours, for each end of the gradient spectrum,
one for the shadows and one for the highlights.
If necessary, you can adjust the balance
between the colours by moving the location handle left and right.
An alternative method uses Solid Color adjustment layers.
Apply two solid colour adjustment layers and choose your two contrasting hues for each one.
In order to make this method work, we need to set up a layer mask. Make sure you activate the
layer mask of the top layer, otherwise the Apply Image menu option we need won't be accessible.
Under the Image menu, choose Apply Image.
Set the Layer option to Background, to load the original image.
If you have the dark and light colours the other way around,
click the Invert button to fix the appearance.
To fine tune the result, choose between the channel options.
These solid colour adjustment layers can
be changed to easily adjust the colours of the effect.
Applying a layer mask means the original image can't be changed unless the layer
mask is regenerated. This method also uses solid colour adjustment layers,
but with different blending modes so the Background layer can be easily changed.
Begin with a Black and White adjustment layer.
This photograph is black and white to begin with so it isn't really necessary,
but it is required for full colour pictures. Adding the black and white adjustment layer
anyway means if the background is replaced with a colour image, the duotone effect will still work.
Set up your duotone colour scheme using two separate solid colour adjustment layers.
Set the lighter colour to the Multiply blending mode, and the darker colour
to the Lighten blending mode. This applies the appropriate colour to the highlights or shadows.
For best results, make sure the darker colour is
underneath the highlights colour in the layer stack.
This Camera RAW technique preserves the highlights to create a brighter duotone look
with slightly less vibrant pastel colours.
First, convert the image to a Smart Object to apply the effects non-destructively.
Go to Image > Adjustments > Black and white to remove the colour from the original image,
then go to Filter > Camera Raw filter.
Close the basic editing options and find the Color Grading section.
This tool provides individual colour wheels for the shadows and highlights,
along with a couple of additional option sliders.
Setting the Blending to max will generate the most colourful result, then you can adjust the
balance between the colours and overall luminance of the shadows and highlights.
My favourite method is the Gradient Map adjustment layer. It's the quickest and easiest to set up,
and it's applied non-destructively. To quickly toggle through loads of
duotone colour scheme options, download my Free Duotone Gradient Presets from Spoon Graphics.
Apply the Gradient Map Adjustment Layer just like in method one,
then click Import and navigate to the free download file.
These gradients will be saved in your presets list. Click each one
to see what the colour combination looks like.
You can also fine tune the hues if necessary.
Which duotone method is your favourite? Or do you use a
totally different technique I don't know about, let me know down in the comments.