52 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
52 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: Flatten PDF
|
|
description: Flatten interactive forms and annotations into static content. Makes form fields non-editable and burns annotations into the page.
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Flatten PDF
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
## How It Works
|
|
|
|
1. Upload one or more PDF files.
|
|
2. Click **Flatten PDF**.
|
|
3. A single file downloads directly. Multiple files produce a ZIP archive.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
## What Gets Flattened
|
|
|
|
- **Form fields**: Text inputs, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns, signature fields
|
|
- **Annotations**: Comments, highlights, strikethrough, underline, sticky notes, stamps, ink annotations
|
|
- **Interactive elements**: Buttons, action triggers
|
|
|
|
## What Stays Unchanged
|
|
|
|
- Text content (remains selectable and searchable)
|
|
- Images and graphics
|
|
- Page layout and dimensions
|
|
- Bookmarks and table of contents
|
|
- Hyperlinks (unless they are annotation-based)
|
|
|
|
## Use Cases
|
|
|
|
- Locking a completed form so recipients cannot change the submitted answers
|
|
- Preparing a PDF for archival where interactive elements are unnecessary
|
|
- Fixing display issues caused by annotations rendering differently across viewers
|
|
- Ensuring a signed document cannot be modified after the signature is applied
|
|
- Reducing file size by eliminating form field definitions and annotation objects
|
|
|
|
## Tips
|
|
|
|
- Flatten after all edits are complete. There is no way to unflatten a PDF.
|
|
- 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.
|
|
- Some PDFs report "no form found" -- this is normal if the document only has annotations and no form fields.
|
|
|
|
## Related Tools
|
|
|
|
- [Sanitize PDF](./sanitize-pdf) -- flatten forms plus remove metadata, scripts, and more
|
|
- [Rasterize PDF](./rasterize-pdf) -- convert to image-based PDF for maximum flattening
|
|
- [Font to Outline](./font-to-outline) -- flatten fonts to vector paths
|
|
- [Encrypt PDF](./encrypt-pdf) -- lock the flattened PDF with a password
|