Flatten PDF File on Windows

Flattening a PDF is ideal for finalizing documents, as it locks elements like images, watermarks, signatures, and annotations, preventing others from copying or editing them. This is especially useful for sharing and archiving important documents without risking accidental changes. Follow this guide to learn how to easily flatten your PDFs on Windows using UPDF.

Users interested in watching video guides can view the video below.

Start by opening the PDF in the editor and proceed to the right-hand panel to find the "Save as Other" button.

From the menu, click the "Save as Flatten" button to continue to the next pop-up. It will display three different options for selecting.

Flatten Annotations and Forms

If you go for this option, this flattens all the form fields and annotations of the PDF. This can save you from letting other users edit the information or copy it.

Flatten Watermarks

This option will disallow users to edit, copy, or delete the watermark from the PDF documents.

Flatten Cropped Pages

After cropping the PDFs, flattening the file with this option will prevent others from accessing and recovering the cropped content.

With any of the options selected, click "Save As" and continue on the next pop-up to save the name and location of the new PDF file. On setting these details, select "Save" to completely flatten your PDF.