Duotone help - DPChallenge Forums

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

11/06/2025 11:53:00 PM · #1

I know I can just do a black and white or a sepia or other toned image for this challenge, but I thought it would be fun to try a "true" duotone. I have spent way too much time watching and reading video tutorials the last couple of days and still can't follow the instructions. I have Photoshop 2026 as well as Elements 2026. All the tutorials are way too fast - I keep pausing and trying to do what they say but can't even find the place to do it in most of them. And then just as one gets me to a point where it looks and sounds promising, instead of finishing, it veers off and the presenter says something like "Now, if you want to add a third color . . . " and proceeds to mess it all up!!

A good link or two, please - preferably one with a nice, slow, video AND a written tutorial to accompany it.

Neat

Canon Canon 1d x Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

11/07/2025 02:29:37 AM · #2

If you look at the last duotone challenge you don't need to worry to much - however this image of Lev puzzles me

. It seems to be a true duotone, but the challenge specifically stated "Your submission should only consist of two tones (black/white, sepia, etc)." If this was the case how did Lev pass the test?

This is a conundrum.

What to do??

primabarbara

Fujifilm X-T1

Fujifilm XF 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR

11/07/2025 03:17:28 AM · #3

Even black and white photos aren't true duotones. There are all the shades of gray in between...
Lev's picture is an ideal example of this.

This simply results from the different brightness levels within an image. Unless, of course, you manage to capture an image that truly consists only of black and white (and nothing in between) or two other colors.

Ultimately, it's the voter who decides how well an entry fits the topic.

Neat

Canon Canon 1d x Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

11/07/2025 03:24:01 AM · #4

Originally posted by primabarbara:

I have to agree with this one :)

Oligamli

Nikon Z6

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED

11/07/2025 06:01:18 AM · #5

Black & white photos aren't true duotones, they're monotones :) The Duotone concept comes from old times when printers were saving ink and using only two colors to print a color sheet instead of four colors. So basically the process involves putting one color in shadows and another color in highlights, this use to be easily done in Lightroom using the Split Toning tools but they've replaced it with the new Color Grading tool, which can do the same effect. Here's a tutorial I found online that shows how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnP-0CSg_as

If I had voted in any of the older duotone challenges here on DPChallenge, I would have considered most of the entries outside of the required theme.

I know this will be a difficult challenge for most, myself included :) Good luck!

vawendy

Sony Alpha 1

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

11/07/2025 08:37:24 AM · #6

Originally posted by nam:

I'm headed out of town, so I can't give more info now, but this is what we talked about in our thread:

"funky -- go into photoshop, click on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner, and type in duotone. and play from there.
Image"
duotone

[url=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1399826109595517043/1434940189242953728/image.png?ex=690ec4f1&is=690d7371&hm=f6d8fc541047b5cbf530eb81b4a21ba186c19e37fedb01dd269afb199679eff8
]more duotone info[/url]

Probably not helpful, but that's what we've found so far.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/07/2025 09:50:21 AM · #7

As mentioned, a "true" duotone is made by printing with two colors of ink, typically one lighter and one darked. Photoshop has a Duotone mode, but to use it you first have to convert the image to Grayscale mode, then to Duotone mode, and when your totally finished you have to convert back to RGB mode to make a JPEG.

This folder has an example with the original color image and a couple of duotone treatments. If you do an image search for duotones limited to my username there's about 4 pages of various entries in duotone or near-duotone ...

I've made duotones both traditionally (film) and digitally if you have more questions.

PennyStreet

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 17mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko

11/07/2025 09:59:09 AM · #8

What

GeneralEsaid. In PS - Image/Mode - Greyscale and Duotone are dropdowns. There are lots of "ink" choices/combinations to pick from.

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

11/07/2025 11:46:02 AM · #9

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions. I'm not "worried" per se - just saw this challenge as an incentive to learn something new :)

GeneralE or

PennyStreet - This is the method I've tried to use but I keep getting stuck. I get to this point with 2 colors and expect the blue to be in the shadows, the orange in the highlights . . . but no matter what I do, I get either a blue toned or an orange toned result. What am I missing?

Message edited by author 2025-11-07 11:46:21.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/07/2025 12:02:15 PM · #10

@nam -- your tone curves are too similar to show the effect.

As an extreme example to show what's happening, try setting the lighter color to 100% in 60% out, and the darker color to 40% in 0% out. You should end up with the lighter color in the light areas and the darker color in the shadows, with a blend in between.

I can be more helpful later when I'm home and can put up some screen shots.

If any of you want, post a sample image (not your actual entry) where I can download it and the color scheme you want and I can make you s sample.

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

11/07/2025 12:26:50 PM · #11

Originally posted by GeneralE:

I think I need to work on understanding and manipulating curves first. But I'll be back. It is very helpful to know that you can "see" from the graphs why I'm only seeing one color. I did try to do what you suggested but am still only seeing one color. Will be back. Much to do today myself :) THANKS!!

LevT

OM System OM-1

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

11/07/2025 01:51:41 PM · #12

Another way of making true duotones is to use Nik Silver Efex plugin, it has the Toning section where you can choose colors for your "silver" (dark) and "paper" (light) tones and regulate with sliders their intensity and balance. Very easy and intuitive ...if you have this plugin, that is ).

The challenge description is indeed a bit confusing. Both examples given (black/white, sepia) are monochromatic images. I guess they could also fall into the category of duotones where one of the tones isn't used, but then it would be more accurate if the description said no more than two tones

Message edited by author 2025-11-07 19:18:50.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

11/07/2025 03:46:54 PM · #13

Originally posted by nam:

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions. I'm not "worried" per se - just saw this challenge as an incentive to learn something new :)

I took a screenshot of your image and played with it for a few minutes. For the first example I used your colors (as sampled by Photoshop), then for the second I used the same curves but changed the colors to those shown in the dialog box (C-M-Y-K values).

Duotone tests

FWIW duotones don't work that well for high-contrast images -- you end up with blocks of solid color. Compare the tones in the image with those in the gradient scale in the dialog box -- the idea is to add a degree of depth and realism to an otherwise monochromatic image. And it's perfectly fine for black to be one of the colors.

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

11/07/2025 04:26:24 PM · #14

Thanks, Paul. I think I have the colors reversed for a start . . . from what I imagined, that is.

Sony DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha

11/07/2025 07:45:35 PM · #15

Just can't get it, so I'm taking you up on your offer,

GeneralE I would like blues in shadows, light orange in highlights. I know you said this wasn't a good candidate, but I have spent so much time with it, I have formed a sort of bond (despite the fact that I just grabbed it to experiment with in the first place LOL). It's from well before the dates for current challenges and I have no intention of ever using it at DPC :)