Flatten PDF
Lock a filled-in form, signature or annotated PDF so fields can’t be changed and comments look the same in every app — or turn every page into an image. Runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
At a glance
- Flattening turns interactive parts of a PDF — form fields, checkboxes, dropdowns, comments, highlights, stamps and drawn signatures — into ordinary page content that can’t be edited.
- The tool first counts the form fields and comments in your file, so you know what will be flattened.
- Forms & comments mode keeps text selectable and the file small; filled values look exactly as they did in the form.
- Everything to images mode turns each page into a picture at 150, 200 or 300 DPI, so nothing can be selected, copied or edited.
- Links and bookmarks are kept in Forms & comments mode.
- Password-protected PDFs can be flattened after entering the password; the flattened copy has no password.
- Runs entirely in your browser with QPDF (WebAssembly) and PDF.js — the file is never uploaded.
Step by step
How to flatten a PDF
- 1
Open the PDF
Drop the filled form or annotated PDF onto the box. Enter its password if it has one.
- 2
Check what’s in it
The tool shows how many form fields and comments or drawings it found.
- 3
Choose how
Pick Forms & comments (recommended) or Everything to images, with an image quality.
- 4
Flatten and download
Click Flatten PDF. The flattened copy downloads and the tool confirms nothing editable is left.
Features
Everything you need, nothing you don’t
Lock filled forms
Send a completed application, tax form or agreement knowing the values can’t be changed by the next person who opens it.
Same look everywhere
Form values and comments can look different — or vanish — in some viewers and when printed. Flattened, they always show.
Know what’s inside
See how many form fields and comments your PDF has before you flatten it, and what’s left afterwards.
Two strengths
Keep searchable text with Forms & comments, or choose Everything to images for a page no one can edit or copy.
Portal-friendly
Some upload portals reject fillable PDFs or lose the values. A flattened PDF is accepted like any scanned document.
Private
Your form stays on your device. No upload, no sign-up and no watermark.
Which mode should I use?
| Forms & comments | Everything to images | |
|---|---|---|
| Form fields and comments | Locked into the page | Locked into the page |
| Text can be selected and searched | Yes | No |
| Page content can be edited in a PDF editor | Harder, but possible | No — only as a picture |
| File size | About the same | Larger (depends on quality) |
| Links and bookmarks | Kept | Removed |
| Best for | Forms, signed agreements, reviewed drafts | Documents you don’t want copied or changed |
When to flatten a PDF
Flatten a form after filling it in and before sending it — for example a job application, a KYC form, a bank mandate or a government form. It stops anyone accidentally or deliberately changing the answers, and makes sure the values print.
Flatten a reviewed document to make comments, highlights and sticky notes a permanent part of the page, so they show in every viewer and on paper.
Keep your original! A flattened PDF can’t be filled in again. To stop others copying or printing too, protect the PDF after flattening; to hide personal details, use Redact PDF.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to flatten a PDF?
Can a flattened PDF be unflattened?
Will my digital signature still be valid?
Is my form uploaded anywhere?
Why does it say some things are still editable?
Can I flatten a PDF without form fields?
Keep going
Related tools
Protect PDF
Add a password to a PDF with AES-256 encryption, and optionally block printing, copying or editing. Free, runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Redact PDF
Redact PDFs for real: black out names, Aadhaar, PAN, phone numbers and more so the hidden text is gone for good. Find-and-mark, free, no upload.
PDF Watermark
Add a text or logo watermark to a PDF: CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT or “For KYC only” stamps with your own size, angle and opacity. Free, private, no upload.
Compress PDF
Compress PDF files in your browser: shrink scans and image-heavy PDFs, or hit a target like 200 KB. Text stays sharp and selectable — free, private, no upload.
Merge PDF
Merge PDF files online for free. Combine PDFs in any order, pick exact pages from each and download one file — processed in your browser with no upload.
Images to PDF
Convert JPG, PNG and other images to one PDF. Reorder and rotate pages, choose A4 or Letter, margins and quality — free, private and with no upload.
Last updated Report a problem or suggest a feature