Convert a PDF to grayscale
Print without spending color ink, or submit a document that must be in black and white, without scanning it again.
Drop the PDF you want in black and white
or pick a file from your device
- Open the PDF.
- Press Convert to grayscale.
- Compare the first page before and after, and download.
Real grayscale, not a filter
Ghostscript, the same engine as Compress PDF running in your browser through WebAssembly, rewrites every color in the document — text, vector drawings and images — as gray (DeviceGray). The text stays real text, searchable and selectable, unlike “print to PDF in black and white” tricks that turn pages into pictures.
Photos are re-encoded in gray, which usually makes the file lighter as well.
Worth knowing
Colors with the same brightness (a red and a green of similar lightness) become the same gray: charts that rely only on color may become harder to read.
Protected PDFs must be unlocked first.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a PDF black and white?
Open it here and press Convert to grayscale. The text, drawings and images are all converted.
Will the text still be selectable?
Yes. Only the colors change; the text remains text.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The conversion runs inside your browser.