Troubleshooting Monochrome PDFs: Faint, Broken Text, Cannot Select Text
Key points
- Switch to grayscale for pale text
- Raise resolution if text breaks up
- Text is unselectable because pages are images
Common problems when using Convert a PDF to Grayscale.
Text became faint or vanished
- In pure black & white, pale colored text turns white.
- Switch to grayscale and try again.
Text or lines broke up
- Raise the resolution (100 → 150 → 200 dpi).
- If the text in the original is too small, enlarge it in the original.
Cannot select or search text
- After conversion, pages are images.
- If you need the text, use the original PDF from before conversion.
The file got bigger
Lower the resolution or use Compress PDF. See the page "PDF Got Bigger After Converting to B&W" for details.
Conversion failed
- Password-protected PDFs are not supported.
- With many pages, a phone may be slow or stall. Split first, then convert. Split PDF can help.
Preview and printout differ
Printer settings can change darkness. Try one test print.
Use "Convert a PDF to Grayscale (Black & White)" (free)Tools that go well with this
- Compress PDF: Shrink a PDF to fit under a size you choose, for upload limits.
- Combine PDF Pages onto One Sheet (2-up, 4-up): Arrange several PDF pages on one A4 sheet (2, 4, 6, 8 or 9 up) to save paper when printing.
- PDF to Images: Save each page of a PDF as a JPEG or PNG image.
More guides for this tool
- How to Convert a PDF to Grayscale for Free (Works on Phones)
- Grayscale or Pure Black & White: Differences and When to Use Each
- Making Color Documents Readable in Black & White Printing
- Making a PDF Black & White Before Fax or Copying
- PDF Got Bigger After Converting to B&W? How to Reduce the Size
- Making Scanned Documents Black & White: Readability vs. Size