Convert PDF to grayscale

Turn a color PDF into black and white, every page at once. It saves ink and often makes the file smaller. This tool runs on our servers, and your file is deleted within an hour.

On our serversFree daily allowance

Coming soon

Free: 2 server tasks a day without an account, 3 with one · up to 50 MB per file2 free server tasks a day · up to 50 MB

Uploads from this page: 02 of 2 free server tasks left todayOn our servers. What this means

Grayscale PDF at a glance

Coming soon · Grayscale PDF is a tool that converts every page of a PDF to shades of gray, so it looks like a black and white print. It runs on Wispdf servers, which have the heavier software it needs. Your file is encrypted in transit and deleted within an hour. The result saves ink and is often smaller.

Limits · Files up to 50 MB each, 1 GB with Pro · Up to 3 files at a time, 100 with Pro · Free daily allowance: 2 tasks a day without an account, 3 with a free account. Unlimited with Pro or a 7-Day Pass

Last updated October 19, 2026

How to use Grayscale PDF

Add your PDF
Choose a file or drop it on the page. It goes to our servers, encrypted on the way.
Convert to grayscale
Press Convert to grayscale. Every page comes back in shades of gray.
Download it
Save your black and white PDF. Our copy is deleted within an hour.

What Grayscale PDF does

Converting a PDF to grayscale means replacing the color on every page with shades of gray, so it looks like a black and white print. Wispdf does this on our servers, because it needs heavier software than a browser has. Your file is encrypted on the way and deleted within an hour. The result saves ink when you print and is often smaller.

People use it to

Print a long color handout for class without draining the printer's ink
Shrink a pile of color-scanned receipts before sending them to an accountant
Meet a submission rule that asks for black and white pages only

What's included

Every page converted

Text, photos, charts and backgrounds all turn to shades of gray, on every page.

Saves ink

Print long documents without spending color ink or toner on them.

Often smaller

Removing color often makes the file lighter, so it's easier to email or upload.

Gone within an hour

Files are encrypted on the way, converted on our servers and deleted within an hour.

Where your file goes

Grayscale PDF runs on our servers, because it needs heavier software than a browser has. Your file is encrypted on the way, deleted within an hour, and never looked at.

On our serversFree daily allowance: 2 tasks a day without an account, 3 with a free account. Unlimited with Pro or a 7-Day Pass.

How privacy works at Wispdf See plans and limits

Questions about Grayscale PDF

Is Grayscale PDF free?

Yes, within a free daily allowance: 2 tasks a day without an account, 3 with a free account, for files up to 50 MB. Unlimited with Pro or a 7-Day Pass. Pro is $8.25 a month billed yearly or $12 billed monthly, with a 7-day free trial and no card. A 7-Day Pass is $9, paid once, and never renews.

Why does Grayscale PDF upload my file?

Turning every page gray needs heavier software than a browser has, so Grayscale PDF runs on our servers. Your file is encrypted on the way there, converted, and deleted within an hour. Nobody looks at it. We label every tool that uses our servers, so you can decide before you add a file.

How do I make a PDF black and white for printing?

Open Grayscale PDF, add your file and press Convert to grayscale. Every page comes back in shades of gray. Download the new PDF and print it as usual. Printing in grayscale saves ink, which adds up with long reports, handouts and anything you print often.

Will a grayscale PDF still be easy to read?

Most pages look just as clear, only without color. Photos keep their detail in shades of gray. The thing to watch is anything that relies on color to make sense, like a chart with red and green lines or color-coded highlights. Check those pages after Grayscale PDF converts the file, before you print a big batch.

Can I convert a PDF to grayscale on my phone?

Yes. Grayscale PDF works in any modern browser on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook, with no app to install. Because the conversion happens on our servers, your phone only uploads the file and downloads the result. Free use covers files up to 50 MB.

Can I turn only some pages gray?

Grayscale PDF converts every page. If you only want some pages in gray, pull them out with Extract PDF Pages, convert that smaller file, then put the document back together with Organize PDF, which can insert pages from another PDF. Every step except the grayscale one runs on your device.