Convert an Image to Black and White
Turn a colour photo or scan into grayscale in one step. The conversion follows how the eye perceives brightness, so faces and details keep natural contrast. Works in your browser, with no upload.
How to make an image black and white
- 1Add your image. Drop a JPG, PNG, or other image onto the box, or tap to choose it.
- 2Download the grayscale copy. The new image keeps the same size and format. PNG stays PNG; other images are saved as JPG.
Natural-looking grayscale
A simple average of red, green, and blue makes greens look too dark and blues too bright. Docsdom weights each colour by how bright it looks to the human eye, with green counting most and blue least, so skies, skin, and foliage keep the tones you would expect.
Practical uses
- Preparing documents and forms for black-and-white printing, so colour areas do not come out muddy
- Making scanned or photographed pages easier to read before turning them into a PDF with Scan to PDF
- Improving text recognition: Image to Text sometimes reads coloured backgrounds more reliably in grayscale
- Creating a consistent look for team photos, portfolios, or a website section
- Checking whether a design still has enough contrast without colour
Will the file get smaller?
Not much on its own. The image is still saved in a standard colour format, just with grey tones. To reduce the size, run the result through Compress Image or Resize Image.
Keep the colour original
Colour information is removed from the new copy and cannot be added back. Docsdom never changes the file you added, so keep that original if you might need colour later.
Frequently asked questions
Is grayscale the same as black and white?
In everyday use, yes. Technically, grayscale has many shades of grey, while pure black and white has only two tones.
Can I adjust brightness or contrast?
Not here. The conversion uses natural brightness weighting with no extra adjustment.
Does it work with PNG transparency?
Yes. PNG images stay PNG, and transparent areas stay transparent.
Can I convert a PDF to grayscale?
Not directly. Convert the pages with PDF to JPG, make them grayscale, and combine them again with JPG to PDF.
Can I undo the conversion?
Use your original file. The colour cannot be restored from the grayscale copy.
Is my image uploaded?
No. The conversion happens in your browser.