Flatten a PDF so the markup stays put.

Bake highlights, notes, form answers and markups into the page artwork when you need a final, non-interactive copy.

✓ No account · no watermark · your files stay yours

Document.pdf

Ideas worth
keeping.

A small change
can make a page
feel brand new

✍

✦ Original layout

0 Dollars

Turn markups into a final PDF.

Review your annotations in the editor, enable flattening and export a copy where the visible markups are part of the page artwork.

▤Bake annotations into pagesFlatten highlights, notes and drawings so they display consistently in every reader.

✓Keep the original unchangedFlattening applies only to the downloaded copy. Your working document remains available for edits.

↓Export a final copyUse flattening when a document is ready to share, archive or send onward.

A clear workflow.
In three steps.

Open and mark up your PDF.

Add the highlights, notes, signature or form answers you want to keep.

Enable flattening.

Open the export panel and choose Flatten annotations.

Download the final PDF.

Export a copy with the visible annotations baked into the pages.

When a document should stop being editable.

Annotations and form fields are separate objects layered over the page. That is what makes them useful while you work: they can be moved, restyled, answered and deleted. It is also what makes them a liability once the document is finished, because the recipient can move, restyle and delete them too, and because some readers render annotations differently or hide them entirely.

Flattening merges those layers into the page itself. A signature can no longer be dragged off the line, a filled form can no longer be altered, a highlight cannot be deleted, and every reader shows the same thing because there is nothing left to interpret. It is the right last step before sending a signed agreement, archiving a reviewed draft or printing a completed form.

It applies only to the downloaded copy. Your working document in the editor keeps its annotations and fields, so you can flatten a copy to send and carry on editing the live version afterwards.

Questions about this tool.

The things worth knowing before you edit the document.

Can a flattened PDF be un-flattened?

No. Once annotations are merged into the page there is no separate object to restore, which is the point. Keep an unflattened copy if you might need to edit the markup later.

Does flattening lock the form fields?

Yes. Field values become part of the page, so the answers can be read and printed but no longer changed. That is usually what you want before sending a completed form on.

Will my highlights look the same in every reader?

That is the main reason to flatten. Readers vary in how they draw annotations, and some hide them by default. Flattened markup is page content, so it renders identically everywhere.

Does flattening change my working document?

No. It is applied to the exported copy only. The document in the editor keeps its annotations and interactive fields.

More ways to finish the PDF.

Switch tools whenever the document asks for a different kind of change.

Find a tool

AaEdit PDF ↗Change text while respecting the type, spacing and layout already on the page.✦Annotate PDF ↗Highlight, underline, draw, add arrows and leave clear visual notes.⌁Sign PDF ↗Place a signature image exactly where you need it, then export the file.▦Organize pages ↗Rotate, duplicate, remove or add pages without rebuilding the document.↻Rotate PDF ↗Turn one page or a selected group to the correct orientation before exporting.TAdd text to PDF ↗Place new text anywhere on a page with a simple, flexible text box.↗Add links to PDF ↗Make a selected area clickable with a web or email link in the exported PDF.＋Merge PDFs ↗Combine multiple PDFs in the order you choose, then keep editing the result.÷Split PDF ↗Extract the pages you need, or break a long PDF into separate files.⌗Crop PDF ↗Trim excess margins or focus a page on the content that matters.⌑Protect PDF ↗Add password protection to the exported PDF when a document needs a little more privacy.☑Fill PDF forms ↗Type into existing PDF fields, choose options and complete forms before exporting.＋Create PDF form fields ↗Add interactive text fields, checkboxes and dropdowns to a PDF before sharing it as a form.▰Redact PDF text ↗Permanently remove sensitive text from the exported document instead of covering it up.□Whiteout PDF content ↗Cover a visual area with white when you need a clean presentation edit, not permanent redaction.≋Watermark PDF pages ↗Add a light centered label such as Draft or Confidential to every exported page.▣Stamp PDF pages ↗Add Approved, Draft, Confidential, Paid or a custom stamp exactly where it belongs.#Number PDF pages ↗Add consistent page numbers with a custom format at the top or bottom of every page.▤Bookmark PDF pages ↗Add named navigation entries to reports, papers and other long PDFs.↓Compress PDF ↗Reduce unnecessary PDF overhead and download a smaller, cleaner copy of the document.▤Flatten PDF annotations ↗Bake highlights, notes and markups into the page artwork for a final copy.

From PDF to done
In three small steps.

Drop it in.

Open your PDF locally in the editor. No account and no complicated setup.

Make it yours.

Click text to edit, or choose a tool to mark up, draw, sign or arrange pages.

Take it with you.

Export a finished PDF with the original document design kept in place.

Useful by default.
Free by design.

PDFEditor is built for quick, real-world edits, not a maze of plans, pop-ups and watermarks.