Grayscale Image Converter
Turn a colour photo into black and white, for a print, a document or a different look. The saved file keeps its width, height and transparency.
Runs in your browser. Your data is not uploaded.How our tools work
No image to hand? (CC0)
How do I make an image black and white?
Choose an image and select “Convert to grayscale”. Each pixel is turned into a shade of grey from its brightness, using the weights of the CSS grayscale filter, so greens look lighter than blues as they do to the eye. Check the side-by-side preview, then download the file in the same format or another.
- Select or drop an image. The grayscale preview appears next to the original.
- Choose the output format if you want a different one.
- Select “Convert to grayscale”, check the result, then download it.
Formula & Method
Grey value
Example: Pure red (255, 0, 0) becomes grey 54; pure green (0, 255, 0) becomes 182
Key features
Real grayscale pixels
The downloaded file itself is grey, not just the preview on screen.
Natural-looking greys
Brightness uses the Rec. 709 weights, like the CSS grayscale filter, rather than a plain average, which makes greens too dark and blues too light.
Transparency kept
Transparent PNG and WebP images stay transparent.
Full resolution
The image keeps its width and height. Images over about 16 megapixels are scaled down to fit browser limits, with a note.
Common uses
- Prepare an image for grey-only printing
- Check the contrast of a design without colour
Supported formats and limits
- Input
- JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP and AVIF up to 40 MB, plus HEIC where the browser supports it
- Output
- Same as original (other formats are saved as PNG), or JPG, PNG or WebP
What the grey file is, and isn’t
The file is saved as a normal colour (RGB) image whose red, green and blue values are equal, because browsers can’t save single-channel grayscale files. It looks grey in every app, but a print shop or form that checks for “grayscale colour mode” may still read it as colour; if that is required, convert the mode in an image editor.
There are no tints or channel mixes: no sepia, no red filter for dramatic skies. For a punchier black and white, run the result through Image Brightness & Contrast and add some contrast.
Related tools
Frequently Asked Questions
Is grayscale the same as black and white?
In everyday use, yes. Strictly, an 8-bit grayscale image has up to 256 shades of grey, while “black and white” can also mean only pure black and pure white. This tool makes grayscale.
Will the file be smaller?
Not necessarily. A grey image can be a little smaller, but the saved file’s size depends on the format and the picture. The tool shows the real size.
Can I get the colour back?
No. Grayscale removes the colour information, so keep your original.
Last updated: