How to use it
Choose whether to flatten Forms, Annotations or both.
Run Flatten and review the result.
Download the PDFs and check them in the reader where they will be used.
Flatten filled form fields
Flattening forms merges their visible values into the pages. The output no longer offers those fields for editing.
Complete and check the form first.
Enable Forms to merge form fields and their current values into the page.
Keep an editable original if you will need to change the answers later.
Choose whether to flatten annotations
Comments and marks can be flattened separately from form fields.
Enable Annotations if the visible marks should become part of the page.
Leave it disabled when annotations should remain separate.
After export, inspect the visible marks and confirm whether they can still be selected as annotations.
Download and check the result
The result view shows the created output. Downloading a file and checking its contents are separate steps.
Read the output name, count and size in the result view. If processing reported a problem, return to the settings and correct it before continuing.
Choose Download and keep the new file separate from your original. If several outputs are packaged together, open the archive to find them.
Open the downloaded result in a suitable viewer. Check the pages and content affected by this task. Keep your original until you are satisfied.
Output and limits
Flatten merges supported form values and annotation appearances into the page. Those items no longer remain editable as form fields or annotations. Flatten does not password-protect a file or guarantee that all page content is uneditable. Separate inputs remain separate PDFs.