Stayput Tools

Convert a PDF to grayscale

Turn every page of a colour PDF into shades of grey, to save colour ink or to meet a rule that a document must be in black and white. It happens on your device, and your file is never uploaded.

Files stay on your device. Free, with no sign-up.

  1. 1Add PDFs
  2. 2Adjust
  3. 3Download

    How it works

    1. Add your PDF.
    2. Choose how sharp the pages should be. The preview shows a page in grey.
    3. Press Convert to grayscale and download the result.

    Why the pages are redrawn

    Colour in a PDF can be in the text, in lines and shapes, in pictures, and in patterns, each stored in its own way. Drawing the page and turning the drawing grey is the one method that catches all of them, whatever made the PDF.

    Links, bookmarks and form fields are not carried into the grey copy. Keep your original file.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I still select and search the text afterwards?

    No. Each page is redrawn as a grey picture, which is what makes sure that no colour is left anywhere, so the text becomes part of the picture. If you need to select or search it, run the result through OCR PDF.

    Is it grey, or pure black and white?

    Shades of grey: photos, logos and shaded boxes stay readable. Pure black and white, with no greys, would turn photos into blotches.

    Will the file get smaller?

    Often for a PDF full of colour photos or scans, and often not for a PDF that is mostly text, which can get larger because its pages become pictures. The result tells you both sizes. Choose Standard for the smallest file.

    Does it save ink?

    It makes sure the printer has no colour to print, which is what uses the colour cartridges. Choosing "print in grayscale" in the printer settings does the same for one print; this gives you a file that prints grey everywhere, including at a print shop.

    Can I use a password-protected PDF?

    Not directly. Use Unlock PDF on this site to remove the password (you need to know it), then add the unlocked copy here.

    Are my files uploaded anywhere?

    No. Everything happens inside your browser, on your own device. Your files are never sent to a server, and you can confirm that in your browser's network tab. Close the tab and they're gone.

    Is there a file size limit?

    Each file can be up to 100 MB, and up to 300 MB in total. Because the work happens on your device, very large files depend on your available memory. A desktop browser handles them best.

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