About the Flatten PDF
Flatten a PDF so that filled-in forms, comments, highlights and stamps become a fixed part of the page. The document looks exactly the same, but nobody can change the answers, untick a box or delete a note any more.
It's the step to take before sending a signed form, archiving a contract or printing a reviewed draft. The file is processed on your device and never uploaded.
How it works
A form field is an interactive box placed over the page. Flattening draws each field's current appearance into the page itself and removes the box, so what was typed stays visible as ordinary page content.
Comments, highlights, stamps and drawings are flattened the same way: each one's saved appearance is drawn onto the page exactly where it was. Hidden annotations and the pop-up windows of notes aren't printed, so they're removed. A note that has no saved appearance can't be drawn and is removed too; the result tells you how many.
Links stay clickable unless you choose to flatten them as well.
Assumptions and limits
- Password-protected PDFs need the password removed first.
- If a form field has no saved appearance, one is drawn from its value so the text still shows.
- Flattening can't be undone in the new file; keep the original if you may need to edit it again.
Worked examples
A signed application form
Fill in the form, sign it, then flatten it before emailing: the recipient sees your answers but can't edit them by accident.
A reviewed contract
Flatten the comments and highlights from a review so everyone receives the same marked-up copy, which also prints exactly as shown.
Forms that print blank
Some printers and viewers leave form fields empty. A flattened copy prints the values because they are now part of the page.
How to use the Flatten PDF
- Choose the PDF. Forms, comments or both.
- Pick what to flatten. Fields, annotations, links.
- Download. The same look, no longer editable.
Frequently asked questions
What does flattening a PDF mean?
It turns interactive parts such as form fields and comments into ordinary page content. Everything looks the same, but the values can no longer be edited, ticked, moved or deleted in a PDF reader.
Will my form answers still be visible?
Yes. Each field is drawn exactly as it currently appears, including the text you typed and ticked boxes. If a field has no saved look, its value is drawn so the answer still shows.
Can I flatten only the form fields?
Yes. Untick comments and highlights to flatten just the form fields, or untick form fields to flatten only the annotations. Links can stay clickable either way, which is the default setting.
Is flattening the same as securing a PDF?
Not quite. It stops casual editing in normal readers, but someone with editing software could still change the page content. To control who can open or edit the file, add a password with Protect PDF.
Why were some annotations removed?
Hidden annotations and note pop-ups never appear on the printed page, and some notes have no saved appearance to draw. These are removed rather than flattened, and the result shows how many there were.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. What you enter or upload stays on your device and is never sent to our servers.