Convert a PDF to black and white
Black & White turns a colour PDF into shades of gray. Some official portals and exam boards ask for black-and-white documents, laser printers use less colour toner, and a grayscale scan is often easier to read than a yellowed colour one.
The conversion keeps the page size and layout exactly as they were. Coloured text, stamps and highlighted passages become different shades of gray, so they stay readable. It's also a quick way to check how a document will look when someone prints it on a black-and-white office printer.
Each page is redrawn in grayscale, which also tends to make the file smaller. Because the pages become images, text in the result can't be selected; if you need searchable text afterwards, you can run the file through OCR.
The conversion runs in your browser: your document stays on your device and is never uploaded.
Drop a PDF here
PDF · or click to choose · you can also paste · up to 300 MB · stays on your device
Your privacy
This tool works entirely inside your browser. Your files are never uploaded to any server.
How to use Black & White
- 1
Add your PDF
Drop the file on the page or click to choose it.
- 2
Convert
Every page is redrawn in grayscale.
- 3
Download
Save the black-and-white PDF.
Questions and answers
Will the file get smaller?
Usually yes, especially for colour scans and photos. For an even smaller file, use Compress PDF with the black-and-white option.
Can I still select the text?
No. Pages are redrawn as images. Keep your original if you need selectable text, or run OCR PDF on the result.
Is my file uploaded?
No, the conversion happens in your browser.
Does it work on phones?
Yes, in any modern mobile browser. Very long documents take longer on older phones.
Can I convert only some pages?
Not in this tool. Split the PDF, convert the part you need, then merge the files again.