Grayscale PDF
Save ink and meet "black and white only" upload rules by removing every trace of colour from a PDF.
- Files never leave your device
- 100% free
- No sign-up
- No watermark
- Works offline after first load
or drag & drop colour PDFs here
How to convert a PDF to grayscale
- Select or drop one or more colour PDFs — the panel previews the first page in gray.
- Choose Keep text sharp (colours converted inside the PDF) or Pages as images (grayscale or pure black & white, guaranteed colour-free).
- Click Convert to grayscale and download.
About Grayscale PDF
Remove colour from PDFs to save ink, meet print-shop rules or give scans a consistent look. The recommended method converts the colours inside the PDF — text, lines, shapes, gradients and images — so the text stays sharp and selectable and the file stays small.
Need a guarantee that no colour is left? Redraw every page as grayscale or pure black & white images at 150–300 DPI with adjustable contrast. A live preview shows the first page, and everything runs in your browser.
Good for
- Printing documents in black ink only
- Preparing files for print shops that charge for colour
- Making scans and forms look uniform
Tip: For scanned documents, “Pages as images” in black & white gives the crispest, smallest result.
Frequently asked questions
Does the text stay sharp and selectable?
Yes, with “Keep text sharp”: the colours inside the PDF are converted — text colours, lines, shapes, simple gradients and images — so text stays real text and the file stays small.
When should I use “Pages as images”?
When every trace of colour must go, for example for a print shop that charges for any colour on a page. Each page is redrawn in grayscale or pure black & white at the resolution you choose; the text then can’t be selected.
Will printing use less ink?
Yes — a grayscale PDF prints with black ink only, and black & white pages use the least toner.
Is the file size affected?
Converting colours usually keeps the size the same or makes it smaller. Pages as images can be larger for text-heavy files; black & white images stay small.
Does my PDF leave my computer?
No. The conversion happens in your browser, so your files are never uploaded.
What if some colour remains?
Keep text sharp converts the colours stored in the PDF itself, which covers nearly every document. If anything unusual still shows colour, choose Pages as images — each page is redrawn in gray, so no colour can remain.