All tools

Grayscale

Shades of gray, for printing

Shades of gray, for printing

Choose one PDF. You can also drop files anywhere on this page.

Files are processed on this device and never uploaded.

Turn a colour PDF into shades of gray

Make a copy of a PDF that shows and prints in shades of gray, for a black-and-white printer or a plainer look. The text stays real text. The file is converted in this browser tab and never uploaded.

How to convert a PDF to grayscale

  1. Choose a PDF

    Pick the file or drop it on the page.

  2. Convert

    Press Convert. There are no options to set.

  3. Download the copy

    You get a new gray PDF. The original keeps its colours.

Gray pages, sharp text

  • Pages are not turned into pictures: text can still be selected and searched, and links, bookmarks and form fields keep working.
  • Comments and highlights are drawn into the page so they turn gray too.
  • The file does not get smaller. The colour data stays inside and a gray layer is put over it, so someone with a PDF editor could bring the colours back.
  • A password-protected PDF keeps its password.

Questions

Is my PDF uploaded when I convert it to grayscale?
No. It is converted by code in your browser, on your device.
Can the text still be searched?
Yes. The pages keep their text; only how they are shown changes.
Will a grayscale PDF be smaller?
No. This tool changes how the pages look, not how much data they hold.
Does my original PDF change?
No. You get a copy; the original stays as it was.