PDF guides
Practical, step-by-step answers for the PDF jobs people actually search for, on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows. Each guide links to a free tool that does the job in your browser.
Latest
- 8 min read
How to Crop PDF Pages and Remove White Margins
Crop PDF pages to trim white margins, cut out a shipping label or fix scans with dark edges, and learn why cropped content stays in the file.
Read guide → - 7 min read
PDF Won't Open? How to Repair a Damaged or Corrupted PDF
Why a PDF won't open and shows ‘file is damaged’ errors, quick checks to try first, how repair rebuilds the file, and what cannot be recovered.
Read guide → - 7 min read
What Flattening a PDF Does and When You Should Do It
Flattening a PDF turns form fields, signatures and comments into fixed page content. Why filled forms look blank to others, and when to flatten.
Read guide → - 8 min read
How to Add a Watermark to a PDF (DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, Logo)
Add a DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, name or logo watermark to PDF pages, pick opacity and position, and learn what a watermark can and cannot protect.
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How-to
- 8 min read
How to Crop PDF Pages and Remove White Margins
Crop PDF pages to trim white margins, cut out a shipping label or fix scans with dark edges, and learn why cropped content stays in the file.
Read guide → - 8 min read
How to Add a Watermark to a PDF (DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, Logo)
Add a DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, name or logo watermark to PDF pages, pick opacity and position, and learn what a watermark can and cannot protect.
Read guide → - 7 min read
PowerPoint to PDF: Share Slides Anyone Can Open
Convert PPT or PPTX slides to PDF on any device, keep fonts and images intact, shrink large decks, and see what happens to animations and notes.
Read guide → - 8 min read
Excel to PDF: How to Fit a Spreadsheet on One Page
Stop Excel sheets splitting across dozens of PDF pages. Set print area, scaling, orientation and repeating headers, then convert XLSX to PDF.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF (Page X of Y, Skip Cover)
Add page numbers to a PDF header or footer, use Page 1 of 10 format, start at any number or skip the cover page. Free, and nothing is uploaded.
Read guide → - 8 min read
How to Fill Out a PDF Form Without Printing It
Fill in PDF forms on a computer or phone, including forms with no fillable fields, fix answers that look blank, and handle Please wait XFA forms.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Remove a Password From a PDF You Can Open
Save a copy of a password-protected PDF that opens without asking, on Mac, Windows, iPhone or Android. Covers bank statements and permission locks.
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How to Rotate a PDF and Save It Permanently
Rotated a PDF page but it flips back when reopened? Why that happens, and how to rotate PDF pages permanently on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Remove Pages From a PDF (Free, Any Device)
Delete blank, duplicate or private pages from a PDF on Mac, iPhone, Windows or Android, and make sure the removed pages are really gone from the file.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Convert PDF to JPG on Any Device (Free)
Convert PDF pages to JPG on Windows, Mac, iPhone or Android. Pick the right DPI for screens, social posts or print, and know when PNG is better.
Read guide → - 8 min read
How to Sign a PDF on iPhone or Android in Under a Minute
Sign a PDF on your phone with iPhone Markup, Android options or a free browser tool. Add date and initials, and learn when a signature is valid.
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How to Merge PDF Files on Windows, Mac and iPhone
Combine PDFs into one file on Mac, iPhone, Windows and Android for free, with fixes for wrong page order, locked files and oversized results.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Compress a PDF for Email Without Making It Blurry
Why PDFs get too big for Gmail and Outlook, how much to compress, and how to shrink scans while keeping text sharp. Free, no upload.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Split PDF Files: Extract Pages or Break Into Parts
Split a PDF by page range, extract single pages or save every page as its own file. Free methods for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and browsers.
Read guide → - 8 min read
How to Convert PDF to Word for Free (4 Ways That Work)
Four free ways to turn a PDF into an editable Word file, which one suits text, scans and tables, and how to fix the usual formatting problems.
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iPhone & Mac
- Sponsored7 min read
Summarize a PDF and Draft a Reply With AI on iPhone
Get the text out of a long PDF on your iPhone, ask an AI chat app for a summary or a reply, and avoid common privacy and accuracy mistakes.
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HEIC to PDF: Convert iPhone Photos on Windows, Mac or Phone
What HEIC files are, why upload forms reject them, and how to convert HEIC to PDF on Windows, Mac, iPhone or Android. Plus how to turn HEIC off.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Convert JPG to PDF on iPhone (Photos Into One PDF)
Turn iPhone photos, screenshots and receipts into one PDF with Files, the Print trick or a browser tool. Includes page size and file size tips.
Read guide → - 8 min read
How to Edit a PDF on Mac for Free (Preview and Beyond)
What Preview on macOS can and cannot edit in a PDF, steps for text, signatures and pages, and free options when you need more.
Read guide → - 8 min read
How to Convert Word to PDF on iPhone (4 Free Ways)
Turn a DOCX into a PDF on iPhone with the Word app, Pages, the print-preview trick or a browser converter. Clear steps, plus fixes for fonts.
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Guides
- 7 min read
PDF Won't Open? How to Repair a Damaged or Corrupted PDF
Why a PDF won't open and shows ‘file is damaged’ errors, quick checks to try first, how repair rebuilds the file, and what cannot be recovered.
Read guide → - 7 min read
What Flattening a PDF Does and When You Should Do It
Flattening a PDF turns form fields, signatures and comments into fixed page content. Why filled forms look blank to others, and when to flatten.
Read guide → - Sponsored7 min read
How to Make a CV PDF With a Professional Photo on iPhone
When a CV needs a photo, how to take one with a phone, place it in Word or Pages, and export a small CV PDF that job portals accept.
Read guide → - 8 min read
OCR a Scanned PDF: Make It Searchable and Copyable for Free
What OCR does to a scanned PDF, how to make it searchable for free, how to get accurate results, and when to run OCR before converting to Word.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Get a PDF Under 1 MB or 2 MB for Upload Portals
Job, visa and university portals cap PDFs at 1 MB, 2 MB or 5 MB. How to reduce PDF size to hit the limit and keep documents readable.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Scan Documents to PDF With Your Phone (No App Needed)
Scan documents to PDF with the scanners built into iPhone Notes, Files and Google Drive, then make the scans searchable, smaller and ready to send.
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Privacy
- 7 min read
Why Online PDF Tools Upload Your Files (Safer Options)
What happens when you upload a PDF to a free online converter, how browser-based PDF tools differ, and a two-minute test to check any site.
Read guide → - 7 min read
Hidden Metadata in Your PDF and How to Remove It
PDF metadata can carry your name, company, software and editing dates. See what it contains, how to view it, and how to remove it before sharing.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Redact a PDF Properly (Black Boxes Are Not Enough)
Why black rectangles and highlighter fail to hide text in a PDF, how true redaction works, and a checklist to verify a redacted file before sharing.
Read guide → - 7 min read
How to Password Protect a PDF With AES-256
Add a password to a PDF on any device. Open vs permission passwords, why AES-256 matters, how long the password should be and how to share it safely.
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