PDF guides & tips
Short, honest explanations for common PDF jobs. Each guide walks you through the steps with our free tools, which run in your browser, so your files aren't uploaded. Pick a topic below, or browse them all.
MergingHow to merge PDFs without installing softwareOn Windows, Mac or your phone, in your browser.Read more →ConvertingConvert a lecture PDF to PowerPoint to add your notesWhich mode to choose, and what to watch out for.Read more →PrivacyWhy you shouldn't upload a contract to a PDF siteWhat happens to your file on a server.Read more →Making smallerCompress a PDF without losing qualityText stays sharp: what Light does and doesn’t do.Read more →MergingHow to merge PDFs on iPhone or iPadIn Safari, without an app, using the Files app.Read more →ConvertingTurn a scan or photo of a document into a PDFOne page per photo, plus tips for a clean result.Read more →ConvertingHow to save PDF pages as JPG imagesFor a slide, a post or a website.Read more →ConvertingConvert a PDF to Excel with editable tablesTables become cells you can sort and add up.Read more →PrivacyHow to password-protect a PDFAES-256, and why you mustn’t forget your password.Read more →Making smallerPDF too large to email? Compress or split itCompress first, then split if it still doesn’t fit.Read more →MergingMerge lecture notes into one PDF for examsOne PDF per subject, with page numbers for quick lookups.Read more →MergingCombine invoices for your accountantOne PDF per quarter, password-protected, with no file uploads.Read more →PrivacyHow to tell if a PDF tool uploads your fileNetwork tab and airplane mode: see it for yourself.Read more →PrivacyEdit medical PDFs without uploading themBundle and protect reports without uploading patient data.Read more →EditingSign a PDF without printing or scanningDraw or add your signature, right in your browser.Read more →PrivacyRemove the password from a PDFFor PDFs you know the password to, in your browser.Read more →ConvertingPDF to Word: what works and what doesn’tEditable text or identical layout: pick the right mode.Read more →EditingAdd page numbers to your thesis PDFNumber your thesis PDF and skip the title page.Read more →EditingPrint multiple slides per pageHandouts with 2 to 9 slides per sheet, or room for notes.Read more →EditingExtract or delete pages from a PDFKeep the pages you need, drop the rest.Read more →ConvertingBank statement or invoice from PDF to ExcelTurn statements and invoices into a spreadsheet.Read more →PrivacyMark contracts and payslips CONFIDENTIALWatermark, split and protect sensitive PDFs.Read more →Making smallerPDF too large for Canvas or Blackboard? Shrink itGet under your school portal’s upload limit.Read more →EditingHow to split a PDF into separate filesEvery page on its own, or cut exactly where you want.Read more →MergingHow to combine tax documents into one PDF without uploading themW-2s, 1099s and 1098s in one tidy PDF, with no upload.Read more →PrivacyHow to black out your Social Security number in a PDFWhy a drawn black box isn’t enough, and how to redact for real.Read more →ConvertingHow to make a scanned tax form searchableAdd a searchable text layer to a scan, then check the numbers.Read more →EditingHow to fill in a PDF form without printing itType in the form fields, or add text to a flat PDF.Read more →EditingHow to compare two versions of a PDFEvery added and removed word, page by page.Read more →PrivacyHow to remove hidden metadata from a PDFYour name, software and dates, hidden in the file.Read more →