Flatten PDF
Flatten a PDF: fixes filled form fields, comments, stamps and drawings into the page so they print correctly and can no longer be edited — or turn whole pages into images.
About Flatten PDF
Flatten a PDF when a filled form must look the same everywhere, print correctly and stop being editable. Typed answers, ticks, dropdown choices, comments, highlights, stamps and drawings are drawn into the page itself, and web links can stay clickable. Text remains selectable.
For a file that cannot be changed at all, choose Whole pages as images. Flattening is useful before sending a form to a government portal, a bank or a client, or when a viewer shows fields blank. The file is processed in your browser and never uploaded, and the tool is free with no sign-up.
How to use Flatten PDF
- Drop a PDF or try the sample filled form.
- Choose what to flatten: form fields, comments and drawings — and whether web links stay clickable.
- Or choose Whole pages as images for a file that cannot be edited at all.
- Click Flatten PDF and download.
Frequently asked questions
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is opened and processed entirely inside your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, so it is safe for confidential documents.
Why flatten a PDF?
A flattened form shows the typed answers as part of the page, so they look the same in every viewer and printer and cannot be changed by mistake. Portals sometimes reject fillable PDFs or print them blank — flattening fixes that.
Is the text still selectable after flattening?
Yes, with the default method: the field values and comments are drawn into the page exactly as they appear. Only “Whole pages as images” turns pages into pictures.
What happens to comments I cannot see?
Hidden annotations and the pop-up note windows of comments are removed, because they have nothing visible to draw. The comment’s visible mark (box, highlight, stamp) stays on the page.
What about password-protected PDFs?
PDFs that open without a password but block editing or printing (an owner password, common on bank statements and government downloads) work directly — the restrictions are lifted in your browser. A PDF that asks for a password to open must be unlocked first with Unlock PDF (you need its password).
How do I make a fillable PDF non-editable?
Drop the filled PDF, keep Form fields ticked and click Flatten PDF. The answers become part of the page and the fields disappear.
Why does my filled form print blank?
Some viewers do not draw form field values when printing. Flattening draws the values into the page, so every printer and viewer shows them.
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