Convert Color to Grayscale in Photoshop

In order to qualify for black & white pricing on the plotter printer (Epson T5270D), your image must first be converted to grayscale. If your image is submitted in color, you will be charged for the color price.

For the best results, you should always work from a duplicate file. You don’t want to toggle back and forth between different color spaces (especially on an original file) as you can lose critical pixel data. 

Before converting images, it’s best to do the following: 

  • Do as much editing as possible in the original color mode
  • Save a backup copy before converting. Be sure to save a copy of your image that includes all layers so that you can edit the original version of the image after the conversion.
  • Flatten the file before converting it. The interaction of colors between layer blending modes changes when the mode changes.
Open file in Photoshop
Image menu > Mode > Grayscale
Click Discard

Photoshop converts the colors in the image to black, white, and shades of gray.

NOTE: The technique above minimizes file size but discards color information and can convert adjacent colors to the exact same shade of gray. Using a Black & White adjustment layer increases file size but retains color information, letting you map colors to shades of gray.

For more information, check out

helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/converting-color-modes.html

Convert Color to Grayscale in Illustrator

In order to qualify for black & white pricing on the plotter printer (Epson T5270D), your image must first be converted to grayscale. If your image is submitted in color, you will be charged for the color price.

For the best results, you should always work from a duplicate file. Illustrator preserves editing capabilities but to keep yourself organized, it’s in best practice to save a separate grayscale IC print file.

Illustrator - Select All Objects
Open file in Illustrator
Select all of the objects whose colors you want to convert.

To select all objects in a file, choose 

Select > All. (To deselect all objects, choose Select > Deselect)

Illustrator - Unlock All
Don’t forget to unlock all layers & objects on your artboard! 

Object menu > Unlock All

Illustrator - Edit Colors - BW
Edit menu > Edit Colors > Convert To Grayscale
Illustrator - grayscale

NOTE: Use the Edit > Edit Colors > Adjust Colors command to convert objects to grayscale and adjust the shades of gray at the same time.

Your Illustrator file is now ready to save as a PDF file! Happy printing 🙂

For more information, check out

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/adjusting-colors.html

Convert Color to Grayscale in Adobe Acrobat

In order to qualify for black & white pricing on the plotter printer (Epson T5270D), your image must first be converted to grayscale. If your image is submitted in color, you will be charged for the color price.

Sophie and Bubba
Open PDF file in Acrobat

Select Print Production from the toolbar on the right

Preflight Menu
Select Preflight
Acrobat - Preflight
Pull down the Essentials tab & select Prepress, Color, and Transparency
Acrobat - Preflight Menu
Choose Convert to Grayscale from the Convert Colors menu  

Select Analyze and Fix

Adobe will prompt you to save your file and a Save As PDF dialog box appears. 

Save your file with a unique name. 

Acrobat - Green Check
Once you select Save, Adobe will convert your file.

If there are no issues, you will receive a green checkmark .

For more information, check out

https://www.prepressure.com/pdf/basics/editing/convert-color-to-grayscale