Flatten PDF
Make completed forms and annotations permanent, or convert selected PDF pages into non-editable images.
Drop PDFs here
Add one or more PDF documents to flatten locally in your browser.
Your PDFs are processed locally in your browser and are not uploaded to a server.
How to use Flatten PDF
- 1
Click Choose PDF files or drag and drop one or more PDFs into the upload area. The tool examines each document and reports its form fields, annotations, optional layers, digital signatures, and security status. Use Add more PDFs to include additional files. If a document requires an opening password, enter it in PDF password and click Open PDF.
- 2
Under Flatten mode, choose between two methods: Form fields and annotations makes supported form fields, comments, stamps, and annotation appearances part of the page while generally preserving searchable text. Enable Keep links clickable if you want supported hyperlinks to remain functional. Entire pages as images converts selected pages into non-interactive images. Under Image quality, choose 100 DPI (Smaller file), 150 DPI (Standard), 200 DPI (High quality), or 300 DPI (Print quality). Text on these pages will no longer be selectable or searchable.
- 3
Under Pages to flatten, select All pages or Custom page range. For custom processing, specify the pages separately for each PDF using entries such as 1-5, 9, 12-end. If a document contains form fields on pages outside your selection, the tool may require you to include those pages to avoid damaging the form structure.
- 4
Click Flatten PDF to process the documents. If existing digital signatures are detected, review the warning before continuing. The tool rebuilds the selected content and verifies the resulting PDF's page count, dimensions, orientation, and relevant flattening properties.
- 5
Review the completed files under Results. Click Download PDF beside an individual document, or Download all as ZIP when multiple successful results are available. The downloaded filenames end with -flattened.pdf. Use Flatten more PDFs to begin another operation.
Frequently asked questions
About Flatten PDF
A PDF can appear finished while still containing active form fields, movable comments, editable checkboxes, or annotation objects. That distinction matters when distributing completed applications, archiving signed paperwork, or sharing reviewed documents with people using different PDF readers. Flatten PDF converts supported interactive elements into fixed page content, helping preserve their visible appearance without requiring recipients to interact with the original form or annotation tools.
Two flattening methods accommodate different document requirements. Standard flattening incorporates completed form values, stamps, comments, and supported annotation appearances into the PDF pages without deliberately rasterizing the underlying document. This approach is appropriate when you want to finalize interactive elements while maintaining text selection, document clarity, and supported hyperlinks. Optional PDF layers are not reliably flattened by this method, and annotations without usable appearance information may not be reproduced completely.
For documents that need a consistent visual representation rather than searchable content, the image-based method rebuilds selected pages from rendered images. Resolution settings ranging from 100 to 300 DPI let you balance file size, visual detail, and printing requirements. This can be useful when sharing forms that must display consistently across different PDF viewers, although rasterized pages lose their original text layer and interactive functionality.
The tool can inspect and process multiple PDFs in one session, with individual page-range controls for each document. It identifies form fields, annotations, optional layers, security restrictions, and digital signatures before processing. Completed files undergo verification to check that page counts, dimensions, orientation, and relevant flattening properties remain consistent. Successful results can be downloaded individually or collected in a ZIP archive.
Flattening is a document-finalization technique, not a substitute for encryption, secure redaction, or certified digital signing. It also does not guarantee a smaller PDF, particularly when pages are converted into high-resolution images. Processing takes place within your browser, allowing you to prepare fixed-content copies while retaining your original documents.