PDF how-to guides
Long-form answers for the jobs the tools solve — what to choose, what to check, and the mistakes that make a simple PDF task go sideways.
How to merge PDF files
Combine PDFs and images in the right order, keep bookmarks and page sizes, and check the finished document before you share it.
OrganizeHow to split a PDF
Choose the right split for invoices, chapters or upload limits, keep bookmarks and useful file names, and check every part before deleting the original.
Optimize & RepairHow to compress a PDF
Why PDFs become large, how image compression works, and how to choose a level that fits email or upload limits without turning text into mush.
Convert from PDFHow to convert a PDF to Word
Convert a text PDF into an editable .docx, handle scanned files with OCR first, and know when tables belong in Excel instead.
Edit & SignHow to edit a PDF
Edit existing text, cover and retype, or convert to Word — with the checks that keep fonts, spacing and the rest of the page intact.
Edit & SignHow to fill and sign a PDF
Fill form fields or type on the page, add a drawn, typed or uploaded signature, and check the signed file before you send it.
ScansHow to make a scanned PDF searchable
What OCR adds to a scan, how to prepare pages for better accuracy, and what to check before relying on the extracted text.
Convert to PDFHow to turn JPG photos into a PDF
Choose page size, order and margins, shoot better phone photos, and compress the finished PDF for email or upload limits.
Convert from PDFHow to convert PDF to JPG
Turn PDF pages into JPG, PNG or TIFF images, choose the right resolution and colour mode, and check the exported pages before you use them.
OrganizeHow to rotate a PDF
Rotate one page or a whole PDF clockwise or counter-clockwise, fix mixed scans, save the real page orientation and check it before printing.
OrganizeHow to crop a PDF
Trim white margins or crop the visible page area, choose one crop or per-page boxes, and check the result before printing or sharing.
OrganizeHow to resize PDF pages
Add margins, change the paper size or fit content to a new page, choose the right units and check that text and images are not clipped.
OrganizeHow to organize PDF pages
Reorder, rotate, duplicate, delete and insert pages in one pass, rebuild a scanned document and check the final page order before saving.
OrganizeHow to extract pages from a PDF
Keep only the pages you need, choose a range or click the pages, preserve bookmarks and give the extracted document a useful file name.
SecurityHow to unlock a PDF
Remove a known open password or owner restrictions from a PDF you own, understand password versus permissions, and protect the unlocked copy before sharing.
SecurityHow to redact a PDF
Mark sensitive text and images for permanent removal, understand why a black box is not redaction, and check the exported file before it leaves your hands.
Format & StyleHow to add a watermark to a PDF
Add text or image watermarks, choose position, opacity, angle and repeats, and check the PDF on screen and in print before sharing it.
Format & StyleHow to add page numbers to a PDF
Add page numbers with a pattern, position, starting number and page range, avoid double-numbering and check the printed result.
OrganizeHow to delete pages from a PDF
Remove pages by thumbnail or range, keep bookmarks and page numbers straight, and verify the copy before deleting your original.
SecurityHow to password-protect a PDF
Add an open password, choose printing and copying permissions, share the password safely, and understand what encryption cannot do.
Convert from PDFHow to convert PDF to Excel
Extract tables from a PDF into Excel or CSV, choose automatic, layout or table mode, and check merged cells and numbers before you use the data.
Convert from PDFHow to convert PDF to PowerPoint
Turn PDF pages into editable PowerPoint slides, check fonts and images, and decide when an image-based deck is the better result.
Convert to PDFHow to convert Word to PDF
Convert DOC or DOCX files into PDFs that keep their layout, check fonts and page breaks, and choose the right moment to freeze a document.
Convert to PDFHow to convert HTML to PDF
Turn an HTML file or public web address into a clean PDF, choose screen and paper sizes, and handle print styles, popups and long pages.
Format & StyleHow to deskew a scanned PDF
Straighten crooked scans automatically or with a manual angle, target only the pages that need it, and prepare a cleaner file for OCR and printing.
Optimize & RepairHow to repair a corrupted PDF
Recover a damaged or truncated PDF, understand what reconstruction can and cannot fix, and check the recovered pages before replacing the original.
Optimize & RepairHow to flatten a PDF
Freeze forms and annotations so the PDF looks the same everywhere, choose forms-only or full rasterisation, and understand what flattening gives up.
OrganizeHow to compare two PDFs
Compare two versions of a document page by page, separate real text changes from layout noise, and record what changed before you approve the new version.
OrganizeHow to print multiple PDF pages per sheet
Place two, four or more PDF pages on one sheet, choose the reading order and sheet size, and check the result before saving paper.
Format & StyleHow to extract images from a PDF
Pull embedded images out of a PDF or render whole pages as pictures, choose the right format and resolution, and check quality and duplicates.
OrganizeHow to split a PDF every N pages
Turn a long PDF into equal chunks, choose the right step, name the parts and check the final partial group before deleting the source.
OrganizeHow to split a PDF by size
Set a maximum KB per file and split a PDF into the fewest parts that fit, with useful names and a check that each part stays under the limit.
OrganizeHow to split a PDF by text
Start a new file whenever a page begins with a chosen word or phrase, preview the matches, control the search area and name the resulting parts.
OrganizeHow to split a PDF by bookmarks
Use the PDF’s existing outline to split chapters into separate files, choose the bookmark level and name each part from its bookmark title.
OrganizeHow to split a PDF in half
Split two-page spreads and A3 scans into single pages, choose a vertical or horizontal cut, exclude cover pages and repaginate a booklet scan.
OrganizeHow to alternate and mix PDF pages
Interleave the fronts and backs of a double-sided scan, set how many pages to take from each file, and restore the true reading order.
Format & StyleHow to remove PDF annotations
Remove highlights, comments, stamps and other annotations in one pass, target specific pages and distinguish annotations from redaction.
Format & StyleHow to create PDF bookmarks
Add, replace or append PDF bookmarks, auto-detect headings, choose pages and build a navigable outline for a long document.
Format & StyleHow to edit PDF metadata
Change a PDF’s title, author, subject and keywords, remove all metadata for a clean copy, and check what hidden fields remain.
Edit & SignHow to create a fillable PDF form
Turn an existing PDF into a fillable form with text fields, checkboxes and more, test the tab order and export a copy that still looks like the original.
OrganizeHow to flip a PDF
Mirror PDF pages horizontally or vertically, target selected pages, and know when a flip is a design choice rather than a scan correction.
Edit & SignHow to send a PDF for e-signature
Prepare a PDF for signing, place fields, set the signing order and access code, and keep the sealed copy and audit trail after completion.
Format & StyleHow to add headers and footers to a PDF
Add page numbers, titles or custom text to PDF headers and footers, choose the position and starting number, and check the printable margins.
Format & StyleHow to add Bates numbering
Apply sequential Bates stamps to a legal or case-file PDF, choose digits, prefix and start numbers, and check the sequence before production.
Format & StyleHow to make a PDF grayscale
Convert colour pages to grayscale or black text, choose what happens to images, and compress the result for a smaller print-ready PDF.
Convert from PDFHow to extract text from a PDF
Copy selectable text out of a PDF, understand why scans return nothing, and check reading order, line breaks and encoding before reusing it.
ScansHow to rename a PDF
Build a useful PDF file name from text on the pages, choose the right pattern and check collisions before downloading a batch of renamed copies.
AutomateHow to build a PDF workflow
Chain PDF tasks into one repeatable workflow, write the steps in order, save it and run the same recipe on new files.
AutomateHow to write on legal stamp paper
Open a stamp paper, straighten a phone photo, keep the writing inside the paper and print the finished agreement without reprinting the sheet.