Flattening runs locally in your browser using pdf-lib (vector form flattening) and PDF.js (page rendering). Files are not uploaded. Two modes: Keep forms as real text preserves searchable vector text; Lock in everything on the page rasterizes pages to bake in markup. Digital signatures are not preserved. XFA forms are not supported.
Lock fillable form fields or bake in comments and highlights—two modes, up to 50 MB, entirely in your browser. No upload, no account. Keep a backup; flattening cannot be undone.
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Flattening locks interactive content so it cannot be edited. This tool offers two modes: keep fillable forms as real text (vector), or bake in everything on the page including comments and highlights (raster). Processing runs in your browser — no upload.
A **flattened PDF** is one where interactive elements are locked into the page. Fillable form fields become fixed text; comments, highlights, and stamps can be baked in so they print and display consistently.
This tool provides **two modes**:
1. **Keep forms as real text** — uses pdf-lib to flatten AcroForm fields in place. Text stays searchable and selectable. Comments and highlights are **not** removed.
2. **Lock in everything on the page** — renders each page with PDF.js, encodes as JPEG, and rebuilds the PDF with pdf-lib. Comments, highlights, and stamps are baked in. Text is **not** selectable — similar to printing to PDF.
All processing runs locally in your browser. Files are not uploaded to any server. Maximum file size is 50 MB. Flattening is **irreversible** — keep a backup of the original.
Concise answers for common searches — definitions, steps, and comparisons.
Flattening locks interactive content into the page so it cannot be edited. Fillable form fields become fixed text; comments and highlights can be baked in depending on the mode you choose.
Keep forms as real text uses pdf-lib to lock AcroForm fields while keeping text searchable — comments and highlights stay editable. Lock in everything on the page renders each page with PDF.js and rebuilds the PDF as images, baking in all markup — similar to Print to PDF.
Upload your PDF, review the file check, choose a mode, then click Lock PDF and download the result.
In Keep forms as real text mode, yes — only form interactivity is removed. In Lock in everything on the page mode, no — pages are rasterized and text behaves like a scanned or printed PDF.
Keep forms as real text is more precise for fillable forms — it locks field values without rasterizing the page. Lock in everything on the page is similar to Print to PDF: the page becomes an image, so text is not selectable but all visible markup is baked in.
No. Flattening runs entirely in your browser using pdf-lib and PDF.js. Your file is read from memory on your device and never sent to a server.
Maximum file size is 50 MB. Lock in everything on the page caps at 40 pages on mobile and 80 on desktop. Digital signatures are not preserved. XFA forms are not supported. Flattening is irreversible — keep a backup.
Drag and drop or click to select a PDF (up to 50 MB). The file stays on your device — nothing is uploaded to a server.
The tool scans your PDF for fillable forms, comments, highlights, and stamps. It shows counts and recommends a mode. Read any warnings before continuing.
Select Keep forms as real text to lock form field values while keeping text searchable (comments stay). Or select Lock in everything on the page to bake in all markup — choose Balanced (recommended) or Smaller file for raster output.
Click Lock PDF. Forms mode uses pdf-lib vector flattening. Lock-everything mode renders each page with PDF.js and rebuilds the PDF. Processing time depends on page count and mode.
Save the result to your device. Verify form values, comments, or highlights as needed. Keep your original file as a backup — flattening is irreversible.
Common real-world scenarios where this tool saves time.
Lock fillable job applications, government forms, and contracts so field values cannot be edited, while keeping text searchable in forms mode.
Bake in comments, highlights, and stamps before sharing a reviewed PDF with clients or stakeholders who should see markup permanently.
Use Lock in everything on the page with the Balanced preset so on-screen markup prints exactly as displayed.
Create a non-interactive archive copy of filled forms while keeping the original editable version as a backup.
Step-by-step chains that connect related tools for common tasks.
You completed a PDF job application with fillable fields and need to submit a non-editable version with searchable text.
A colleague added comments and highlights to a PDF and you need them permanently visible when shared.
A signed-off contract PDF has stamps and highlights that must print exactly as shown on screen.
Input
job-application-filled.pdf — 4 pages, 12 AcroForm fields (name, address, experience). Mode: Keep forms as real text.Output
job-application-filled-flattened.pdf — same 4 pages, fields locked as fixed text, text still searchable and selectable.Use Keep forms as real text when you need to submit a completed form that cannot be edited but must stay searchable. pdf-lib flattens AcroForm fields in place without rasterizing the page. Comments and highlights are not removed in this mode — only form interactivity is locked.
Input
contract-review.pdf — 18 pages, 8 comments and 3 highlights. Mode: Lock in everything on the page. Preset: Balanced.Output
contract-review-flattened.pdf — 18 image-based pages with comments, highlights, and stamps baked into each page.Use Lock in everything on the page when markup must print and display exactly as shown on screen. PDF.js renders each page to JPEG and pdf-lib rebuilds the PDF. Text is no longer selectable — similar to Print to PDF. Choose Balanced for most documents or Smaller file if download size matters.
Input
tax-return-signed.pdf — fillable fields + digital signature. Workflow: keep original; flatten a duplicate with Keep forms as real text.Output
tax-return-flattened-copy.pdf — field values locked; digital signature invalidated on the copy only.Flattening modifies PDF structure and invalidates digital signatures. Always keep the original signed file as your official record. Flatten a duplicate when you need locked field values for a secondary submission — expect the signature to be removed or invalidated on the copy.
Input
design-feedback.pdf — 6 pages, 0 form fields, 14 annotations (comments + highlights). Mode: Lock in everything on the page. Preset: Smaller file.Output
design-feedback-flattened.pdf — 6 pages with all markup permanently embedded; text not selectable.When the file check shows zero form fields, Keep forms as real text is unavailable. Lock in everything on the page is the correct choice to bake comments and highlights into the document. Smaller file uses a lower render scale and JPEG quality for a smaller download.
Processing runs entirely on your device. (1) Keep forms as real text — pdf-lib loads the PDF, calls form.flatten() on AcroForm fields, and re-saves. Field values become fixed text; layout and vector graphics stay intact. (2) Lock in everything on the page — PDF.js renders each page to a canvas at Balanced or Smaller file quality; pages are encoded as JPEG and assembled into a new PDF with pdf-lib. This bakes in all visible markup but rasterizes text. A quick file check runs before flattening to detect forms, annotations, and recommend a mode.
| Keep forms as real text | Lock in everything on the page | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Fillable forms, searchable output | Comments, highlights, stamps |
| How it works | pdf-lib vector flatten (form.flatten) | PDF.js render → JPEG → pdf-lib rebuild |
| Text selectable | Yes | No (rasterized) |
| Comments removed | No — remain editable | Yes — baked into page |
| File type | Vector PDF | Image-based PDF |
| Similar to | Professional form flattening | Print to PDF |
| Keep forms as real text | Lock everything mode | Print to PDF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form fields locked | Yes (vector) | Yes (raster) | Yes (raster) |
| Text searchable | Yes | No | No |
| Comments baked in | No | Yes | Yes |
| Runs in browser | Yes — no upload | Yes — no upload | Depends on OS |
| Quality control | Lossless vector | Balanced / Smaller file presets | Printer settings |
| Task | Use flatten PDF? | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Lock fillable form values | Yes — Keep forms as real text | — |
| Bake in comments and highlights | Yes — Lock in everything on the page | Print to PDF (no in-browser presets) |
| Reduce file size | No | Compress PDF |
| Combine multiple PDFs | No | Merge PDF |
| Remove password | No | Unlock PDF first, then flatten |
Keep forms as real text does not remove comments or highlights. Switch to Lock in everything on the page to bake markup into the page.
Lock in everything on the page rasterizes pages — text is not selectable. Use Keep forms as real text if you need searchable output.
Flattening invalidates digital signatures. Always keep the original signed file and flatten a duplicate if needed.
Flattening is irreversible. Save a copy of the original PDF before locking.
Raster mode caps at 40 pages (mobile) or 80 (desktop). Split large PDFs first, or use Keep forms as real text for long form-heavy documents.
Likely cause: No file loaded, analysis still running, password-protected PDF, no fillable fields in forms mode, or PDF engine still loading.
Fix: Wait for the file check to finish. For forms-only locking, the PDF must have AcroForm fields. For markup-heavy files with no forms, switch to Lock in everything on the page. Remove password protection before uploading.
Likely cause: File exceeds 50 MB, or Lock in everything on the page exceeds 40 pages on mobile / 80 on desktop.
Fix: Compress or split the PDF first. On a phone, try fewer than 40 pages for lock-everything mode. Use Keep forms as real text if you only need form fields locked on a long document.
Likely cause: Keep forms as real text was selected — this mode locks form fields only and does not bake in comments or highlights.
Fix: Switch to Lock in everything on the page, keep a backup of the original, and flatten again to bake markup into the page.
Likely cause: Lock in everything on the page rasterizes each page — output behaves like Print to PDF.
Fix: This is expected for lock-everything mode. Re-flatten from your backup using Keep forms as real text if you need searchable, selectable text (and the PDF has fillable fields).
Likely cause: The PDF may use XFA forms instead of AcroForm, flattening did not complete, or the wrong mode was used for markup-only files.
Fix: Export to standard AcroForm from the source app if possible. Check for error messages, clear and re-upload, then try again. XFA forms are not supported.
Likely cause: Lock in everything on the page embeds each page as a JPEG image — long documents at the Balanced preset produce larger files than vector originals.
Fix: Try the Smaller file preset, use Keep forms as real text if you only need fields locked, or run Compress PDF on the result if size matters.
Likely cause: Large files (2 MB+) use a background worker for forms mode; very large or complex PDFs can exceed the time limit. Raster mode runs on the main thread and scales with page count.
Fix: Try a smaller file or fewer pages. For forms-only jobs, retry on desktop. For markup baking, split the PDF and flatten sections separately.
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**Keep forms as real text** locks fillable AcroForm field values into the page using pdf-lib. Text stays searchable and selectable. Comments, highlights, and stamps are not removed. **Lock in everything on the page** renders each page with PDF.js, encodes it as JPEG, and rebuilds the PDF. All visible markup — comments, highlights, stamps — is baked in. Text becomes non-selectable, similar to printing to PDF.
Use **Keep forms as real text** when you have fillable forms and want searchable, selectable text. Comments and highlights will remain editable. Use **Lock in everything on the page** when you need comments, highlights, or stamps permanently embedded — for example before sharing a reviewed document or printing. Choose Balanced for most files or Smaller file if download size matters.
It depends on the mode. **Keep forms as real text** preserves selectable, searchable text — only form interactivity is removed. **Lock in everything on the page** rasterizes each page, so text is no longer selectable — the output behaves like a scanned or printed PDF.
**Keep forms as real text** is more precise than Print to PDF for forms — it locks field values without rasterizing the page. **Lock in everything on the page** is similar to Print to PDF: the page is rendered to an image, so text is not selectable but all visible markup is baked in.
In **Keep forms as real text** mode, comments and highlights are **not** removed — only form fields are flattened. In **Lock in everything on the page** mode, comments, highlights, and stamps are baked into the page image and will print and display consistently.
No. Flattening modifies the PDF structure and invalidates digital signatures. If you need signed documents, flatten a copy and keep the original signed file unchanged.
No. XFA (XML Forms Architecture) forms are not supported. The tool works with standard AcroForm fillable fields. XFA-heavy PDFs may not flatten correctly — test with a copy first.
No. Flattening runs entirely in your browser using pdf-lib and PDF.js. Your file is read from memory on your device and never sent to any server.
Maximum file size is 50 MB. In **Lock in everything on the page** mode, page count is capped at 40 on mobile devices and 80 on desktop to protect browser memory. **Keep forms as real text** mode does not have a separate page cap beyond the file size limit.
No. Flattening permanently locks content into the PDF. Always keep a backup of the original file before flattening.
Flattening runs entirely in your browser. Your PDF is read from memory on your device and is not uploaded to EverydayTools servers.
Two modes: Keep forms as real text (pdf-lib vector flattening) locks AcroForm fields while preserving searchable text. Lock in everything on the page (PDF.js rasterization) bakes comments, highlights, and stamps into page images. A quick file check recommends a mode before you lock the file.
Flattening is irreversible — always keep a backup of the original. Digital signatures are not preserved. XFA forms are not supported.
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Reviewed on 2026-06-03.
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