How do I make a viewport black and white in Blender?

To make your Blender viewport appear black and white, you can adjust the background color of the 3D Viewport, modify how objects are displayed in shades of gray, or change Blender's overall interface theme to a monochrome scheme.

Method 1: Changing the 3D Viewport Background Color

This is the most direct way to change the environment of your 3D view to a black, white, or gray tone. Blender allows you to easily set a single color for your viewport background.

• Steps:
  1. Go to Edit > Preferences.
  2. In the Preferences window, select the Themes tab on the left.
  3. Expand the 3D Viewport section.
  4. Scroll down to find the Theme Space section.
  5. Locate Background Type. It's often set to "Gradient" by default.
  6. Change Background Type to Single Color. This option allows you to set a uniform color for the entire background.
  7. Click the color swatch next to Viewport Background Color.
  8. Drag the color picker to select pure black, pure white, or any desired shade of gray. You have the flexibility to make it any color, but selecting a single gray tone is key for a black and white effect.
  9. Optional: To save these preferences permanently, click the Save Preferences button at the bottom left of the Preferences window.

Method 2: Displaying Objects in Black and White (Grayscale) within the Viewport

If you want the actual 3D objects in your scene to appear in shades of gray, rather than just the background, there are a few approaches depending on your viewport shading mode.

For Solid Shading Mode:

This method quickly makes all objects appear as a uniform shade of gray, focusing on their form without color distraction.

1. In the 3D Viewport, navigate to the top right corner where the Viewport Shading options are (usually represented by spheres).
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to the Solid shading sphere (the second from the left, typically gray).
3. Under the Color setting, choose Single Color.
4. Click the color swatch and select a gray shade (e.g., middle gray, light gray, or dark gray). This will make all objects appear uniformly in that single gray color, providing a grayscale representation of your scene's forms.

For Material Preview or Rendered Shading (Advanced Grayscale):

For a more nuanced grayscale effect that respects material properties and lighting (e.g., showing different shades of gray based on original colors and luminosity), you typically involve your materials or Blender's Color Management.

• Material-based Grayscale:
  1. In the Shader Editor, for each material, you can add an RGB to BW (RGB to Black/White) node after the Base Color input of your Principled BSDF (or similar shader). This will convert the material's color information to grayscale before it's displayed.
  2. Ensure your viewport is in Material Preview or Rendered shading mode to see the effect of these material changes.
• Scene-wide Color Management (for Render Output Previews):
  1. Go to Render Properties (camera icon) in the Properties editor.
  2. Expand the Color Management panel.
  3. While primarily for render output, you can experiment with View Transform settings, but a direct "grayscale" view transform for the viewport isn't a standard feature. Typically, you'd process a rendered image in the Compositor for a true black and white final output.

Method 3: Changing Blender's Interface Theme to Monochrome

If "black and white" refers to the entire Blender interface (menus, panels, buttons), you can switch to a theme that uses a monochrome color scheme.

• Steps:
  1. Go to Edit > Preferences.
  2. Select the Themes tab.
  3. At the top, click the dropdown menu next to Presets.
  4. Choose a preset like Blender Dark (which uses a dark gray scheme), Blender Light, or explore community-made themes that prioritize black, white, and gray tones.
  5. You can also manually adjust colors for various UI elements under each theme section (e.g., User Interface, 3D Viewport, Node Editor) to create your own custom black and white theme.

Practical Applications and Considerations

• Focus on Form: Changing the viewport to a single background color or displaying objects in grayscale helps artists focus on the forms, shapes, and lighting of their models without the distraction of color.
• Performance: Simple solid color backgrounds and solid grayscale object display are very light on system resources, which can be beneficial for complex scenes or less powerful hardware.
• Accessibility: A high-contrast black and white theme can improve accessibility for users with certain visual impairments.

Summary of Methods for Black and White Viewport

Feature to Change	Location in Blender	Primary Goal	Notes
Viewport Background	Edit > Preferences > Themes > 3D Viewport	Change the backdrop color of the 3D view	Choose Single Color for Background Type.
Objects Display (Solid)	3D Viewport > Shading Overlays (Dropdown)	Make all objects appear a uniform gray	Under Color, select Single Color and choose gray.
Objects Display (Material)	Shader Editor (RGB to BW Node)	Convert material colors to grayscale	Requires Material Preview or Rendered viewport mode.
Blender UI Theme	Edit > Preferences > Themes > Presets	Change the entire interface to monochrome	Select Blender Dark, Blender Light, or custom themes.

By combining these methods, you can achieve various degrees of a "black and white" look in your Blender viewport, from a monochrome background to grayscale object display and a minimalist interface.