Grayscale PDF

Convert a colour PDF to grayscale for printing or archiving. Text and drawings stay sharp vectors, images become gray images — nothing is turned into a picture. Runs entirely on your device.

About this tool

Grayscale PDF — Black and White, Text Stays Text

Convert a colour PDF to grayscale for printing, faxing or archiving, without turning pages into pictures. Everything runs locally in your browser — no upload, no sign-up, no watermark and no file size limit.

Still a Real PDF

Text, lines and shapes are recoloured in place, so text stays selectable and searchable and the file stays as sharp as the original at any zoom.

Images Become Gray Images

Photos and scans are saved as one-channel gray images, which usually makes them smaller too. Palette images only get a gray palette.

Spot Colours and Gradients

Spot colours and colour gradients are converted to gray as well. Where an item can't be recoloured exactly, that page is greyed by a blend layer instead of being turned into a picture.

How to use it

  1. Drop the PDF you want in black and white. Remove a password with Unlock PDF first.
  2. Click Convert to grayscale. Text, drawings and images are converted on your device.
  3. Compare the result with the original using the slider in the preview.
  4. Download the grayscale PDF.

Frequently asked questions

Are my PDFs uploaded to a server?

No. Toolula processes the document inside your browser tab with pdf-lib and WebAssembly, so the file never leaves your device.

Will the text still be selectable?

Yes. Only the colours are rewritten; the text, fonts and links stay as they were, so you can still select, search and copy it.

Does it work with scanned PDFs?

Yes. A scan is a picture on each page, and that picture is saved as a gray image. To make faint scans darker as well, use Darken PDF.

Why should I convert before printing?

Printers and copy shops often charge colour rates for any page with colour on it, even a blue link. A grayscale file prints only in black ink, and you see in advance how it will look.

Is it really free?

Yes. You can use every Toolula PDF tool for free, without an account. The free plan has fair-use limits; Toolula Pro, an optional plan, raises them and adds advanced features.