Rasterize / grayscale PDF
Flatten a PDF's pages into images, optionally in grayscale.
Rasterize / grayscale PDF renders every page as an image and rebuilds the PDF from those images — useful for making text harder to casually copy or edit, or for producing a black-and-white copy.
Click to choose a PDF, or drag one in here
One file at a time
How to use
- Upload a PDF, and check "Convert to grayscale" if you want a black-and-white copy.
- Click "Rasterize & download" — each page becomes a flattened image, which also makes the text harder to select or edit.
Common use scenarios
- Making a version of a document where the text can't be easily selected, copied, or edited.
- Producing a grayscale copy of a PDF for black-and-white printing or a specific submission requirement.
- Flattening a PDF with complex vector content into a simpler, more universally-compatible image-based format.
- Preparing a "visual-only" copy of a document for review purposes.
✓Content & verification reviewed: 2026-09-17
How we verify Rasterize / grayscale PDF
How to understand the tradeoffs of a rasterized PDF.
Text is no longer selectable or searchable
Rasterizing converts every page to a picture, so the underlying text layer is gone — you can't select, copy, or full-text-search the result anymore.
File size usually increases
Image-based pages are typically larger than the original text-and-vector content, especially at higher render quality.
Grayscale is a simple desaturation
The grayscale option converts each pixel's color to a brightness value — it doesn't adjust contrast or apply any print-specific color management.
Before you rely on the result
- You understand the output won't have selectable or searchable text.
- You've decided whether you need the grayscale option checked.
- You've kept the original PDF in case you need the text-based version again.
Who this is for
- Anyone who wants to discourage casual copying or editing of a document's text.
- People who need a grayscale copy for black-and-white printing or submission.
- Anyone flattening a complex PDF into a simpler image-based format.
Real-world examples
Discouraging easy text copying
Someone sharing a draft they don't want casually copied rasterizes it first, so recipients can view it normally but can't simply select and paste the text.
Preparing a black-and-white printout
A user needs a grayscale version of a colorful report for a printer that only supports black-and-white — rasterizing with grayscale checked produces exactly that.
Limitations
- Rasterized pages are no longer searchable or selectable as text, and file size usually increases since pages become images.
Frequently asked questions
Will the text still be searchable after rasterizing?
No — rasterizing removes the text layer entirely, converting every page to an image, so text search and selection no longer work.
Does grayscale reduce file size?
Not necessarily — the main size change comes from converting to images at all; grayscale is just a color adjustment on top of that.
Can I undo this after downloading?
No — keep your original PDF if you might need the selectable-text version again.
🔒 Runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded. Results are for reference only; see the disclaimer. Last updated: 2026-09-17
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