How to Change a PDF From Color to Greyscale

PDF convert

The simplest way to switch a PDF from color to greyscale without the need for any specific software, is to print to PDF and specify that you would like it to use greyscale. This will significantly reduce the file size.

Printing a PDF in Greyscale

There may be some slight differences depending on what application you use to view your PDFs, but this method will work for all of them.
When using Adobe Acrobat Reader as the PDF viewer, simply select print, ensure Microsoft Print to PDF is selected, the print in greyscale box is checked, and click print.

Converting a PDF to black and white with Adobe Acrobat as the viewer

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the colored and greyscale PDFs created in the examples above.

side by side comparison

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