Flatten PDF
Merge annotations and form fields into static page content.
Choose PDF file
or drop it anywhere on this page
PDF
Processed on your device — never uploaded
How to flatten pdf
- Open a PDF with filled form fields or annotations.
- Choose whether to flatten everything, only form fields, or only annotations.
- Download the flattened PDF.
About this tool
A PDF with form fields and annotations is a living document. Flattening is the act of declaring it finished: every editable element is baked into the static page content, and the result is a plain, self-contained PDF that requires no special rendering support.
This is the right last step before archiving a completed form, sending a signed copy to a counterparty, or delivering a document to a system that may not render interactive elements correctly. It is not reversible, so it is also a commitment.
Questions
Why would I want to flatten a PDF?
Several reasons: archiving a completed form as a static record, preventing recipients from clearing or changing field values, ensuring the document renders consistently in viewers that handle annotations differently, and reducing file complexity. Flattened PDFs are also easier to print correctly because they have no interactive elements that could confuse a print driver.
Can flattening be undone?
No. Once annotations and fields are merged into the content stream, they are indistinguishable from original page content. Keep the original if you might need to modify fields later.
Does flattening affect signatures?
Flattening a cryptographic digital signature destroys its validity — the signature covers the original document content, and flattening changes that content. Visual drawn signatures placed with the Sign tool are not cryptographic, so they survive flattening fine.