Invert PDF Colors

How do I invert the colors of a PDF?

Press Choose a PDF, then pick a style: Black, Dark gray or Night. Leave All pages ticked, or untick it and type the pages you want, such as 1-3, 7. Press Invert colors, check the preview, and press Download. The original file is not changed, and the new copy keeps its text.

1. Press Choose a PDF.
2. Pick Black, Dark gray or Night.
3. Keep All pages ticked, or type the pages to invert.
4. Press Invert colors, then Download.

Will the text still be searchable after inverting?

Yes. Many online inverters turn each page into a picture, which loses the text. This tool keeps the page as it is and draws a layer on top that flips the colors, a blend mode built into the PDF format. The words underneath stay real text, so search, copy and screen readers still work, and zooming stays sharp.

The layer uses the Difference blend mode from the PDF standard (ISO 32000-1, section 11.3.5): each color is replaced by the difference between it and the layer color. PDF readers that follow the standard, browsers included, show it the same way.

Which dark style should I pick?

Black gives the strongest contrast and suits screens that show true black well, such as OLED phones. Dark gray is gentler, with light gray text on a dark gray page, which some readers find easier for long sessions. Night uses a deep blue-gray page with warm off-white text. All three keep text sharp and searchable.

Why do photos look strange in an inverted PDF?

Inverting flips every color, not only black and white. Red turns cyan, blue turns orange, and a photo looks like a film negative. Charts with colored lines also change color. For a document that is mostly text this hardly matters, but for photo-heavy pages you may prefer reading the original with your screen brightness turned down.

Want a lighter file to read on the go instead? Shrink it with Compress PDF.