Send a completed form
Stop the recipient from accidentally changing the answers on an official or registration form.
Flatten PDF
Turn form answers into permanent text, or freeze every page as an image so it looks the same everywhere. Processed locally in your browser.
- Export
Your files are processed locally in your browser and are never sent to our servers.
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Recommended size: up to 100 MB
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How does this tool work?
Flattening a PDF freezes its interactive content so it can no longer be changed by accident: answers typed into a form become permanent text, and in visual mode the whole document becomes a plain image of its pages. It helps before sending a completed form, archiving a stable version or sharing a document that must look identical everywhere. Processing happens in your browser.
Form fields mode turns each field (text, checkbox, list) into page content showing its current value, then removes the interactive form. The rest of the document is kept as it is: text stays selectable and quality does not change. A PDF without a form is simply saved again.
Full visual - rasterize mode redraws each page as a JPEG image at a scale of 1.2 (about 86 dots per inch, or 714 × 1,010 pixels for an A4 page) with the visual quality you choose, from 40 to 95% (80% by default). Everything visible is frozen, including comments and stamps; in return, text is no longer selectable.
Choose the first mode for a form you are sending, the second when the appearance must be identical everywhere and nobody needs to reuse the text.
How to use this tool
Import the PDF
Choose the completed form or the document to freeze.
Choose the mode
Form fields to keep a light, readable document, Full visual to freeze everything as images; then set the quality.
Download the flattened version
Open it and check that the values entered appear and can no longer be edited.
Use cases
Archive a frozen version
Keep a document whose appearance no longer depends on the PDF reader used.
Make printing reliable
Avoid a field or annotation printing differently from one application to another.
Examples
Completed registration form
The form can no longer be edited, but the rest of the text stays selectable and the file size barely changes. In Full visual mode, the same A4 page would become a 714 × 1,010-pixel image.
Input
2-page form with 12 filled fields, Form fields modeResult
2-page PDF with no interactive field; the 12 answers display as textTips and best practices
- Fill in and check every value before flattening: the operation cannot be undone in the resulting file.
- To fill in and freeze in one step, Fill a PDF form also offers to make the fields non-editable.
- In visual mode, 80% quality is a good compromise; go up to 90% for small print.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the two modes?
Form fields only freezes the fields and leaves everything else intact; Full visual turns each page into an image and freezes absolutely everything, at the cost of selectable text.
Are the values entered kept?
Yes. They are written onto the page exactly as they appear at the time of flattening.
Can I undo flattening?
Not in the resulting file: the interactive form no longer exists. Keep a copy of the original if you need to change it later.
What happens to a PDF without a form in Form fields mode?
It is saved again with no visible change. Use Full visual mode if you want to freeze something other than fields.
Does visual mode reduce file size?
Sometimes, for documents heavy in vector elements; often not for plain text. To cut the size, Compress PDF is better suited.
Is my form sent to an online service?
No. Your browser performs the flattening; your answers stay on your device.
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