Flatten PDF

How do I flatten a PDF?

Press Choose a PDF. The tool lists the form fields and comments it finds. Keep Flatten forms and comments selected and tick what to lock, or pick Flatten everything to images for pages nobody can edit. Press Flatten PDF, then Download. The original file stays as it was, so keep it if you may need to edit again.

1. Press Choose a PDF and read what the tool found.
2. Pick Flatten forms and comments, or Flatten everything to images.
3. Tick Form fields and Comments, stamps and drawings as needed.
4. Press Flatten PDF, then Download.

What does flattening a PDF do?

A PDF can hold layers on top of the page: form fields you can type into, comments, highlights, stamps and drawings. Readers draw them, but anyone can still change or delete them. Flattening draws them into the page itself, the way ink sits on paper. The file looks the same, but those parts stop being editable.

Why flatten a filled PDF form before sending it?

A filled form keeps its fields live, so the next person can change your answers, and some readers or printers show empty boxes when field data is not drawn. Flattening fixes the values as page content, so the form looks the same everywhere.

Can a flattened PDF be unflattened?

No. Once fields and comments are part of the page, there is no record of where the fields were or what was typed into them separately. That is the point of flattening, so keep your original file if you might need to edit the form again. Flattening to images goes further: the text itself becomes a picture.

Should I flatten to images?

Only when you need pages that cannot be edited or copied at all, such as a final contract or a design proof. Text in images cannot be searched or selected, screen readers cannot read it, and files are usually larger. For most forms, flattening forms and comments is enough and keeps the text.