Convert a PDF to grayscale
Save colour ink, or meet a “black and white only” rule for submissions. Choose grayscale for photos and charts, or pure black and white for crisp text.
- Processed in your browser
- No sign-up
- Free
1. Add a PDF
2. Colour
Shades of grey, good for photos and charts. Pages are redrawn as images, so text can no longer be selected or searched. The file may get bigger or smaller.
Add a PDF to convert.
How to convert a PDF to black and white
Add your PDF
Choose one PDF, up to 100 MB.
Choose the look
Grayscale keeps shades of grey; Black & white makes every pixel black or white.
Choose the quality
150 DPI for everyday printing, 300 DPI for small text.
Download
Save grayscale.pdf.
What you can do with this tool
Grayscale or pure B&W
Shades of grey for photos, or crisp black and white for text.
Every page converted
Text, images and drawings all lose their colour, guaranteed.
Two quality levels
150 or 300 DPI.
Preview
See roughly how page 1 will look before downloading.
Stays on your device
Your PDF is not uploaded. Free, no sign-up.
Limits and what you get
| Input | One PDF, up to 100 MB |
|---|---|
| Modes | Grayscale, black & white |
| Resolution | 150 or 300 DPI |
| Text | Not selectable afterwardsPages become images |
| File size | May go up or down |
| Output | grayscale.pdf |
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a PDF to black and white?
Add the PDF, choose Black & white (or Grayscale) and download the converted copy.
Will I still be able to select text?
No. Pages are redrawn as images to make sure every colour is removed, so text can't be selected or searched.
Grayscale or black and white?
Grayscale keeps shades, good for photos. Black and white is crisper and cheaper to print for text-only documents.
Will the file get bigger?
It can. Image pages are often larger than text pages, especially at 300 DPI. Try 150 DPI, or Compress PDF afterwards.
Can I just print in grayscale instead?
Yes, if your printer offers it. Converting helps when you must submit a black-and-white file.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. Pages are converted in your browser.
Related tools
Compress PDF
Reduce a PDF's file size, or aim for a target such as 100 KB or 200 KB.
PDF to JPG
Turn PDF pages into JPG or PNG images.
Scan to PDF
Scan documents with your phone camera: crop, straighten, enhance, save as PDF.
Redact PDF
Black out names, numbers and areas in a PDF so they are really removed.
Pages Per Sheet
Put 2, 4, 6, 9 or 16 PDF pages on one sheet to save paper.