Will Grayscale PDF make my file smaller?

Often slightly, especially when there are many colour photos. For a big reduction, follow up with Compress PDF.

Is my colour original changed?

No. You get a new copy with -grayscale in its name, and the file you uploaded stays in colour.

Can I make only some pages grayscale?

The whole document is converted. To mix, split out the pages you want in grey with Split PDF, convert them, and put the file back together in Merge PDF.

Why convert to grayscale instead of choosing black and white when printing?

A grayscale file prints in grey on any printer and for anyone you send it to. The print setting only applies on your own machine, and some printers still draw on colour cartridges for dark greys.

My charts are hard to read in grey. What can I do?

Change the chart to use patterns, labels or clearly different shades before exporting the PDF, then convert again.

Can I use Grayscale PDF on a scanned document?

Yes. It is a common fix for scans that picked up a coloured tint from old paper or a phone camera's white balance.

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Grayscale PDF converts a colour PDF to black and white (shades of grey), which makes it cheaper to print and often a little smaller. Use it before sending a colourful report to the office laser printer, or when a submission asks for a black and white copy.

How to use Grayscale PDF

Drop your PDF on the page, or pick it from your device, Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive (up to 260 MB). Grayscale PDF sits at the top of the Convert to list, noted as black and white and cheaper to print. Press it and download the new file, which has -grayscale added to its name so your colour original stays easy to find. Add several PDFs to convert a batch in one go.

When to convert a PDF to grayscale

Colour ink and toner cost more than black. A 60-page marketing report full of photos, or a slide deck with coloured backgrounds, can use a lot of it, and a grey copy is fine for proofreading or a meeting pack. Some exam boards, courts and print shops ask for black and white files. Scanned documents with a yellowish paper tint can also look cleaner in grey.

Things to check in Grayscale PDF output

Charts that rely on colour alone can become hard to read when every line turns a similar grey, so look at graphs and colour-coded tables before you print 200 copies. Red text used for warnings or corrections won't stand out any more. If file size is the real goal, Compress PDF usually saves more than removing colour does.

Frequently asked questions

Will Grayscale PDF make my file smaller?: Often slightly, especially when there are many colour photos. For a big reduction, follow up with Compress PDF.
Is my colour original changed?: No. You get a new copy with -grayscale in its name, and the file you uploaded stays in colour.
Can I make only some pages grayscale?: The whole document is converted. To mix, split out the pages you want in grey with Split PDF, convert them, and put the file back together in Merge PDF.
Why convert to grayscale instead of choosing black and white when printing?: A grayscale file prints in grey on any printer and for anyone you send it to. The print setting only applies on your own machine, and some printers still draw on colour cartridges for dark greys.
My charts are hard to read in grey. What can I do?: Change the chart to use patterns, labels or clearly different shades before exporting the PDF, then convert again.
Can I use Grayscale PDF on a scanned document?: Yes. It is a common fix for scans that picked up a coloured tint from old paper or a phone camera's white balance.