PDF to Grayscale

Turn a colour PDF into shades of grey – or crisp black and white – to save ink and print cheaper.

🔒 Your files are processed on your device and never uploaded.

PDF to Grayscale at a glance

Price
Free
Account
Not needed
Watermark
None
Privacy
Files are processed inside your browser and are never uploaded.
Works on
Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone – in any modern browser
Install
Nothing to install
Two stylesGrayscale keeps shading; black and white makes text-only pages extra clear and small.
Save inkPrint colour documents without using any colour cartridge.
Quality you chooseFrom small files for email to print quality.

How to use PDF to Grayscale

  1. Press Select PDF file.
  2. Choose grayscale or black & white, and the quality.
  3. Press Convert to grayscale and download.

Why convert a PDF to grayscale?

Colour printing costs more, and many offices, universities and government forms ask for black-and-white documents. Converting first also shows you exactly how the printout will look.

Each page is redrawn in grey, so the text becomes part of the page image and can no longer be selected. Keep your original file if you need to edit or copy text later.

Why convert to black and white?

Good to know

Text stays real text, so it remains sharp and searchable. Light colours such as yellow highlights become light grey – check the preview if important information was marked only by colour.

Frequently asked questions

Why convert a PDF to grayscale?
Black and white documents print with black ink only, which saves colour cartridges, and some offices and courts ask for grayscale scans.
Is it free?
Yes, free with no watermark.
Can I still copy text afterwards?
Yes. The pages are redrawn in grey, and an invisible copy of the original text is placed exactly over the words, so you can still select, copy and search the text with Ctrl+F.
Will the file get smaller?
Often yes, especially for colourful scans, because grey images need less data.
Is my file uploaded?
No. It is converted in your browser.

Guides for this tool

PDF GuidesHow to Convert a PDF to Black and White (and Save Printer Ink)

Turn colourful PDFs into grayscale or pure black and white for cheaper printing, smaller files and forms that demand monochrome. When to use each, and what to watch out for.

9 min read

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