Make your documents harder to edit
Flattening a PDF turns each page into an image. Form fields, text and signatures stop being editable objects, which makes the document harder to alter.
Note that it doesn't add a password and that an OCR program could read the content again.
How to flatten a PDF, step by step
- 1
Select the PDF.
- 2
Press Flatten.
- 3
Download the flattened PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Does this add a password to the PDF?
No. It only turns pages into images. To add a password, use Password Protect PDF.
Can I use it to lock a filled-in form?
Yes. Flattening a completed form fixes the answers so they can't easily be changed.
Will the file get bigger?
It can, if the original was text only. Compress it afterwards if needed.