Grayscale PDF
Convert a colour PDF to grayscale while keeping text selectable — ideal for printing, saving ink or meeting “black and white only” submission rules. You can also turn it into pure black & white, or make it look scanned with a slight tilt, grain and paper tone. Everything runs in your browser.
Your files never leave your device.
How to use the Grayscale PDF
- 1Choose a PDF file.
- 2Pick Grayscale (keeps text), Black & white, or Scanned look.
- 3For black & white and scanned look, choose the resolution and effect options.
- 4Click convert and download the new PDF.
What is the Grayscale PDF?
Grayscale mode rewrites the colours inside the PDF — text, shapes and images — to shades of gray, so text stays sharp, selectable and searchable and the file stays small. If a page uses something that can’t be converted exactly — such as a colour gradient, a pattern, a spot colour or a CMYK photo — only that page is flattened into a 200 DPI gray image (links on it stop working) and the result tells you which pages.
Black & white and scanned look render every page as an image: pure black-and-white suits faxes, copies and strict upload portals, while the scanned look adds a slight tilt, grain and paper tone for documents that should look printed and scanned. In both modes text is no longer selectable.
Frequently asked questions
Will the text stay selectable?
In Grayscale mode, yes — text and vectors are kept. Black & white and Scanned look turn pages into images, so text can no longer be selected or searched.
Why would I make a PDF look scanned?
Some offices and portals expect documents that were printed, signed and scanned. Only use it for documents you’re entitled to submit — the effect changes how a file looks, not what it says.
Is the Grayscale PDF free and private?
Yes. The Grayscale PDF is free, needs no account, and processes your files entirely in your browser. Files are never uploaded to a server or stored.