I clicked through Google Analytics last night and found out two things about how folks are finding my site via search engines.

1) Someone out there was looking for “laser schwing”.

2) Lots of hits come from folks looking for answers to computery questions.

I’ll talk about my new quest to become the number 1 search engine result for laser schwing in an upcoming post, but for today I have another super-quick easy fast tutorial for you. A couple of weeks ago, I had a project that involved creating a multi-page document in InDesign and exporting it as a full-color CMYK pdf. The client also wanted to see a black and white option of that same pdf. What’s a designer to do!?

If you’re creating a black and white version of something that includes photos and you want to do it at the highest quality possible, you really should set up a separate document that’s your black and white version. Take your photos into Photoshop and use the Black and White tool to adjust your colors for the best control over contrast and all of that.

But if you’re in the situation I was in, where it was a matter of “we want to see a black and white version RIGHT NOW” and it doesn’t necessarily need to be archival coffee-table book quality, here’s a link to the step by step tutorial I followed.

Note: This tutorial will work if you’ve got the full version of Adobe Acrobat 9.

1) Open your color pdf in Acrobat.

2) At the top of the Acrobat window, go to Advanced > Preflight.

3) Highlight “Convert to Greyscale”, and then click “Analyze and Fix”.

4) Save your black and white version.

5) Click here to download a black and white version of the Steph and Jenn Pie Chart as proof of great success!

6) High fives all around!