Adjust PDF Pages
Make a readable copy with the page appearance you need.
Adjust the appearance of PDF pages
Lighten a scan, increase contrast, invert colors or create a photocopy effect. These changes cannot restore missing details.
Compare the original sample with its grayscale result. The result adjusts only page 1 at 150 DPI; page 2 keeps its selectable text. Brightness and contrast are zero; invert, sharpening and photocopy effect are off.
Up to 50 MB and 100 pages. Selected pages become images: text cannot be selected and annotations become part of the image. Other pages keep their original content. Interactive forms, signatures, automatic actions and optional layers are not supported. This tool does not permanently remove sensitive information.
Large pages are limited to 4 megapixels and 4,096 pixels per side. Preview shows the first selected page at the same settings used for export. A sharper-looking page may still contain the same unreadable or missing detail.
Need editable text from the result? Continue with OCR PDF. To remove private information, appearance changes and black-and-white filters are not a substitute for permanent redaction.
Adjust dark scans, soften backgrounds or invert PDF colors
Choose pages, adjust their brightness and contrast, or switch to grayscale, black and white or inverted colors. Compare the preview with the original before saving a copy. A modest adjustment may help a dark scan, but it cannot recover words or details missing from the source.
Adjusted pages are saved as pictures. Their selectable text and interactive content are not retained, while supported pages you leave unselected keep their original objects. Keep the original document and use OCR afterward if you need searchable words on the adjusted pages.
Best for: People improving the appearance of a scan or preparing a grayscale, inverted or scan-style copy for reading and printing.
How to use Adjust PDF
- Choose your PDF and the pages you want to adjust.
- Change the appearance settings and compare the before-and-after preview. Check small words and pale marks.
- Create the adjusted copy, then download and review it. Keep your original PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Can I brighten a dark scanned PDF?
Try a small brightness increase and adjust contrast while checking the preview. Results depend on the scan: very pale or missing details cannot be recreated.
Can I invert the colors in a PDF?
Yes. Choose the pages and enable color inversion, then preview and save a copy. This changes the saved page appearance, unlike a reader’s display-only dark mode.
Does black and white mean the same thing as grayscale?
No. Grayscale keeps shades of gray. Black and white uses a cutoff to turn pixels into one of two colors, which can remove pale writing or details. Check the preview carefully.
Will I still be able to search the adjusted pages?
Adjusted pages become pictures and lose their existing text layer. Keep the original or run OCR on the new copy if you need searchable text.
Can sharpening restore a blurry word?
Light sharpening can make some edges more noticeable, but it cannot reliably restore lost detail or prove what an unclear word says. Check important information against the original source.
Will this make my PDF smaller?
Not necessarily. Saving page pictures can increase file size. If your main goal is a smaller attachment, use Compress PDF and compare the result.