Flatten a PDF form

How it works

1. Drop the filled form onto the box.
2. Press Flatten and save.
3. In the downloaded PDF the fields are gone and their values are drawn on the page, which is what you want before sending it on.

Frequently asked questions

Is a flattened PDF protected?

No, and it is often sold as if it were. Flattening stops the fields being fields — nobody opens your form and types over an answer. The words are still text on the page, so they can be selected, copied and, with an editor, changed. If you need it locked, add a password with Protect PDF; if something must be gone, use Redact PDF.

Why did my answers disappear in another reader before I flattened it?

Because some tools fill a field's value without drawing its appearance, and a reader that does not build appearances itself shows an empty box. Flattening here draws each field first, then flattens, so what you see is what everyone sees.

What happens to checkboxes and signatures?

A ticked box stays ticked and a drawn signature stays where it was — both become part of the page. A digital signature that cryptographically signs the document is a different thing: flattening changes the file, so such a signature will report that the document has been altered.

It says there is nothing to flatten.

Then the file has no form fields. If someone typed on it with a tool that stamps the text straight onto the page — Fill and sign here does that — the writing is already part of the page and there is nothing left to do.

Is my PDF uploaded?

No. The file is read and rewritten in your browser. Free PDFs end with a small “Made with nouplo.com” line; Pro removes it, along with the limits of 20 MB per file and 10 runs per day.