Convert a PDF to Grayscale
Turn a color PDF into grayscale for printing, faxing or portals that require black-and-white documents. Keep text mode converts the colors in text, drawings and photos to shades of gray while the text stays selectable and links keep working. For files it can't convert that way, the pages-as-images mode removes every trace of color. Everything happens in your browser, and the document never leaves your device.
Your file is processed by your own browser and never uploaded. Most online tools send your document to their servers and delete it later — this one never receives it at all.
Why use Grayscale PDF
- Keep text mode: colors become gray while text stays selectable and searchable
- Photos, drawings, gradients and form fields converted too
- Pages-as-images mode at 150, 200 or 300 DPI for any PDF
- Tells you plainly when a file needs the image mode
- Preview of the converted first page and before-and-after file size
- Processed locally, never uploaded
Popular uses
- Save color ink when printing long documents
- Meet application portals that require black-and-white documents
- Prepare documents for faxing or monochrome printers
Grayscale PDF: frequently asked questions
How do I convert a PDF to black and white?
Open the PDF in the Grayscale tool, leave Keep text selected and click Convert to grayscale. Every color in the text, drawings and photos is turned into a shade of gray in your browser and saved as a new PDF. Your original color file is left unchanged on your device.
Does grayscale conversion keep text selectable?
Yes, in Keep text mode. The colors are rewritten inside the PDF, so text stays selectable and searchable, and links and form fields keep working. A few files use features that can't be converted this way, such as small color images stored inside the page content; the tool tells you and offers the pages-as-images mode, which makes text unselectable.
Will converting to grayscale make my PDF smaller?
Often, a little. In Keep text mode, color photos are saved with one channel instead of three, so image-heavy files usually shrink while text-only files stay about the same. The pages-as-images mode can make text documents bigger, especially at 300 DPI. The tool shows the new size next to the original.
Why convert a PDF to grayscale before printing?
Printing in grayscale saves color ink or toner and avoids surprises on printers that render colors as muddy grays. Converting first also lets you check contrast on screen, so light-colored text or highlights don't disappear on paper. It also helps when a form or portal asks for black-and-white copies.
Is my document uploaded?
No. Grayscale conversion happens entirely in your browser, so the PDF is processed on your own device and never sent to a server. The converted file saves directly to your downloads, and no copy is stored anywhere else, which keeps application documents and records private.