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PDF to Grayscale

Turn a colour PDF into black and white.

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Max 100 MB per file · PDF

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    Pages are re-drawn as grayscale images, so text becomes part of the image. Searchable text, links and interactive forms are not preserved.

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    Free No watermark No sign-up Files never uploaded
    Need searchable text?Run OCR PDF afterwards.
    Grey file too big?Use Compress PDF.
    Printing on a laser printer?See how charts will look first.

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    How to use PDF to Grayscale

    1. Select your PDF.Choose the colour PDF you will print in black and white.
    2. Choose the quality.Higher quality keeps text sharper but makes the file bigger.
    3. Click PDF to Grayscale.Each page is redrawn in grey and saved as an image.
    4. Check that every page is grey.Zoom in to check that the text is sharp.

    About PDF to Grayscale

    When is it useful? PDF to Grayscale turns a colour PDF into black and white — useful before printing on a black-and-white printer, saving colour ink, or meeting a submission rule that asks for grayscale documents.

    Good to know: each page is redrawn in shades of grey at Standard (150 DPI), High (200 DPI) or Best (300 DPI) quality and saved as an image, so the text is no longer selectable and links are removed. Higher DPI gives sharper text but a bigger file.

    Example: a 40-page colour report must be printed on an office laser printer that prints only in black. Converting to grayscale first lets you see exactly how charts and coloured text will look on paper, so you can fix unreadable parts before printing.

    Tips for Better Results

    • 150 DPI is enough for screen reading; choose 300 DPI for printing.
    • Run OCR PDF afterwards if you need searchable text.
    • If the grey file is too big, use Compress PDF.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which DPI should I pick for grayscale?
    Standard (150 DPI) for screens, High (200 DPI) or Best (300 DPI) for printing.
    Can I still select text?
    No. Pages are saved as images and links are removed. Run OCR PDF for searchable text.
    Why is the grey file bigger?
    Higher DPI makes sharper but bigger files. Use Compress PDF if needed.
    Works with: Adobe Reader · Chrome · Edge · Mac Preview · phone PDF viewers · black-and-white printers

    What converts well, and what doesn't

    QualityResult
    Standard (150 DPI)Enough for screen reading
    High (200 DPI)Sharper text
    Best (300 DPI)For printing — bigger file
    PagesSaved as grey images
    Selectable text and linksRemoved
    💡 Tip: 150 DPI is enough for screen reading; choose 300 DPI for printing.

    Common uses

    B&W printersPreview the print.
    Save inkNo colour ink used.
    SubmissionsGrayscale rules.
    ChartsCheck readability.
    Office printingLaser printers.
    ArchivesUniform copies.

    Is my file safe?

    Browser processing: your files are processed on your own device and are never uploaded to our server.

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    Guide

    PDF to Grayscale: a complete guide

    Why convert a PDF to grayscale

    Black-and-white laser printers, photocopy-ready documents, printing cost savings and some submission rules all call for grayscale. Converting first also shows how charts and coloured text will look when printed without colour, so you can fix unreadable parts.

    What happens when you convert

    Each page is drawn at the quality you choose — Standard (150 DPI), High (200 DPI) or Best (300 DPI) — every colour is converted to the matching shade of grey using standard brightness weighting, and the page is saved into a new PDF as an image.

    What changes in the file

    Because pages become images, the grayscale PDF has no selectable or searchable text, and links and form fields are removed. Higher DPI keeps small text sharp but increases the file size. Run OCR PDF on the result if you need searchable text again.

    Common problems and how to fix them

    Coloured text became hard to read: light colours such as yellow turn very light grey — change those colours in the source document if possible. The file is larger than the original: image pages can be bigger than text pages; compress with Compress PDF. Charts lose meaning: lines in different colours may look similar in grey — add labels or patterns in the source.

    Good habits

    Use 150 DPI for screen and 300 DPI for print, check charts and stamps after converting, and keep the colour original.

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