diff --git a/crates/automation/src/batch.rs b/crates/automation/src/batch.rs
index 47cf714ec9..decb18d2b7 100644
--- a/crates/automation/src/batch.rs
+++ b/crates/automation/src/batch.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const MAX_INPUT: u64 = 512 * 1024 * 1024;
 struct Recipe<'a> {
     steps: Vec<&'a str>,
     images: optimize::ImageSettings,
+    mono: optimize::MonoSettings,
     ocr: ocr::OcrSettings,
 }
 
@@ -38,12 +39,17 @@ impl<'a> Recipe<'a> {
             }
         }
         let mut images = optimize::ImageSettings::REDUCE;
+        let mut mono = optimize::MonoSettings::REDUCE;
         if let Some(ppi) = args.opt_num("ppi")? {
             if !(9.0..=1600.0).contains(&ppi) {
                 return Err(Args::wrong("ppi", "9 to 1600"));
             }
             images.target_ppi = ppi;
             images.above_ppi = ppi * 1.5;
+            // Black-and-white images keep Reduce File Size's higher resolution, at which text
+            // stays legible, and are never taken below a higher `ppi` asked for.
+            mono.target_ppi = mono.target_ppi.max(ppi);
+            mono.above_ppi = mono.target_ppi * 1.5;
         }
         if let Some(q) = args.opt_int("quality")? {
             if !(1..=100).contains(&q) {
@@ -54,7 +60,7 @@ impl<'a> Recipe<'a> {
         if args.opt_num("dpi")?.is_some_and(|dpi| !(72.0..=600.0).contains(&dpi)) {
             return Err(Args::wrong("dpi", "72 to 600"));
         }
-        Ok(Self { steps, images, ocr: auto.ocr_settings(args)? })
+        Ok(Self { steps, images, mono, ocr: auto.ocr_settings(args)? })
     }
 
     fn accepts(&self, path: &Path) -> bool {
@@ -88,7 +94,7 @@ impl<'a> Recipe<'a> {
                 }
                 "optimize" => {
                     let id = session.open(name, None, bytes.clone(), None).map_err(failed)?;
-                    let settings = optimize::Settings { color: self.images, gray: self.images, ..Default::default() };
+                    let settings = optimize::Settings { color: self.images, gray: self.images, mono: self.mono, ..Default::default() };
                     let (candidate, _) = session.optimized_bytes(id, &settings, &[])?;
                     session.close(id);
                     if candidate.len() < bytes.len() {
diff --git a/crates/automation/src/tools.rs b/crates/automation/src/tools.rs
index 79555f1548..8767b4dc46 100644
--- a/crates/automation/src/tools.rs
+++ b/crates/automation/src/tools.rs
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ pub fn tools() -> Vec<ToolDef> {
     let save_out = json!({ "type": "string", "description": "File to write. Omit to open the result as a new unsaved document instead." });
     let open = json!({ "type": "boolean", "description": "Also open the result as a new document (default: only when out is omitted)." });
     vec![
-        t("doc_batch", "Process files and folders", "Run convert, ocr and/or optimize over files and folders, one file at a time. recursive defaults to false. Preserve paths relative to each selected folder inside out_dir; duplicate inputs run once. Skip unsupported files, links and the output subtree. Existing outputs receive numbered names and are never replaced. Continue after per-file errors unless stop_on_error is true. Return completed/failed/skipped counts and per-file results. Discovery is bounded to 10000 entries and 64 folder levels. Convert must be first; each step can appear once. OCR uses installed models. Optimize uses Reduce File Size settings, optionally overriding target ppi (threshold 1.5 times ppi) and JPEG quality; a larger candidate keeps the original bytes. Sources and open documents are unchanged.")
+        t("doc_batch", "Process files and folders", "Run convert, ocr and/or optimize over files and folders, one file at a time. recursive defaults to false. Preserve paths relative to each selected folder inside out_dir; duplicate inputs run once. Skip unsupported files, links and the output subtree. Existing outputs receive numbered names and are never replaced. Continue after per-file errors unless stop_on_error is true. Return completed/failed/skipped counts and per-file results. Discovery is bounded to 10000 entries and 64 folder levels. Convert must be first; each step can appear once. OCR uses installed models. Optimize uses Reduce File Size settings, optionally overriding target ppi (threshold 1.5 times ppi; black-and-white images go to the larger of ppi and 300) and JPEG quality; a larger candidate keeps the original bytes. Sources and open documents are unchanged.")
             .with(schema(json!({
                 "paths": {"type":"array","items":{"type":"string"},"minItems":1,"maxItems":1000},
                 "out_dir": {"type":"string"},
diff --git a/crates/automation/tests/it/automation.rs b/crates/automation/tests/it/automation.rs
index e68da784d6..d17627a951 100644
--- a/crates/automation/tests/it/automation.rs
+++ b/crates/automation/tests/it/automation.rs
@@ -6525,17 +6525,7 @@ fn doc_optimize_averages_black_and_white_scans_down() {
     std::fs::write(dir.join("scan.pdf"), scan_drawn(b"q 120 0 0 48 50 500 cm /Scan Do Q")).unwrap();
     let mut a = auto(&dir);
     let doc = ok(&mut a, "doc_open", json!({ "path": "scan.pdf" }))["doc"].as_u64().unwrap();
-    let sizes = |name: &str| -> Vec<(Option<i64>, Option<i64>)> {
-        let written = pdfcraft_cos::Document::open(std::sync::Arc::new(std::fs::read(dir.join(name)).unwrap())).unwrap();
-        written
-            .object_numbers()
-            .into_iter()
-            .filter_map(|num| match &*written.get(pdfcraft_cos::ObjRef { num, generation: written.generation(num) }) {
-                pdfcraft_cos::Object::Stream(s) if s.dict.name(b"Subtype") == Some(b"Image") => Some((s.dict.int(b"Width"), s.dict.int(b"Height"))),
-                _ => None,
-            })
-            .collect()
-    };
+    let sizes = |name: &str| image_sizes(&dir.join(name));
     let r = ok(&mut a, "doc_optimize", json!({ "doc": doc, "path": "small.pdf" }));
     assert_eq!(r["images_resampled"].as_u64(), Some(1), "{r}");
     assert_eq!(sizes("small.pdf"), [(Some(500), Some(200))]);
@@ -6549,6 +6539,40 @@ fn doc_optimize_averages_black_and_white_scans_down() {
     }
 }
 
+/// The width and height of every image in the PDF at `path`.
+fn image_sizes(path: &std::path::Path) -> Vec<(Option<i64>, Option<i64>)> {
+    let written = pdfcraft_cos::Document::open(std::sync::Arc::new(std::fs::read(path).unwrap())).unwrap();
+    written
+        .object_numbers()
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter_map(|num| match &*written.get(pdfcraft_cos::ObjRef { num, generation: written.generation(num) }) {
+            pdfcraft_cos::Object::Stream(s) if s.dict.name(b"Subtype") == Some(b"Image") => Some((s.dict.int(b"Width"), s.dict.int(b"Height"))),
+            _ => None,
+        })
+        .collect()
+}
+
+/// The batch optimize step's `ppi` reaches black-and-white images too: they go to the larger of
+/// it and Reduce File Size's 300 ppi. Before, a batch run took every scan to 300 ppi whatever
+/// `ppi` said, so `ppi: 600` halved 600 ppi scans.
+#[test]
+fn batch_ppi_bounds_how_far_black_and_white_scans_are_resampled() {
+    let dir = workdir("batch-mono-ppi");
+    // 1000 × 400 samples on 120 × 48 pt: 600 ppi.
+    std::fs::write(dir.join("scan.pdf"), scan_drawn(b"q 120 0 0 48 50 500 cm /Scan Do Q")).unwrap();
+    let mut a = auto(&dir);
+    for (ppi, size) in [(None, (500, 200)), (Some(600), (1000, 400)), (Some(96), (500, 200))] {
+        let out = format!("out-{ppi:?}");
+        let mut args = json!({ "paths": ["scan.pdf"], "steps": ["optimize"], "out_dir": out });
+        if let Some(ppi) = ppi {
+            args["ppi"] = json!(ppi);
+        }
+        let report = ok(&mut a, "doc_batch", args);
+        assert_eq!(report["completed"], 1, "{report}");
+        assert_eq!(image_sizes(&dir.join(&out).join("scan.pdf")), [(Some(size.0), Some(size.1))], "ppi {ppi:?}");
+    }
+}
+
 /// A one-page PDF whose page picture is drawn as `rows` grey images one pixel row high, 600 px
 /// wide on a 72 pt square (600 ppi), as some PDF printers write it.
 fn printed_in_strips(rows: usize) -> Vec<u8> {
diff --git a/docs/cli-batch.md b/docs/cli-batch.md
index 0892791194..ad2982bb14 100644
--- a/docs/cli-batch.md
+++ b/docs/cli-batch.md
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ new engine importers become available here automatically. Without `convert`,
 only `.pdf` inputs are processed. Unsupported extensions are reported as skipped.
 
 - `optimize` uses Reduce File Size settings: JPEG quality 60, resampling to 150 ppi
-  above 225 ppi (black-and-white images stored as CCITT Group 4 when smaller), plus the
-  existing document cleanup. `--ppi` (9–1600) sets the target
-  and a threshold of 1.5 times that value; `--quality` (1–100) sets JPEG quality.
+  above 225 ppi (black-and-white images to 300 ppi above 450 ppi, stored as CCITT
+  Group 4 when smaller), plus the existing document cleanup. `--ppi` (9–1600) sets the
+  target and a threshold of 1.5 times that value; black-and-white images go to the
+  larger of `--ppi` and 300 ppi, so a lower value keeps scanned text legible and a
+  higher one keeps their resolution. `--quality` (1–100) sets JPEG quality.
   These settings can lose image detail. A candidate that is not smaller retains
   the bytes entering that step. This is not an images-only or lossless preset.
 - `ocr` uses the installed engine and its supported languages. `--dpi` (72–600,