How to use Flatten PDF Forms
- Add one PDF that already holds the values you want to keep.
- Leave the appearance rebuild on unless the form draws its own values correctly.
- Leave button removal on so submit and reset buttons do not end up in the page.
- Select Flatten forms and download the -flattened.pdf copy.
Example: Flatten PDF Forms
Fix the answers of a finished contact form so the copy prints the same everywhere.
Options
- Rebuild the field appearances first
- Draws every field again with a standard PDF font before it is fixed into the page. Turn it off only for a form that already draws its values the way you want, because the rebuild replaces the form's own artwork.
- Remove button fields
- Submit and reset buttons do nothing once the form is flattened, so they are removed by default. Turn the option off to flatten a button's artwork into the page as static art instead; a button that carries no appearance then stops the run with a message naming it.
Supported inputs and limits
Where your input is processed
This tool processes your input in this browser. Your text and files are not uploaded to UseFreeTools. Check this tool's limits for anything it may save on your device.
Why readers disagree about form values
A form field stores a value separately from the page, and the reader decides how to draw it. Two readers with different fonts or appearance settings can show the same value differently, and a printer may drop it entirely. Flattening removes that choice: the value becomes ordinary page content, so every reader draws the same marks. The trade is that the value is no longer available as named form data, and the copy cannot be edited through form controls, even though the text stays selectable and a PDF editor can still change the page.
Questions about Flatten PDF Forms
What does flattening actually change?
Each field's visible box is painted straight into the page content, and the named field is removed. Readers then show the same picture, printers stop asking about form data, and nobody can tab into the values any more.
Are my comments and highlights removed too?
No. Only form fields are flattened. Comments, highlights, links and other annotations are left untouched, so they may still be editable in the copy.
Why did the run stop instead of producing a file?
Either the file is an XFA form or it carries a signature field, or a value uses a character the standard font cannot draw. The message names the reason, and turning the appearance rebuild off helps with the last case.
Can I still change the values after flattening?
Not through the form controls. The values are ordinary page content now, so a reader shows them and you can still select and copy the text, and a PDF editor can still change the page. Keep the original form file for future form edits.
What happens to the submit and reset buttons?
They are removed by default because they cannot do anything in a flattened copy. If you leave the option off, the button's artwork is fixed into the page as static art and stops being clickable; a button with no appearance makes the run stop with a message naming it.