Guides to working with PDFs privately
Short, practical guides to common PDF jobs, written from how the tools on this site work. Each one gives the steps, says what the tool does not do, and tells you how to check the result.
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How-to guides
How to check if a website uploads your fileUse the Network tab to see whether a tool sends your file anywhere. Five minutes, no software.
How to merge PDF files without uploading themJoin files in your browser, in the order you choose, and know what is kept and what is lost.
How to compress a PDF for emailPick the right compression level, understand why some files do not shrink, and what to try next.
How to compress a PDF to a specific sizeGet under a limit such as 2 MB or 200 KB, with measured results for a scan, a brochure and a text file.
How to redact a PDF properlyWhy a black box is not enough, how to delete the text underneath, and how to confirm it is gone.
Can a redacted PDF be unredacted?The ways a redacted PDF gives its secrets away, and how to check a file before you send it.
How to make a scanned PDF searchableWhy a scan cannot be searched, and how to add a text layer with OCR on your own device.
How to password protect a PDFEncrypt a PDF on your own device, and understand what the password and the permission settings do.
How PDF tools work in a browser without uploading anythingThe engineering behind this site: libraries, encryption, redaction, OCR, and the limits of a browser.
How to fill out a PDF that is not fillableType answers onto a scanned or flattened form that has no fields, then date and sign it.
PDF to JPG or PNG: which one to chooseMeasured sizes for text, photos and scans, and when to extract the original pictures instead.
How to remove metadata from a PDFClear the title, author and XMP data, and know which details stay behind.
Split or extract PDF pages: which tool to usePick the right tool for single pages, chosen pages or ranges, and avoid the page-number traps.
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