Convert PDF to Grayscale Online Free
Convert a color PDF to grayscale online for free. All processing happens in your browser — pages are rendered locally and converted to grayscale.
Convert a PDF to grayscale
Turn color PDF pages into clean black-and-white (grayscale) — right in your browser. Handy for predictable B&W printing, smaller files, or meeting a "grayscale only" submission rule. Everything runs locally, so your file never leaves your device.
How to use
- Add your PDF — it stays on your device.
- Click Convert to Grayscale — every page is recolored.
- Download the grayscale PDF.
When grayscale helps
- B&W printing: set the conversion yourself instead of leaving it to a printer's unpredictable color-to-grey handling.
- Smaller files: dropping color often shrinks image-heavy pages.
- Submissions: some courts, journals, and offices require grayscale or black-and-white documents.
- Consistency: unify a mix of color and mono scans into one look before sharing.
- Faxing & intake forms: many fax and document-intake systems expect plain black-and-white pages.
What to expect
Pages are rendered at 2x resolution and converted using standard luminance, so the result stays sharp but is raster — the text is no longer selectable. If you actually want a photo-negative for night reading, use Invert PDF colors instead; if your only goal is a smaller file, Compress PDF may be enough on its own.
Privacy & security
Your PDF stays in your browser. Pages are converted locally — we never upload, store, or analyze your files.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. All processing happens in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.
Will grayscale reduce file size?
Yes, grayscale images are usually smaller than color images. However, the amount of reduction depends on the original PDF content.
Does the text stay selectable?
No. Since pages are rendered to images and re-embedded, text becomes non-selectable. This is a raster-based conversion.
What quality is the output?
Pages are rendered at 2x resolution for sharp output, then converted using standard luminance-based grayscale.
Does grayscale always shrink the file?
Usually, for color- and image-heavy pages. A document that is already mostly black text may change very little in size.
Does the output have a watermark?
No. No watermarks, no signup, no paywall.