Guides, with the tool on the page
Every guide answers one real question and ends in a tool that runs on your device, so the job is done before you leave the page. Nothing is uploaded, ever.
216 guides, a new one every day · RSS
Make it smaller
- Make a PDF smaller, with the method that fits your fileMake a PDF smaller with the lever that fits your file: re-encode images, lower DPI, go grayscale or drop pages.The complete guide
- Compress a PDF offline: no upload, and no internet eitherCompress a PDF offline: use the tool once online, then it works with Wi-Fi off, and nothing is uploaded.
- Compress a PDF on Android without installing an appCompress a PDF on Android in Chrome: no app, no sign-up, nothing is uploaded.
- Compress a PDF on iPhone, free and in SafariCompress a PDF on iPhone in Safari: open the tool, pick the file from Files, save the smaller copy back.
- Compress a PDF on Mac: Preview's filter vs a real size targetCompress a PDF on Mac: Preview's Reduce File Size filter is free but shrinks pictures hard with no control.
- Compress a PDF on Windows without AdobeCompress a PDF on Windows 11 or 10 with no install and no Adobe: in your browser, free, nothing is uploaded.
- Compress a PDF to 1 MB (or 500 KB) for forms and uploadsCompress a PDF to 1 MB or 500 KB for forms, courses and applications.
- Compress a PDF to 100 KB or 200 KB, and pass the portal checkCompress a PDF to 100 KB or 200 KB for job, exam and government portals.
- Compress a PDF without losing quality: what is trueCompress a PDF without losing quality? Lossless tidying saves little; big savings re-encode images.
- Compress a presentation PDF full of photos, and export it smaller next timeA photo-heavy deck exported to PDF can top 40 MB.
- Compress a scanned PDF without wrecking the textCompress a scanned PDF on your device, free: 110 dpi takes a 17.6 MB 10-page scan to 1.7 MB with readable text.
- Compress a signed PDF without breaking the signatureCompressing a certificate-signed PDF invalidates the signature: any byte change does.
- Compress a very large PDF (100 MB and up) in your browserCompress a 100 MB or bigger PDF free, with no upload and no file-size cap: the limit is your device's memory, and a file too big is stopped before work starts.
- Compress many PDFs at once, a whole folder in 1 runCompress multiple PDFs in 1 run: drop a folder, set 1 preset or target, get every file back smaller with its new size.
- Email and messenger attachment size limits, in 1 tableEmail attachment size limits, checked October 2026: Gmail 25 MB, Outlook.com 25 MB, iCloud 20 MB, WhatsApp 2 GB.
- Grayscale a PDF to make it smaller, and know when it paysGrayscale a PDF to make it smaller: 5 colour phone photos drop from 15.2 MB to 5.4 MB on their own.
- How small can a PDF get? Realistic numbers by file typeHow small can a PDF get? A text page costs under 1 KB, a scanned page about 20 to 180 KB, a photo page 6 to 80 KB.
- PDF file sizes in KB and MB, explained with real filesKB, MB and bytes for PDF limits in plain words: 1 MB is 1,000 or 1,024 KB depending on who counts.
- PDF made from photos is too big: shrink it, and avoid it next timeA PDF from phone photos is huge because each photo keeps its full 12 MP.
- PDF size limits by portal type: visa, exam, job, courtPDF upload limits by portal type, checked October 2026: US and Canadian visa portals 4 to 5 MB a file, LinkedIn under 2 MB, exam forms less.
- PDF too big to email: what to do right nowPDF too big to email? Gmail and Outlook.com cap a message at 25 MB, work mail often less.
- PDF will not compress: why, and what works insteadA PDF that will not compress is usually text-only or already optimised.
- Reduce PDF DPI: what resolution your images needReduce PDF DPI to shrink the file: halving DPI cuts image pixels to a quarter.
- Resume PDF too big for the job portal: the 2-minute fixResume PDF too big for the portal? Design exports hide megabytes of images.
- Send a large PDF: compress it, split it, or share a linkSend a large PDF 3 ways: compress it under the limit on your device, split it into parts, or share a link.
- What size should a PDF be? Pick a target that fits where it goesWhat size should a PDF be? Match the destination: email under 10 MB, a portal under the number it states, archives as big as they need.
- Why is my PDF so big? Find what takes the spaceWhy is my PDF so big? Usually images: scans, photos and design exports.
- Why scanned PDFs are huge: the DPI and colour mathWhy are scanned PDFs so large? An A4 page at 300 DPI colour is 25 MB raw.
Pictures into PDF
- Pictures to PDF: every format, in the order you wantTurn pictures into a PDF: JPG, PNG, HEIC and WebP, in the order you choose, on A4, Letter or the image's own size.The complete guide
- A photo of a document as a PDF: when a picture is enough, and when to scanTurn a photo of a paper document into a PDF in your browser.
- A4, Letter or the picture's own size: picking the page for an image PDFPick the right page size when turning images into a PDF: A4 for Europe, Letter for the US, the picture's own size for screens.
- Assignment photos to 1 PDF on your phone, before the deadlineTurn photos of a handwritten assignment into 1 PDF on your phone: pages in order, readable, under the upload limit.
- Bulk convert images to PDF: hundreds of photos without crashing the tabConvert hundreds of images to one PDF without crashing the tab: what your device's memory allows, batch sizes that work, and when to merge in stages.
- Combine JPG and PDF into one file, every page where it belongsCombine images and PDFs into 1 document: turn the pictures into a PDF first, then merge everything in the order you need.
- Combine photos into one PDF, in the right order the first timeCombine photos into 1 PDF in the exact order you want: number the files 01, 02, 03 first, or move them in the list.
- Convert photos to PDF on Android, with no app and no adsConvert photos to PDF on Android in Chrome: pick from your gallery, set the order, save to Downloads.
- HEIC will not open on Windows? Make a PDF of the photos insteadWindows cannot open HEIC photos without the HEVC codec, 0.99 USD in the Microsoft Store.
- Image to PDF without losing quality: what actually touches your pixelsA JPG placed in a PDF can keep its exact bytes, so no quality is lost.
- iPhone photos to PDF, straight from Safari, no app to installTurn iPhone photos into a PDF in Safari: pick them from your library, set the order and page size, save to Files.
- JPG or PNG for a PDF: pick by what is in the pictureJPG or PNG before converting to PDF: JPG for photos, PNG for screenshots, text and logos.
- Make a PDF photo album anyone can open, in the order you tell itMake a photo album as 1 PDF: trip or family photos in order, 1 per page, landscape where the photo is.
- Margins for image PDFs: white space or edge to edge, chosen on purposeSet margins when converting images to PDF: none for screen reading, 10 mm for printing, 20 mm when pages get hole punched.
- Photos come out sideways in a PDF: why, and the fixPhotos turn sideways in a PDF when the camera stores rotation as a note the converter ignores.
- Photos to PDF on Windows 11: the built-in way and the browser wayConvert photos to PDF on Windows 11 for free: Microsoft Print to PDF from File Explorer, or the browser when you need your order, page size and margins.
- Receipts to PDF: a month of receipt photos as 1 file for the expense reportTurn a month of receipt photos into 1 tidy PDF for your expense report: date order, 1 receipt per page, readable totals.
- Save text messages as a PDF: ordered, dated and completeTurn chat screenshots into 1 PDF that reads as a record: full screens with dates, overlapping captures, page numbers.
- Screenshots to PDF: one clean file from many captures, text still sharpTurn screenshots into one PDF that reads like a document: right order, matching page size, text still sharp because PNG stays lossless.
- Transparent PNG to PDF: what happens to the clear backgroundPDF supports PNG transparency, so a logo can keep its clear background.
- WebP file won't open? Turn saved web images into a PDFImages saved from the web are often WebP, a format older programs and upload forms reject.
- WhatsApp images to 1 PDF, on your phoneTurn images from a WhatsApp chat into one PDF on your phone: save them, order them, convert in the browser.
PDF into pictures
- PDF to images: get JPG or PNG out of any PDFTurn PDF pages into JPG or PNG on your device: pick the format, set the DPI, convert only the pages you need.The complete guide
- A transparent PNG from a PDF: logos, stamps and signaturesMake a transparent PNG from a logo, stamp or signature in a PDF: crop to it, render as PNG with a clear background, check it on dark.
- Convert specific PDF pages to JPG, and skip the restConvert only certain PDF pages to JPG or PNG: type single pages or ranges like 2, 5-7 and skip the rest.
- Extract images from a PDF at original quality, or render the page?Pull the embedded photos out of a PDF at the quality they were stored, instead of screenshotting pages.
- Insert a PDF into an email body, so people see it without opening anythingShow a PDF inside the email itself: turn the page into an image, put it in the body, attach the PDF for printing.
- PDF to image DPI: 72, 150 or 300, and what each is forPick the right DPI for PDF to JPG or PNG: 72 for thumbnails, 150 for screens, 300 for print.
- PDF to JPG on iPhone and Android, in the browser, no appConvert PDF to JPG on an iPhone or Android phone in the browser, no app to install: steps for Safari and Chrome, and where the images land.
- PDF to JPG or PNG: which format to pick, with real sizesJPG is smaller for photo pages, PNG keeps text sharp and can be transparent.
- PDF to JPG without losing quality: the 3 things that decide itPDF to JPG quality depends on the DPI, the JPG quality setting and what is on the page.
- Post a PDF to Instagram or WhatsApp, as images people can readPost a PDF to Instagram or WhatsApp: crop the page to the app's shape, convert it to JPG at the right size, keep the text readable.
- Put a PDF page into PowerPoint or Word as a sharp picturePut a PDF page or chart into PowerPoint or Word as a picture: crop it, convert to PNG at 150 or 300 dpi, insert and size it so it stays sharp.
- Scanned PDF back to JPG: get the scans out as they were savedGet the pictures back out of a scanned PDF: extract the stored scans at full quality instead of re-drawing the pages, 1 image per page.
- The first page of a PDF as a cover thumbnail, sized rightTurn the first page of a PDF into a cover thumbnail for a website, shop or library: the pixel size, format and DPI per use, for many files at once.
- Turn a PDF into one long image, and when one image is the wrong ideaTurn a multi-page PDF into 1 image for chat or notes: convert the pages to JPG and stack them, or put several pages on 1 sheet.
PDF to Word and Excel
- PDF to Word, Excel and text: what converts, what breaks, and how to pickConvert PDF to Word, Excel, plain text, Markdown or CSV free in your browser.The complete guide
- A table across many PDF pages, into 1 clean Excel sheetTurn a table that spans many PDF pages into 1 Excel sheet: repeated headings and footers out, broken rows mended, the row count checked.
- Amounts and dates come out wrong in Excel: decimal commas and localesAmounts like 1.234,56 turn into text and 03/04 into the wrong date when Excel reads them in another locale.
- Bank statement to Excel, without uploading it anywhereTurn a bank statement PDF into an Excel sheet without uploading it anywhere: steps, amount checks, and what to do when the statement is a scanned image.
- Cannot select or copy text in a PDF: the 3 causes and their fixesText in a PDF will not select or copy for 1 of 3 reasons: a scan, a copy restriction, or a font that hides the letters.
- Contract PDF to Word for tracked changes, with the clause numbers checkedTurn a contract PDF into Word for tracked changes: convert on your device, clause numbers kept as printed, check tables and amounts, then redline and send.
- Convert a PDF to Word offline: no upload, and you can prove itConvert a PDF to Word with nothing uploaded: the converter runs in your browser and keeps working with Wi-Fi off.
- Convert a PDF to Word on your phone, with no app to installConvert a PDF to Word on iPhone or Android in the browser: no app, nothing uploaded.
- Convert a PDF to Word you can edit, not a page of stuck text boxesConvert a PDF to a Word file you can really edit: flowing paragraphs, Word headings, lists and tables, not stacked text boxes.
- Convert many PDFs to text at once, and catch the scans that come out emptyConvert multiple PDFs to text in one batch in your browser: a whole folder in, 1 .txt per PDF out, and how to spot the scanned files that come out empty.
- Copied PDF text breaks at the end of every line: 3 fixesText copied from a PDF breaks at the end of every line because a PDF stores lines, not paragraphs.
- Copy a table from a PDF without the columns collapsingCopy a table from a PDF into Excel or Word: why paste lands everything in 1 column, when splitting it works, and the 2-minute convert route when it does not.
- Get a table from a PDF into Google Sheets, with the numbers intactGet a table from a PDF into Google Sheets: convert it to .xlsx on your device, then File, Import.
- Get the text out of a PDF for translation, clean enough to quote and translateExtract text from a PDF for translation: a Word file with whole paragraphs, no page numbers or headers in the flow, and an honest word count for the quote.
- Invoice PDFs into Excel for bookkeeping, checked against the totalGet invoice line items from a PDF into Excel: amounts as numbers, a 1-minute check against the printed total, and when the e-invoice XML is the better source.
- Is the PDF a scan or real text? Check it before you convertCheck if a PDF is scanned or real text before converting: 1 minute shows text pages, scanned pages, fonts and copy rights, so you pick the right tool first.
- Leading zeros disappear in Excel: account, customer and phone numbers, fixedExcel turns 004711 into 4711 and card numbers into 4.11E+15 when it reads codes as numbers.
- PDF to CSV your accounting software actually importsTurn a PDF statement or invoice into a CSV your accounting software imports: convert on your device, tidy the rows, save as CSV UTF-8, check in a text editor.
- PDF to Excel puts text in the wrong columns: why, and the fixesPDF to Excel put everything in 1 column, or 2 columns in 1 cell? How converters find columns, the 4 layouts that defeat them, and a fix for each.
- PDF to Google Docs: the 2 ways that work, and which keeps your tablesOpen a PDF in Google Docs 2 ways: Drive's own import, or convert to Word first.
- PDF to Markdown for notes and AI tools: what carries over and what flattensConvert a PDF to Markdown for Obsidian, Notion or an AI assistant: headings, lists and tables carry over; columns and emphasis flatten.
- Retype or convert a PDF? The honest time mathSometimes retyping a PDF beats converting it: a short letter, a designed page, a tiny table.
- Text copied from a PDF comes out jumbled: why, and what fixes itCopy and paste from a PDF comes out jumbled: wrong order, gibberish or glued words.
- The converted Word file looks different: what changed, and the 5-minute fixesYour PDF to Word file looks different because page layout does not survive conversion.
Make a PDF
- Create a PDF from anything, free and on your deviceCreate a PDF from Word, Google Docs, a web page, an email or plain text.The complete guide
- Create a PDF/A when a court, archive or university demands oneCreate a PDF/A when a court, archive or university demands one: Word and LibreOffice export it free.
- Fillable Word form to PDF: why the fields stop workingExport a fillable Word form to PDF and the fields turn into flat text.
- Google Docs to PDF: margins, links and pages that holdDownload a Google Doc as a PDF with File, Download, PDF Document.
- Markdown to PDF: 3 routes that keep the formattingTurn Markdown into a PDF with the browser's print dialog, VS Code or pandoc.
- PDF or Word: which file to send, and when it mattersSend a PDF when layout, fonts and finality matter; send Word when the other side must edit.
- Print to PDF on a Mac: the PDF menu in every print dialogSave any document as a PDF on a Mac: Cmd+P, then the PDF menu, Save as PDF.
- Print to PDF on Windows 11, and bring it back when it is missingPrint to PDF on Windows 11 with Ctrl+P and Microsoft Print to PDF.
- Resume to PDF: why employers ask, and how to get it rightSave your resume as a PDF so fonts and layout hold on any screen and hiring software can read it.
- Save a PDF on an iPhone, from any app that can printMake a PDF on an iPhone without an app: Print, then Share and Save to Files.
- Save a PDF on Android from any app that can printSave as PDF on Android from Chrome or any app that can print: Share, Print, Save as PDF.
- Save a web page as a PDF you can actually readSave a web page as a readable PDF: reader view first, then print with Save as PDF and headers off.
- Save an email or a whole thread as a PDF, attachments includedSave an email or a whole thread as a PDF in Gmail or Outlook for records or disputes.
- Turn a .docx into a PDF when you do not have WordTurn a .docx into a PDF without Word: Word for the web, Google Docs, LibreOffice or Pages.
- TXT to PDF: plain text into a clean, printable fileConvert a .txt file to PDF free: print from Notepad, TextEdit or the browser, or paste into Word for nicer type.
- Word to PDF without Acrobat: Save a Copy, PDF, doneConvert Word to PDF with Word itself: Save a Copy, PDF.
Edit
- Edit a PDF: change text, images and layout, free in your browserHow to edit a PDF free in your browser: change the text in place, add images and notes, and save a file that opens right in Acrobat.The complete guide
- Add a blank page to a PDF, and write on it straight awayAdd a blank page anywhere in a PDF free, then type onto it: an addendum after page 3, a notes page, a cover sheet.
- Add a text box to a PDF, anywhere on the pageAdd a text box to a PDF free: click where the text goes, type, pick font, size and colour, save.
- Add an image or a logo to a PDF, without breaking the layoutAdd an image or logo to a PDF free: pick a PNG, JPG or WebP, click where it goes, drag and resize, save.
- Add notes and comments to a PDF without changing its textAdd sticky notes and comments to a PDF free: click the spot, type, save.
- Change the font, size or colour of text in a PDFChange the font, size or colour of existing PDF text free: select the line, restyle it, save.
- Convert a PDF to Word to edit it, or edit the PDF itself? How to chooseConverting a PDF to Word to edit it rebuilds the layout, and exporting back rebuilds it again.
- Cross out text in a PDF (and why that is not redaction)Cross out text in a PDF free: pick Strike, drag across the words, save.
- Delete, move or resize an image in a PDF, and keep the page looking rightDelete, move or resize an image in a PDF free: click the picture, press Delete or drag it.
- Draw on a PDF: shapes, arrows and lines that stay putDraw on a PDF free: rectangles, ellipses, lines, arrows and freehand, with colour, width and fill.
- Edit a PDF header or footer on every page, in 1 passFix a wrong header or footer on every page of a PDF in 1 pass with find and replace, free and on your device.
- Edit a PDF in another language or script: what works, what does notEdit PDF text in another language free: accents, Polish, Czech, Greek, Cyrillic and Vietnamese work.
- Edit a PDF in Chrome: what the built-in viewer does, and what it does notChrome's PDF viewer adds text, draws, highlights and fills forms, but cannot change the words already there.
- Edit a PDF offline: nothing uploads, and you can prove itEdit a PDF without uploading it: getPDF runs in your browser, on your device.
- Edit a PDF on a Mac without Acrobat: what Preview cannot doEdit a PDF on a Mac free: Preview marks up, signs and moves pages, but cannot change existing text.
- Edit a PDF on iPhone: when Preview's markup is not enoughEdit a PDF on iPhone free: Preview fills, signs and marks up, but has no way to retype words already there.
- Edit a PDF on your phone: the quick fix, in the browserEdit a PDF on your phone free: open getpdfs.app/edit in the browser, double-tap the line, fix it, save.
- Edit a PDF without Acrobat: the free way that really changes the textEdit a PDF without Acrobat: change the text itself, add text, pictures and marks, free in your browser.
- Edit a scanned PDF: change the words on a scan, then make it searchableA scanned PDF is a photo of text, so nothing selects.
- Find and replace text in a PDF, every page in one passFind and replace text across a whole PDF free: fix a name or date on every page in one pass, step through each hit first, and keep the text selectable after.
- Fix a typo in a PDF someone sent you, in under a minuteFix a typo in a PDF in under a minute: double-click the word, retype it, save.
- Highlight and comment on a PDF for review, and hand back clear feedbackHighlight, underline, strike and comment on a PDF free in your browser.
- Make a PDF editable: find out which of 4 blockers you haveA PDF refuses edits because it is a scan, locked, flattened or drawn as outlines.
- Move, resize and line up text and objects in a PDFMove text in a PDF free: drag lines, pictures and shapes, nudge with arrow keys, snap to edges, line up several at once.
- Remove text from a PDF properly, so it is gone and not just hiddenRemove text from a PDF so it is really gone from the page and the file, not hidden under a box.
- Undo PDF edits: what the history keeps, and where it stopsEvery edit in getPDF is a step you can undo, from a retyped word to a deleted page, for as long as the file is open.
- White out a PDF, or edit it for real? What each leaves in the fileWhite out text in a PDF or edit it for real? The white box leaves the old text underneath.
- Why the font changes when you edit a PDF, and how to keep it closeThe font changes after you edit a PDF when the file lacks the letters you typed.
Sign and fill
- Sign and fill a PDF, free and on your deviceSign and fill any PDF free: draw, type or upload a signature, fill every field type, flatten on save.The complete guide
- Add initials to every page of a lease, without drawing them 12 timesInitial every page of a lease without drawing 12 times: make your initials once, copy them to each page in the same spot, sign the last page.
- Are typed and drawn signatures legally valid? eIDAS and ESIGN in plain wordsAre electronic signatures legal? Typed and drawn ones are valid for most contracts under eIDAS in the EU and ESIGN and UETA in the US.
- Check a box in a PDF form, and handle radio buttons and dropdownsTick checkboxes, pick radio options and choose from dropdowns in a PDF form, free and on your device.
- Dates on PDF forms: the format each form expects03/04/2026 is March in the US and April in most of Europe.
- Draw, type or upload a signature: which one to pickDraw, type or upload a signature? Same legal weight for everyday documents, different look and effort.
- Edit a filled PDF form: fix a wrong answer the right wayTypo in a filled PDF form? Live fields retype in a click.
- Fill a long PDF form without losing your answersFill a 10-page PDF form without losing a single answer: fill in rounds, save to the file itself, reopen and continue any day.
- Fill a PDF form on your phone, no app neededFill a PDF form on your phone free: tap each field, type, tick the boxes, save the file locally.
- Fill a PDF form that has no fields, neatly and for freeForm lines that will not take a click? Add text on each line, match the size, put an X in each box, save.
- Fill out a W-9 as a PDF, free, without your tax number leaving your deviceFill out a W-9 free without uploading your tax number: the IRS PDF has real fields.
- Filled PDF form shows blank? Your answers are usually still in the fileYour filled PDF opens empty on their side? The answers are usually still in the file.
- Flatten a filled PDF form so the answers stay putFlatten a filled PDF form free: answers, ticks and marks become fixed page content nobody can click or retype.
- Got a Word form but they want a signed PDF back? The clean wayGot a Word form but they want a signed PDF back? Fill it, export it to PDF, sign it on the line, check it, send.
- Make a signature image from paper, with the paper made see-throughTurn your paper signature into a clean image: sign with a dark pen, photograph it, upload it and the pad makes the paper see-through.
- Multiple signatures on one PDF, in the right orderTwo or more signers on one PDF: the order that works, why only the last signer flattens, and the email chain that keeps every signature intact.
- PDF says "Please wait"? It is an XFA form, and here is how to fill it"Please wait...
- Qualified and certificate signatures: when a drawn one is not enoughWhen a drawn signature is not enough: what a qualified electronic signature is, who demands one, where to get it, and what getPDF does not do.
- Reuse your signature across documents, the same every timeSave a signature for PDFs the private way: keep 1 signature picture or type the same name, and it is identical on every document.
- Send a PDF to someone to sign, free: the email round trip that worksNo upload means no signature-request service: here is the email round trip that works instead, step by step, and when DocuSign-style tracking is worth it.
- Send a signed PDF back the right way: the 2-minute checklistSigned the PDF? Flatten it, name it so they find it, check the size fits their inbox, reply in the same thread, keep your copy.
- Sign a PDF on your phone, with a finger and no appSign a PDF on your phone in the browser: open the file, draw your signature with a finger, place it, save and send it back.
- Sign a PDF without Adobe: the free options, compared honestlyYou do not need Acrobat to sign a PDF.
- Sign a PDF without printing and scanning itSign a PDF without printing: draw or type your signature, place it on the line, save.
Pages in order
- Organise PDF pages: merge, split, reorder and stamp, all in one placeMerge, split, reorder, rotate, delete and number PDF pages free, with no file limits.The complete guide
- Add a cover page to a PDF, from a PDF or a pictureAdd a cover page to the front of a PDF, from another PDF or a designed image, or put divider pages anywhere.
- Add a DRAFT watermark to a PDF, one that shows on screen and on paperAdd a DRAFT or CONFIDENTIAL watermark to a PDF that shows on screen and on paper.
- Add a header and footer to every page of a PDFAdd a header or footer to a PDF: a title, a date, the file name or a case number on every page, with page numbers if you like.
- Add a page 1 of 12 header or footer to a PDFAdd a page 1 of 12 header or footer to every PDF page, with the total counted for you.
- Add page numbers that skip the cover pageAdd page numbers to a PDF that skip the cover, start at any number and sit where you want.
- Batch process PDF files: run 1 tool over a whole folder at onceRun a PDF tool over a whole folder at once: rotate, compress, stamp or convert 40 files in 1 go.
- Combine PDF files without Acrobat, on Windows or MacCombine PDF files without Acrobat or any install: free in your browser on Windows and Mac, no file limits, and nothing is uploaded to any server.
- Combine phone scans and desktop files into 1 clean PDFCombine phone scans, photos and desktop PDFs into one clean document in your browser.
- Delete PDF pages without losing bookmarks and linksDelete pages from a PDF and keep its bookmarks, links and form fields working.
- Merge odd and even pages from 2 scan passes into 1 PDF in reading orderScanned the fronts, then the backs? Interleave odd and even pages into one PDF in the right order, even when the backs are reversed.
- Merge PDF files on your phone, no app neededMerge PDF files on an iPhone or Android phone in the browser, with no app to install.
- Merge PDFs in order, the right order on the first tryMerge 20 or 100 PDFs in the exact order you want: number the names, drop the folder, fix the rest with Up and Down.
- Merge PDFs with different page sizes, and decide whether to make them matchMerge A4, Letter and phone photo PDFs into 1 file, keep each page's size or resize them all to A4.
- Merged PDF too big? Find the heavy part and shrink itA merged PDF is the sum of its parts: every scan, photo and font comes along.
- Move pages from one PDF into another, and leave the first file untouchedMove or copy pages from one PDF into another: extract the pages, merge them in, put them in place.
- Remove blank pages from a scanned PDF, and keep the ones that only look blankRemove blank pages from a scanned PDF in 1 click: 3 settings for clean and dusty scans, a list of what was taken out.
- Rotate 2 sideways pages in a 50-page scan, leave the rest aloneRotate individual PDF pages and save the fix so it sticks in every viewer.
- Rotated a PDF but it opens sideways again? Make the rotation stickYour PDF opens sideways again because the viewer only rotated the view.
- Send only pages 3 to 7 of a contract: extract, do not splitExtract just the pages you need from a PDF and send a small, tidy file.
- Split a long PDF into chapters, by page rangesSplit a long PDF into chapters by typing page ranges, one file per chapter, zipped in one download.
- Split a PDF into separate pages, 1 file per page, named in orderSplit a PDF into separate pages, one file per page, numbered so they sort and zipped for you.
- Stamp PAID on an invoice PDF, on 1 invoice or a month's worthStamp PAID, RECEIVED or any text on an invoice PDF, on 1 page or all of them, 1 invoice or 40.
- The scanner fed the stack backwards: reverse PDF page orderReverse the page order of a PDF in 1 click when a scanner feeds the stack backwards.
Privacy and protection
- PDF privacy and protection: the complete guideWhat a PDF password really protects, how true redaction works, what metadata leaks, and how to send files safely.The complete guide
- A PDF will not let you print or copy: the cause and the fixThat block is an owner-password permission flag, not encryption.
- Anonymise a PDF for blind review or screening, every trace in orderBlind review means no names in the text, no author metadata and no revealing file name.
- Can a PDF contain a virus? The real risk, and how to open one safelyYes, through scripts, launch actions and viewer exploits, though rarely.
- Clean a PDF before publishing it: the 7-step pass for hidden leftoversMetadata, comments, bookmarks, attachments, old form data, earlier versions: the 7-step pass that catches what a visual check misses before a PDF goes public.
- Fake PDF converter sites: 6 signs to spot them before you clickA fake PDF converter pushes .exe downloads, extensions and malware.
- Find personal data in a PDF before you share itIBANs, card numbers, emails and phone numbers hide in footers and tables.
- Forgot your PDF password? What is actually possibleThe honest answer: a current AES-256 PDF with a strong password stays shut.
- GDPR and online PDF tools: what is allowed at work, in plain wordsGDPR and online PDF tools: uploading a client PDF to a converter is processing personal data.
- Hidden pages, layers and attachments in a PDF: what can hide, and how to find itA PDF can carry attached files, invisible layers, earlier versions and pages no viewer shows.
- How strong is PDF encryption? AES-256, older schemes and the passwordAES-256 in current PDFs cannot be broken by trying keys; the password is the weak point.
- Is it safe to upload a PDF to an online converter? The honest answerUsually, but you cannot check it from the homepage.
- Online PDF tools at work: a rule you can defendA workable rule for online PDF tools at work: what never goes to a converter, what may, and a 4-line policy IT can adopt.
- Password protect a PDF before emailing it, and send the password the right wayAdd an AES-256 password to a PDF in your browser, free, nothing uploaded.
- Password protect a PDF without Acrobat: 5 free ways compared5 free ways to password protect a PDF without Acrobat: getPDF in the browser, Mac Preview, LibreOffice, Word and 7-Zip, compared by cipher, effort and catch.
- PDF redaction failures that made the news, and how each one happenedThe 2005 Calipari report, the 2011 UK submarine papers, the 2019 Manafort filing: how each redaction failed, and the 30-second check that catches it.
- PDF user password vs owner password: what each one really protectsA user password encrypts a PDF; an owner password only asks viewers to obey its limits.
- Prove a PDF tool is local: the Wi-Fi off test, and what the network panel showsPDF tools without uploading: turn Wi-Fi off and a truly local tool keeps working.
- Redact a bank statement before you share it, and keep what they needLandlords and visa offices need your name, dates and balance, not your card number and every purchase.
- Redact a PDF properly: remove the text, never just cover itA black rectangle hides nothing: the text underneath still copies out.
- Redact a scanned PDF: remove the pixels, not just add a boxA scan is a picture, and a drawn black box is a second object anyone can delete.
- Remove a password from a PDF you own, in your browserType the password once, save an unlocked copy of your PDF, done.
- Remove the author name from a PDF, from both places it hidesYour name rides along in the file properties and in XMP.
- Restrict PDF editing and printing, and know what it really stopsSet owner-password permissions to discourage editing, printing and copying a PDF, free in your browser.
- Send a confidential PDF by email: 6 options, ranked by what they protect6 realistic ways to send a confidential PDF by email, from a password sent by text to an expiring link, ranked by what each protects against and the effort.
- What flattening a PDF does, and what it never protectedFlattening turns form fields and annotations into fixed page content.
- What the metadata in your PDFs reveals, and how to remove itAuthor names, employers, software versions, edit dates: the metadata a typical PDF carries, how to read yours in 10 seconds, and how to remove it all.
Scans and OCR
- Make a scanned PDF searchable, without changing how it looksOCR a scanned PDF on your device: free, no account, nothing is uploaded.The complete guide
- Handwriting and OCR: what works, what fails, and what to use insteadHandwriting OCR mostly fails and this guide says so up front: what print OCR can read, where block capitals get to, and the honest alternatives that work.
When PDFs misbehave
Print it right
- Print a PDF right: the settings and the file fixesHow to print any PDF well: booklets, slides per sheet, A4 and Letter, grayscale, scaling explained.The complete guide
- Print a PDF as a booklet you can fold and stapleTurn any PDF into a fold-and-staple booklet: the page order trick explained, the duplex setting that matters, free in your browser, nothing is uploaded.