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Actually Free PDF to Grayscale Converter

Convert a colour PDF to black and white (grayscale) free — for cheaper printing, portals that need B&W scans, or smaller files. No upload.

What it does

ActuallyFreeTools converts colour PDFs to grayscale for free, which saves colour ink and toner, satisfies upload portals that ask for black-and-white scans, and usually makes files smaller. Each page is redrawn in grey at the resolution you choose, so text stops being selectable; run OCR afterwards if you need search. Nothing is uploaded.

How to use it

  1. Drop the PDF.
  2. Choose the resolution.
  3. Convert and download.

Questions people ask

Will text still be selectable?

No, pages become grey images. Run OCR on the result to make it searchable again.

Does grayscale make the file smaller?

Usually, especially for colourful scans. For a hard size limit use Compress PDF → Fit to size with Grayscale ticked.

What resolution should I pick?

150 DPI for most documents; 200 DPI if it contains small print.

Is Grayscale PDF on ActuallyFreeTools really free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, no daily limit, no watermark and no paid tier. Nothing is held back for paying users.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. Grayscale PDF runs inside your browser, so your files are processed on your own device and never sent to a server. That is also why there is nothing to meter or charge for.

Related tools

Compress PDFShrink a PDF, or hit an exact size — even 100 KB.OCR — scan to textMake scans searchable, or pull the text out.Document scannerPhone photos → straightened, clean PDF scans.Flatten PDFLock in form answers, comments and stamps.

Last updated 30 October 2026. ActuallyFreeTools tools run entirely in your browser.