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Crop PDF

Trim the margins of PDF pages to focus on what matters.

Your files never leave your device.

When to use it

Crop PDF trims the edges of PDF pages. Use it to remove the white borders around scanned documents, cut away a scanner’s grey edge or a phone photo’s background, focus a slide or e-book page on its content for easier reading on a phone, or trim printer’s marks from a design proof. Cropped pages fill more of the screen, which makes small text easier to read.

How to crop a PDF

  1. Tap Choose PDF file, or drag a PDF onto the box.
  2. A preview of Page 1 appears. Drag the blue corners on the preview, or type the Margins to remove (mm): Top, Bottom, Left and Right.
  3. Under Apply to, choose All pages or Only this page.
  4. Use Reset crop to start again.
  5. Press Crop PDF, then Download. The file ends in “-cropped.pdf”.

A worked example

You scanned a 30-page A4 booklet, but the scanner added a wide grey border, and the text looks tiny on your phone. Open the PDF and drag the corners in until they hug the text block, or type 15 mm for top and bottom and 18 mm for left and right. Keep All pages selected and press Crop PDF. On a phone, the text now appears noticeably larger because the empty margin is gone.

Tips

  • Check several pages before applying a crop to all pages; scans often shift slightly from page to page.
  • Leave a small margin (3 to 5 mm) so text doesn’t touch the edge.
  • Crop single pages differently when one page has a wider table or image.
  • Rotate first if pages are sideways, then crop.

Typical margins

  • Scanned A4 or Letter pages: 10 to 20 mm on each side removes most scanner borders.
  • Slides exported to PDF: often only the top and bottom need trimming.
  • Design proofs: trim exactly to the crop marks so the page matches the final printed size.

Common mistakes

  • Using crop to hide sensitive details. The hidden area is still in the file and can be revealed. Use a redaction tool or flatten the result.
  • Cropping too tightly, cutting off page numbers or footnotes.
  • Expecting a smaller file. Cropping changes what’s shown, not what’s stored.
  • Cropping a locked PDF. Unlock it first.

Private by design

Your PDF is cropped in your browser and is never uploaded.

Turn pages the right way up with Rotate PDF, shrink the file with Compress PDF, or make cropping permanent with Flatten PDF.

Frequently asked questions

Is the cropped-away content deleted from the file?

No. Cropping hides the area outside the new page edges, as PDF readers and printers do, but the hidden content is still inside the file. Don't use cropping to remove confidential information; to remove it for good, use Flatten PDF with "Everything" after cropping.

Can I crop pages differently?

Yes. Choose "Only this page" under Apply to, set the crop for that page, then move to another page and set its own crop. "All pages" applies the same margins everywhere.

What units are the margins in?

Millimetres, measured from each edge of the page. 10 mm is about 0.4 inches.

Will cropping reduce the file size?

Usually not, because the hidden content stays in the file. To make the file smaller, use Compress PDF.

Why does my cropped page print smaller?

The printer sees a smaller page. Choose "Fit to page" or "Actual size" in your print settings, depending on whether you want it enlarged.

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