Photoshop: Convert color image to two-bit black and white

Question

I need help.

How do I outline the design in solid black and solid white, not grainy half black and white and the black overflowing into the white?

Original image on right; attempt on left, but didn't turn out as solid colours in distinct areas (Used Photoshop filter)

Answer 1

There isn't enough contrast in the source image to easily achieve what you are looking for, but there are a couple of things that can improve your result:

• Choose one particular channel (the one with the best contrast) and make your mono image form that.
• Remove some of the detail and noise from the image before converting to mono - despeckle, dust and scratches, and blur are all possible solutions.
• When converting to black and white, use the brightness and contrast in 'legacy' mode to give you control over the white / black point.

All that said, if you need this to be perfect then you will be looking at redrawing / tracing it (as somebody has just suggested while I was typing).