Flatten PDF
Make a PDF final. Lock filled-in form fields and comments into the page, or go all the way and turn every page into a picture so nothing can be edited or copied.
- Free
- Unlimited
- No signup
- No watermark
- Files never leave your device
or drop it here
How to flatten
File name
Protection
AES-256. If you forget the password, nobody can recover the file, including us.
How to flatten a PDF
- Drop your PDF.
- Choose "Forms and comments" to lock answers and notes into the page, or "Every page as a picture" for a fully locked copy.
- Click Flatten PDF and download the result.
Questions
What does flattening do?
It turns things that can be changed (form fields, comments, highlights) into plain page content. The file looks the same, but the answers can no longer be edited.
What is the difference between the two ways?
"Forms and comments" keeps the text selectable and searchable and only locks fields and notes. "Every page as a picture" draws each page as an image, so text cannot be selected, copied or edited at all. The file is usually larger.
Will it remove hidden text?
Only the picture way does. Pages become pictures of what you can see, so hidden layers, old text under a whiteout and form data are not kept. Links are dropped too.
Which quality should I pick?
Standard (150 dpi) is fine for reading on screen. Sharp (200 dpi) suits printing; Print (300 dpi) is largest.
Is my file uploaded?
No. Everything happens inside your browser tab.
Can I password-protect the result?
Yes. Switch on "Password-protect" and the result is encrypted with AES-256. It is off by default.