Flatten PDF
Flatten PDF is a free browser tool that turns filled form fields and page annotations into permanent page content. Use it before sharing a filled form or a marked-up document, so values and drawings can no longer be changed.
Drop PDF files here or click to browse
Files stay in your burrow: everything is processed on your device, never uploaded.
How to use this tool
- 1Drop a PDF into the tool.
- 2It reports how many form fields and annotated pages it found.
- 3Click Flatten. Form fields are baked into the pages; pages carrying annotations like drawings or stamps are rebuilt from a high-resolution render.
- 4Download the flattened PDF.
FAQ
What exactly gets flattened?
Form fields (text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns) become fixed page content, and pages with drawn annotations such as ink notes, stamps or text boxes are rebuilt as images with those marks burned in. Pages without either are copied unchanged.
My PDF has no form. What happens?
The tool tells you honestly that there is nothing to flatten and does not produce a file. If you expected a form, the PDF probably uses XFA or is a scanned image of a form, neither of which can be filled or flattened here.
Are rebuilt pages still searchable?
Only pages that carried annotations are rebuilt as images; their text is no longer selectable. Pages that only had form fields keep their text layer, since fields are baked into the existing page content.