How to Scan in Black and White in 3 Free Ways

Color scanning brings us to a vivid digital life, but it’s still vital to choose black-and-white scanning. It offers smaller file sizes, better enhancement, and makes OCR much easier.

Whether you’re using a scanner, printer, or simply a smartphone, making files in black and white is feasible without post-editing. To save time, this post collects the latest ways for black and white scanning, and you can achieve it on any device.

Scan in Black and White with a Scanner at High Quality

Using a scanner is the best if you want to scan documents with high DPI or make detailed adjustments.

Thankfully, most scanners and all-in-one printers have powerful compatibility and come with a companion app so you can set up the color mode and choose suitable scan DPI effortlessly.

Step 1. Turn on a scanner and your device and connect them.

Step 2. Place the document on the scanner glass or feeder.

Step 3. Choose the scan mode in the software/app/control panel as “Black and White” (some scanners call it “B & W”) Make other adjustments like the file format or DPI.

Step 4. Press “Scan” or “OK” to start the scan.

Please note that if the file type you choose for the scanning is JPEG, certain scanners like Canon will change the mode “Black and White” to “Grayscale” or “Color” In such cases, you may need to change the format or opt for another scanner.

Scan in Black and White on iPhone

Though phones are less effective than professional scanners, they are undoubtedly more adaptable, especially for remote work or provisional tasks.

If you are an iPhone user, PDFgear Scan is a reliable option for scanning photos or documents. It provides multiple filters, including document, black and white, grayscale, and save ink.

Being superior to many scanner apps, PDFgear Scan allows you to customize the level of these filters based on the original file and create a better presentation.

Step 1. Install PDFgear Scan from the App Store and open it on your iOS device.

Step 2. Tap the plus button to scan through the camera. In the scan screen, choose “Documents” or “Book.”

Step 3. Position your phone’s camera to frame the document and tap the shutter button to shoot. You can capture multiple pages by repeating the process. Then, tap the thumbnail at the lower right to get into the editing screen.

Step 4. Choose “Black & White” in the filter menu, and drag the circle to the left or right to adjust the extent of the effect. Tap “DONE.”

Step 5. In the new screen, make further modifications to the scanned document. Tap “More” and select the format to save.

Scan in Black and White on Android

Most Android devices like Xiaomi or Samsung suffice the need to scan colored papers in black and white or grayscale. You can achieve it with their native scanners without downloading any third-party apps.

Step 1. Open the Camera app on your Android phone or tablet.

Step 2. Select the “Scan” mode for image capture. (On some phones, this mode will activate automatically, and a scan button will appear when you align the viewfinder with the document.)

Step 3. Place your document on a flat surface and point the camera at it. Ensure that the file is in the frame.

Step 4. Tap the shutter button to capture scans and tap the thumbnail to get into the editing tools.

Step 5. In edit, choose the “B & W” filter then tap “Save” to save the change.

FAQs

Which is better for scan, grayscale or black and white?

The best choice between grayscale and black-and-white scanning depends on the type of document and your specific needs.

Grayscale is ideal when you want to capture more details, such as transitions between elements, making it great for photographs and documents with illustrations.

Black and white, on the other hand, generates smaller file sizes and is perfect for text documents where high contrast is essential.

How to change color scanned document to black and white?

To change the color scanned document to black and white, you can use a file editor like PDFgear. It integrates with virtual printers to help change the PDF files from color to black and white.

What is the best color for scanning?

The best scanning color depends on the needs of the file. It is suggested to use color for images like photos and artworks. For text documents or research, grayscale and black and white are both storage-saving and will enhance the contrast of the content.

How to change color in scanner?

To change the color in the scanner you need to launch the scanner and the sanner’s software > get into settings > choose the color mode in your preference > start scan.