Unable to Print PDF Files in Greyscale Using Adobe PDF or Microsoft Print to PDF

[Shah Ritesh]

Hello Community,

I’m encountering an issue when attempting to print PDF documents in greyscale using either the Adobe PDF or Microsoft Print to PDF options on my Windows system. Despite selecting the appropriate settings for greyscale or black-and-white output, the resulting files are still generated in color.

Here are a few details:

• I am using Adobe Acrobat 2025.001.20474|64-Bit on Windows 11.

• The original PDFs contain color elements, but I need to produce greyscale versions for documentation purposes.

• I have tried adjusting the printer properties, including setting the color output to greyscale/black & white, but it does not seem to have any effect.

• This issue occurs regardless of which PDF I try to print, so it appears to be a broader configuration or compatibility issue.

I would appreciate any guidance or recommended solutions from the community. Is this a known limitation, or is there a workaround to reliably print PDFs in greyscale using these virtual printers?

Thank you in advance for your support.

Best regards,

Ritesh Shah

[Tariq Ahmad Dar]

Hi @Shah Ritesh, 

Thanks for your question! If you’re unable to print PDFs in grayscale using Adobe PDF or Microsoft Print to PDF, and your printer settings don’t provide the option, you can use Acrobat’s Print Production tools to convert your document to grayscale before printing.

Here’s how to do it using Preflight:

Convert PDF to Grayscale Using Preflight (Acrobat Pro)

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

2. Go to Tools > Print Production > Preflight.

3. In the Preflight window:

• Click the wrench icon (Fixups tab).

• Search for “Convert to grayscale” in the search bar.

• Select “Convert color to grayscale” under “Color spaces”.

4. Click Analyze and fix.

5. Save the converted file under a new name.

Now, when you print the file (via Adobe PDF or Microsoft Print to PDF), it will output in grayscale because the color content has already been converted.

You can also check the color conversion: https://adobe.ly/45njpmJ

Let us know how it works. 

~Tariq

[Shah Ritesh]

Dear Adobe Support Team,

Thank you for your response and for suggesting the workaround using the Preflight > Convert to Grayscale method in Acrobat Pro.

Unfortunately, I must reiterate that this is not a viable resolution to the issue I reported. The workaround is cumbersome, time-consuming, and defeats the purpose of having a built-in greyscale print option, which until recently, functioned perfectly within Adobe PDF and Microsoft Print to PDF.

The issue is not about converting PDFs manually every time — it is about a core functionality (i.e., selecting “Greyscale” while printing) that has suddenly stopped working, despite being a standard feature. I have not made any changes to system settings or configurations that would justify this failure, yet the feature has become non-functional.

To make matters worse, I am now unable to print any document at all — even to physical printers — using Adobe Acrobat. This suggests the problem has escalated further beyond just greyscale output and now affects basic printing capability.

This situation is unacceptable. I would like to emphasize:

• The greyscale printing feature was working earlier — and no legitimate reason has been provided for its failure.

• A manual workaround is not an appropriate fix for a broken built-in feature.

• The core print functionality is now completely broken, which is a critical issue.

I expect Adobe to treat this issue with the seriousness it warrants. Please escalate this case to a technical specialist who can investigate and provide a proper fix, not just a workaround.

I look forward to your urgent response and a meaningful resolution.

Sincerely,

Ritesh Shah