Convert PDF to Grayscale Online

Instantly change your color PDFs to black and white (grayscale). Create printer-friendly documents, save ink, and reduce file size with our free and secure tool.

Open Converter How it works
Pro tip: Converting to grayscale can sometimes make your PDF file size smaller, especially if it contains large color images.
Processed
+2,100,000 files
Rating
4.9/5 (2100+)

PDF to Grayscale Converter — Tool

Upload your PDF to begin. The tool will automatically convert all colors to shades of gray and prepare your new file.

Your files are always private. The entire conversion process runs securely in your browser.

How to Convert a PDF to Grayscale — Step by Step

Change your document to black and white with these simple steps.

  1. Open the widget — click “Open Converter” or scroll to the tool on this page.
  2. Upload your color PDF file — drag & drop your document or select it from your computer.
  3. Automatic Conversion — the tool will instantly begin converting all colors in your file to shades of gray.
  4. Download Your Grayscale PDF — click the download button to save your new black and white document.

Common use cases

  • Preparing documents for printing on a black and white laser printer to save color ink.
  • Reducing the file size of a PDF that contains large, colorful images.
  • Creating a uniform, professional look for a set of archived documents.
  • Improving the readability of documents with low-contrast color text.

Why Use Our Free Grayscale Converter?

Our converter is designed to be efficient, effective, and completely private.

Privacy-First

All conversion happens in your browser. Your confidential files are never uploaded to any server.

Printer Friendly

Save expensive color ink or toner by converting your documents to black and white before printing.

Reduces File Size

Grayscale images contain less data than color ones, which can significantly reduce the overall size of your PDF.

High-Quality Conversion

Our tool maintains the sharpness and clarity of your original document, simply removing the color information.

Tips & Best Practices for Grayscale Conversion

  • Before printing, review the grayscale version to ensure that important information in charts or graphs is still understandable without color cues.
  • Some color combinations (like red and green of similar brightness) may become hard to distinguish once converted to grayscale.
  • This process is irreversible on the new file you download, so always keep a copy of your original color PDF.
  • Converting to grayscale affects everything in the PDF: text, images, and vector graphics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to go black and white?

Open the converter, upload your color PDF, and get a printer-friendly grayscale version in seconds. It's fast, private, and completely free.

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