52 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
52 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
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---
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title: Flatten PDF
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description: Flatten interactive forms and annotations into static content. Makes form fields non-editable and burns annotations into the page.
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---
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# Flatten PDF
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Flattening merges interactive elements -- form fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, annotations, highlights, sticky notes -- directly into the page content. The visual appearance stays the same, but nothing is editable or extractable anymore. It is the PDF equivalent of printing a filled-out form and scanning it back in, except the quality stays perfect.
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## How It Works
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1. Upload one or more PDF files.
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2. Click **Flatten PDF**.
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3. A single file downloads directly. Multiple files produce a ZIP archive.
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The tool uses pdf-lib to flatten form fields (via `form.flatten()`) and a dedicated annotation flattener to burn annotations into the page stream. Both operations happen in a single pass.
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## What Gets Flattened
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- **Form fields**: Text inputs, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns, signature fields
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- **Annotations**: Comments, highlights, strikethrough, underline, sticky notes, stamps, ink annotations
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- **Interactive elements**: Buttons, action triggers
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## What Stays Unchanged
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- Text content (remains selectable and searchable)
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- Images and graphics
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- Page layout and dimensions
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- Bookmarks and table of contents
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- Hyperlinks (unless they are annotation-based)
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## Use Cases
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- Locking a completed form so recipients cannot change the submitted answers
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- Preparing a PDF for archival where interactive elements are unnecessary
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- Fixing display issues caused by annotations rendering differently across viewers
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- Ensuring a signed document cannot be modified after the signature is applied
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- Reducing file size by eliminating form field definitions and annotation objects
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## Tips
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- Flatten after all edits are complete. There is no way to unflatten a PDF.
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- If you need to flatten and also strip metadata, JavaScript, and attachments, use the Sanitize PDF tool instead -- it includes flattening as one of its options.
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- Some PDFs report "no form found" -- this is normal if the document only has annotations and no form fields.
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## Related Tools
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- [Sanitize PDF](./sanitize-pdf) -- flatten forms plus remove metadata, scripts, and more
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- [Rasterize PDF](./rasterize-pdf) -- convert to image-based PDF for maximum flattening
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- [Font to Outline](./font-to-outline) -- flatten fonts to vector paths
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- [Encrypt PDF](./encrypt-pdf) -- lock the flattened PDF with a password
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