Print to PDF in grayscale

[OCE_2025]

How do you print to pdf in grayscale?  

1. The "Print in grayscale" button does not work.

2. The Advanced - Output - Color - "Composite Gray" does not work. 

3. The print preview does not show gray.  

4. ? 

[Amal. · Accepted solution]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well and thanks for reaching out.

You can use Adobe Acrobat Pro to edit your document and create a black and white version.

1. Go to Print Production tool >  Preflight.
2. Within the Preflight box, select PDF fixups
3. Under 'Digital printing and online Publishing' , Select 'Digital Printing (B/W)'
4. Click Analyze and Fix to convert your PDF to black and white.
   
   Screenshot:

[OCE_2025]

Thank you!  This worked.  

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

What type of printer are you connected to or printing to?

[AnandSri]

Hello!

I hope you are doing well.

Could you please share a screenshot of the Print window, File > Print > Advanced settings? The availability of the "Print in grayscale" option may vary depending on your printer's capabilities and drivers. Ensure that the printer supports the Grey scale printing, and you have the latest printer driver and firmware installed. Install the latest drivers and firmware from the printer's official website. Are you not able to print any specific PDF or is it with all the PDFs? 

If your printer does not support grayscale printing, you can use a PDF printer (such as Adobe PDF) to create a grayscale version of your document. After selecting the PDF printer:​

• Click on Properties or Preferences in the Print dialog box.​
• Look for a Colour or Colour Management tab.​
• Select Grayscale or Black and White.​
• Click OK to confirm the settings, then proceed to print.
• Ensure you have the latest version of Acrobat installed. Then, check for any pending updates from Menu (Windows)/Acrobat (Mac) > Help > check for updates, install any pending updates, restart the machine, and check. 

You may also try the suggestions from the following help articles: Print in black and white using Acrobat or Reader

Troubleshoot PDF printing in Acrobat and Acrobat Reader

I hope this helps.

Thanks,

Anand Sri.