PDF to Grayscale
Convert a PDF to grayscale or pure black and white for free — perfect for saving colour ink, meeting print-shop or submission rules, and making scans look cleaner. Choose screen, print or high quality and adjust contrast; page sizes are kept. Runs privately in your browser.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Conversion happens on your device; nothing is uploaded.
Each page is rendered and converted in your browser, so the result looks exactly like a grayscale print — but the pages become images: text can no longer be selected or searched (run OCR PDF afterwards if you need that). Page sizes are kept. Your PDF never leaves your device.
How to convert a PDF to grayscale
- Drop your PDF in the box.
- Choose grayscale or black & white, and the quality.
- Adjust contrast if you like.
- Click Convert to grayscale — the PDF downloads automatically.
What you can use it for
- Save colour ink and toner when printing
- Meet submission rules that require black-and-white PDFs
- Clean up scanned documents
- Preview how a design looks in grayscale
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See all free PDF tools →Frequently asked questions
How do I make a PDF black and white?
Drop it in, choose Black & white (or Grayscale for photos), and click Convert.
Will I still be able to select text?
No — pages are rendered as images, so text becomes part of the picture. If you need searchable text, run the result through OCR PDF.
Which quality should I choose?
Print (200 DPI) is right for most documents. Use High (300 DPI) for small print and fine detail, or Screen for the smallest file.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. Everything happens in your browser.