> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://astra-image.gitbook.io/astra-image-6.0/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://astra-image.gitbook.io/astra-image-6.0/processing-tools/convert-to-gray.md).

# Convert to Gray

**Convert to Gray (Mean)**\
This will convert a color image into a gray scale image by computing the mean values of the red, green and blue values for each pixel.

**Convert to Gray (Luminance)**\
This will convert a color image into a gray scale image by creating converting the RGB image into an HSL image and then extracting the L (luminance) channel.

**Smart Decolor**\
This is a very advanced function that converts a color image into a gray scale image while preserving the image contrast. This can produce visually appealing black and white images. Also, it can help when printing a color image with a monochrome printer.