Monochrome images

[Amaranthus]

When working in greyscale monochrome images, how does the basic workflow differ compared to colour?

I presume you import with LRGB but just select the luminance channel? What about processing steps - anything to look out for or avoid compared to a standard DSLR or LRGB colour image?

[Amaranthus]

Here's an image of M20 in mono, processed through StarTools (imported as a normal file). Seemed to work out reasonably well. 25 x 60 sec with IR filter, but I admit I was flying a little blind!

TrifidM20_Stack_Orion.png (322.89 KiB) Viewed 8895 times

Original FITS is here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/158 ... _Orion.fit

[admin]

Hi,

The workflow should be pretty much the same (with the obvious exclusion of the Color module - unless you want to add 'false' colour of course). You can just load the TIF/FITS file through the 'open' button - no need to go through LRGB.
Nice M20! Anything in particular you wished you knew more about? Flying blind works in StarTools, but the more you get to know StarTools the more you can become 'master of your own destiny'.

[Amaranthus]

Thanks Ivo, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't committing any serious processing faux pas, but it sounds like logic will dictate the day. There were a few instances in the modules where colour was mentioned as an option (balancing etc.) and I just used brightness, and I skipped the colour module completely. So all good. I'll follow the StarTools mantra then - what works, works!