Remove blank pages from a PDF

How it works

1. Drop the scanned PDF onto the box. Every page appears as a thumbnail.
2. Press Find blank pages. Each page is rendered and checked, and the ones that are practically empty are switched off. If it finds none, it says so and nothing changes.
3. Look through the thumbnails. The pages it switched off are still there, crossed out; click any one to keep it after all, and click a page it missed to drop that one too.
4. Press Save without blank pages to download a PDF with only the pages that are still on.

Frequently asked questions

How does it decide a page is blank?

It renders the page and counts the pixels that are darker than paper. If fewer than 0.2% of them are, the page counts as blank. The test is a share of dark pixels rather than an exact colour, because a scan is never pure white: grey paper, a shadow along the spine and scanner speckle all still pass.

Why is it useful for duplex scans?

A double-sided scanner reads the back of every sheet whether or not anything is printed on it, so a one-sided stack comes out with an empty page between each real one. That is exactly what this finds.

Could it switch off a page I need?

It can, which is why nothing is deleted. A page with only a faint pencil note, a pale signature or a few words in the corner may fall under the threshold. The pages stay visible and crossed out, so look through them and click any you want back before saving.

Does it handle a scan with a grey or coloured background?

Usually. Only pixels clearly darker than paper are counted, so an even grey tint or a slight yellow cast still reads as blank. A page with a dark background, a full-page border or heavy speckle from a dirty scanner glass will not, and you can switch those off by hand.

How long does it take?

Each page is rendered at a small size and checked one after another, so a long document takes a few seconds. The button is disabled while it works.

Is my PDF uploaded?

No. The pages are rendered, checked and rewritten in your browser. The free plan allows 20 MB per file and 10 runs a day, and free PDFs end with a small “Made with nouplo.com” line; Pro removes both.