[Free] How to Convert a Colored PDF to Black and White

Piers Zoew Last updated on April 19, 2024

Convert a Colored PDF to Black and White

PDF files often contain a lot of images. These colorful pics take up much storage space on a device or, increase the challenge of printing out the files.

The default PDF viewers in browsers like Google Chrome, or Safari do not support color changes for a PDF. If you want to reduce your file size or make it easier to read, try switching it to black and white.

We’ve found three effective ways to do that, and we’re excited to share them with you!

High Quality: How to Edit and Convert Colored PDFs to Black and White

PDFgear is a professional PDF editor with comprehensive features. It allows you to edit text, change text colors, add or delete images, rearrange pages, and more.

By grayscaling a PDF in PDFgear, you can ensure that all elements within it, such as graphics, text, and links, are presented in only black and white.

For further reduction of a PDF, PDFgear also enables document compression while guaranteeing a high-quality result.

Step 1. Get PDFgear

PDFgear is a lightweight and safe software. Download and install it on your Windows, Mac, iPhone or iPad.

Step 2. Open a PDF

Launch PDFgear > Click “Open File” > Select the file from your device to open.

Open a PDF with PDFgear

Step 3. Print the PDF in Grayscale

Click the “Print” icon on the upper left menu bar > In the print window, select the “Printer” as a PDF viewer but a real printer > Check the “Grayscale” box > Press the “Print” button.

The “Save PDF File As” will pop up. Customize the file name and save location > Click “Save.”

Print PDF in Black and White in PDFgear

Now a new PDF is saved in black and white, you can open and check it with PDFgear.

This tool also provides 4 eye-friendly background modes, including Night Mode, Eye Protection Mode, etc. for you to read PDF files in different environments.

For Mac Users: Print Colored PDF in Black and White with Preview

If you’re a Mac user, there’s a simple way to quickly convert your color PDF to black and white without needing to install any additional software. Get ready with Preview and follow the steps below:

Step 1. Open the PDF with Apple Preview

Right-click the PDF that you want to convert > Choose “Open with” > Select “Preview.”

Step 2. Print the PDF in Black and White

Now, click “File” on the topmost menu bar > Choose “Print” > Select a PDF viewer in “Printer” > In the “Copies” section, find and turn off the “Print in Color” toggle.

You’ll notice the thumbnails of the PDF on the left side are in grayscale.

Finally, click the “Print” button.

Print PDF in Black and White in Preview

Except for that, you can turn a PDF to black and white with the “Quartz Filter” feature in Preview:

Get to “File” > Navigate and click “Export” > In the export dialog box, select “Black & White” from the “Quartz Filter” dropdown menu > Click “Save”.

Convert PDF to Black and White in Preview with Quartz Filter

How to Make a PDF Black and White in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge is a popular web browser worldwide. Its built-in PDF viewer serves as a robust PDF printer and reader, easing your work of turning a colored PDF to black and white.

If you’ve got this browser on your device, let’s get started.

Step 1. Open the PDF with Edge

Locate the PDF you want to convert on the device > Right-click the file > Choose “Open with” > Select Microsoft Edge.

Step 2. Print the PDF in Black and White

When the PDF is open in Edge, click the “Print” icon on the top menu bar > In the print window, select “Microsoft Print to PDF” from the “Printer” dropdown menu > Choose “Black and White” in the “Color” dropdown menu > Click “Print”.

Make Color PDF Black and White in Microsoft Edge

FAQs

Is there a free tool to convert color PDFs to black and white?

Yes. As mentioned in this post, PDFgear is a free tool to change a colored PDF to black and white. It requires no fees or subscriptions. You can save a grayscale PDF by utilizing its print feature without any limitation.

Does converting a PDF to black and white reduce its file size?

Yes, converting a PDF from color to black and white can reduce its file size. This is because the amount of data needed to describe the document’s color information is significantly reduced.

Are there any browser tools to quickly convert a color PDF to black and white?

Microsoft Edge is a web browser that can quickly convert a colored PDF to black and white. Simply open a PDF with Edge > Go to the “Print” feature > Choose “Black and White” in the “Color” dropdown menu > Click “Print”.

Conclusion

Converting your color PDFs to black and white can significantly reduce file size. Whether you use PDFgear, Preview, or Microsoft Edge, you can easily grayscale text, images, and other content in your files.

Compared to the latter two, PDFgear is compatible with a wider range of devices and platforms. It quickly makes files black and white without compromising the content.