This online tool merges all the layers into one (on each page). This makes a PDF into a read-only document (which the use of special software to edit it). To prevent this kind of interaction, flatten that PDF! A PDF with raster images instead of interactive elements makes it a PDF more uneditable. Flatten PDF: Merging LayersĬheckboxes in PDFs can often be clicked and a check appears. Only special OCR software can then make a PDF searchable. The text which was machine readable now becomes an image. With a PDF that is flattened, the facility to do that kind of search disappears. For example, you could search for “PDF flatten” and all instances of that would appear quite easily. Most PDF viewers (like Adobe and Preview) have the ability to search the document for text. But most read and display images quite well. Although there is a PDF standard (ISO), not all PDF software (editors and viewers) work flawlessly. Why Flatten PDFs?Ĭonverting all the interactive and complexly coded elements in a PDF to images can fix display problems with some PDF viewers. Even then, the formatting (bold, italic, font type and size) would all need to be re-created, which is quite difficult. In order for this kind of file to be editable as text, an OCR (optical character recognition) tool would need to be used. You’ll see that text can’t be modified in a simple word processor. Simply download that and you’ll see that individual words can’t be highlighted or copied.

The tool, in the background, renders each element visually and then writes that visual information back to a separate PDF file. This online tool switches the code-based elements in a PDF to raster images. How to Make a PDF Uneditable: Flatten PDF Nothing prevents a file from being completely unalterable, but converting to image files changes the normal editing routes. Indeed, if you want to edit this kind of PDF you need to “draw”, erase, or otherwise use graphic editing tools. Converting the elements in a PDF using this online tool into a raster image make the PDF much more difficult to edit. Other ways to edit PDFs include changing the text within a paragraph or changing titles.

Indeed, interactive forms where users type into boxes is one way to edit a PDF. PDFs, unlike what some say, can be edited fairly easy.

How to make a word document uneditable