Flatten PDF.
Filled in, and staying that way.
A filled form is still editable: the values sit in fields that anyone can change or reset. Flattening draws them onto the page and removes the fields, so what you send is what they see.
Drop a PDF here
or click to choose a file
At a glance
- Price
- Free
- Account
- Not needed
- Where it runs
- Your browser
- Effect
- Form values drawn on, fields removed
- Not
- Encryption or a signature
- Retention
- Nothing is uploaded
How to flatten a PDF form
- 1Drop in the filled PDF form.
- 2Check how many fillable fields it reports.
- 3Press Flatten and download.
- 4Open the result and confirm the values are drawn on and no longer editable.
Why flatten at all
Form fields are live. Someone can click into a date, change it, and send it on, and the file will not say anything happened. Readers also disagree about how they render fields, so a form that looks right on your screen can print with values clipped or missing. Flattening removes both problems by making the values part of the page.
Flattening is not locking
A flat PDF cannot be edited by clicking a field, because there are no fields left. It can still be edited by anyone with a PDF editor, the same as any other document. If you need proof the file has not changed since you sent it, sign it rather than flatten it.
Flatten PDF: common questions
What does flattening a PDF do?
It draws the current value of each form field onto the page as ordinary content and removes the field. The document looks the same and is no longer fillable.
Does flattening stop the PDF being edited?
It stops it being edited as a form. Someone with a PDF editor can still change the page, as they could with any document. For tamper evidence you want an electronic signature.
Will I lose my answers?
No. The values you filled in are exactly what gets drawn onto the page. What you lose is the ability to change them afterwards.
Is the form uploaded anywhere?
No. Flattening happens in your browser, which matters because filled forms usually contain personal details.
What if some fields will not flatten?
A few documents use field types or appearances that cannot be drawn reliably, and the tool will say so rather than produce a wrong file. Printing to PDF from your reader is the usual fallback.
Need this inside your own app?
The same engine runs behind the html4pdf API: post HTML, a URL or a JSON template and get a PDF back in the same request. Nothing is stored on our side. New accounts get 10 free credits.