Calculator
What the Flatten PDF does
Flatten PDF: burns filled form fields into the page content so they can no longer be edited, and optionally removes annotations such as comments and highlights. Everything runs in your browser and the file is never uploaded.
Pick a file and the Flatten PDF calculates it right here in the page. Everything runs on your own device, which means no waiting and no copy left on a server.
Typical users are readers assembling paperwork. Keeping the file on your own machine removes the question of who else can read it.
Nothing leaves the tab. You can watch your browser network panel while you use it and see for yourself.
Everything needed to verify a result is further down: the fields, the method and one fully worked example.
What do the Flatten PDF fields mean?
The Flatten PDF uses 2 inputs. Nothing is blank on load, so you can see the shape of the answer before supplying your own figures.
| Field | What to enter | Default |
|---|---|---|
| PDF File | stays on your device | none |
| Also remove annotations (comments, highlights, links) | choose from No, keep them or Yes, remove them | No, keep them |
How does the Flatten PDF work?
Each output is derived from the inputs above in a single pass; there is no hidden state carried between runs, so the same inputs always give the same calculation.
An empty or malformed field stops the calculation rather than being treated as zero.
What a typical run looks like
You provide: PDF File and Also remove annotations (comments, highlights, links)
What happens: the file is read into memory by your browser, processed locally, and offered back as a download. It is never uploaded.
You get back: the output file, and a status line reporting what the tool read and wrote.
A fast machine finishes sooner than a slow one, and the only ceiling on file size is the memory available to the page.
Read next: How PDF Compression Actually Works
How to use it
- Choose your file under PDF File, or drag it onto the drop area.
- Pick a value for Also remove annotations (comments, highlights, links): the options are No, keep them or Yes, remove them.
- Press Flatten.
- Read Status, Form fields flattened, Annotations removed and Pages in the results panel.
- Print gives a tidy version without the navigation, which is handy for attaching to a file.
What this tool does not do
- Encrypted or password-protected files must be unlocked before they can be processed.
- Very large documents are limited by your device's available memory, not by a server quota.
- Where a standard has revisions, the version used is the one named in the method section.
- Performance scales with your own hardware, since no server does the work.
Frequently asked questions
Just PDF File and Also remove annotations (comments, highlights, links). Nothing starts empty, so the form is usable immediately, without filling anything in first.
No. The file is read by your browser and processed inside the page. It is never sent to us, which is also why it keeps working offline once loaded.
No payment and no login. Advertising covers the running costs.
There is no estimation step. The result is computed, not inferred.