• Registered: 2022-03-22
  • Posts: 38

Topic: Colourising A Black And White Image

I have been using the basic feature of version X11 for sometime, but have not ventured into the realms of actually editing an image in this way.
I cannot see anything obvious that suggests that it is possible using this program, but that is probably because I don't really know what I am looking for.
Can anyone tell me if it is possible to add colourisation to a black and white image and if so how I can do this.
The simplest method might be best to try first.

  • Registered: 2025-10-02
  • Posts: 22

Re: Colourising A Black And White Image

Simplest might be:
https://www.canva.com/features/colorize … and-white/

Affinity Photo user with a Canon camera
  • Registered: 2025-10-02
  • Posts: 22

Re: Colourising A Black And White Image

Or maybe not.  Just tried that link on a B&W photo of a butterfly and flower.  It made a reasonable job of restoring the colour of the butterfly but it made a very poor job of the flower. The colours were washed out.

Affinity Photo user with a Canon camera
  • Registered: 2022-03-22
  • Posts: 38

Re: Colourising A Black And White Image

Thanks for the feedback. I had that one on my list to download, but won't bother now you had tested it for me.

I have one more prospective download to try and that is https://www.gimp.org/downloads/. I have not yet explored how easy it might be to use.

  • Registered: 2025-10-02
  • Posts: 22

Re: Colourising A Black And White Image

I don't think using Gimp will be simple. As far as I can make out, it doesn't have an autocolourise option.  You'd have to select each area and colour it.  There's  a very short (only 3 minutes) tutorial here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXZKup0MaAY

You could probably apply the same principles within PhotoPlus, which would save you having to learn your way around a new application.

Affinity Photo user with a Canon camera
  • Registered: 2025-10-02
  • Posts: 22

Re: Colourising A Black And White Image

This one might be worth trying:
https://www.myheritage.com/incolor

You do need a MyHeritage account but it worked when I tried it using my free account.

It made a decent job of restoring a B&W version of an autumnal tree.  perhaps there were some clues about it being a autumn shot from the date taken in the photo metadata.  Not so good with the butterfly picture I mentioned.  The butterfly was a bit washed out and it took the easy option of making all the flower blooms white.  Mind you, if I didn't know what colours the butterfly and the flowers were supposed to be I might be satisfied.

Affinity Photo user with a Canon camera
  • Registered: 2022-03-22
  • Posts: 38

Re: Colourising A Black And White Image

I was not aware of the my heritage one. It sounds from what you say as if it might be the best one to try first. I have nothing to lose if the account is a free one. I hope that it remains free rather than options from NCL which start that way and then ask you to pay when the free trial period (which they fail to point out) expires.

  • Registered: 2025-10-03
  • Posts: 17

Re: Colourising A Black And White Image

Sometimes it works very well.....try posting it into Chat Gpt and tell it specifically what you want e.g. colour the butterfly and soften/sharpen the flowers etc.....hit and miss but costs you nothing.

9 Reply by stuck (edited by stuck 2026-10-17 18:58:34)

  • Registered: 2025-10-02
  • Posts: 22

Re: Colourising A Black And White Image

Bob Keen wrote:

...I hope that it remains free...

I've had a free MyHeritage account for several years.  It allows you to do unlimited searches of their genealogy records but it is very limited in what you can see beyond the index list returned by a query.  To that detail you do need a subscription. [Or you use the list of hits to inform further searching at a library where you can get full access Ancestry for free]

I don't know if the number of photos you can colourise with a free account is limited.  I've only tried a couple so far, the test one of the butterfly (which was only taken a few ago so I have a full colour version), and one from the 1920s of two young American sailors in their dress uniforms.  It left the 'summer' uniform white and applied a sensible navy blue to the 'winter' one.  The flesh tones were OK too.  Having said that, it took me two attempts.  The first time I uploaded the image 'as is', with a faint sepia hint to it.  It simply 'improved' the sepia effect.  Second time I upload a true B&W version (which I made using Affinity Photo 2). It applied colour to that version.

Affinity Photo user with a Canon camera