PDF guides
Every guide on pdfviz is on this page, fifty-four articles with the most searched question first. Each one answers a single question and gives the steps for it. Where a step needs a tool, the tool is linked and it runs today. Where pdfviz has no tool for the job, the guide says so and names the software that does.
✓ Short answers first, steps second
✓ Every guide names its tool
✓ Honest about what browsers cannot do
All Guides
- How to Reduce PDF File Size Online - Free Guide Find what makes your PDF heavy, pick the right target, and check the result
- Remove a Password From a PDF (Unlock Copy) Save an unlocked copy of a password PDF you can open
- Scan Documents With Your Phone (No Extra App) Turn phone photos into a document scan
- How to Combine PDF Files Into One (Online) Combine several PDFs into one file in the right order
- How to edit a PDF: page work vs text work Page work is easy, text work is hard.
- Add a signature to a PDF: draw, photo or type Put a handwritten signature on a PDF page.
- How to sign a PDF: draw, place, sign last Drawn signatures for everyday agreements, certificates when verification matters.
- Digital vs Electronic Signature: Which One You Need Digital signatures use certificates and PKI; electronic signatures are the br…
- Create a digital signature: certificate, seal, scope A digital signature needs a certificate.
- Sign a Word Document (or Sign the PDF Instead) Sign a Word document
- Remove a Watermark From a PDF (Honest Guide) Remove a watermark from a PDF
- Edit text in a PDF: why it shifts, what works PDF text has no paragraphs, only positioned glyphs.
- Fill out a PDF form: fields, flat, flatten Real fields or flat lines, both must be flattened before sending.
- Merge Word Documents Into One PDF File Join several Word files into one PDF
- Change PDF File Size Online - Free Browser Guide Set an exact byte target for your PDF - 100 KB, 500 KB, 1 MB - and aim under …
- Merge Two or Three PDFs Into One File Join two or three PDFs in the right order
- Insert a PDF Into Word: Object, Icon or Pages Put a PDF inside a Word document
- Unlock a PDF: Which Lock and What It Takes Unlock a PDF by naming the lock first
- How to Redact a PDF Permanently (Checklist) Redact a PDF so nothing survives
- Add pages to a PDF: merge, then reorder A PDF has no insert command.
- Remove Metadata From a PDF Before Sending Strip metadata from a PDF before you send it
- Convert a PDF to JPG: resolution, format, pages Turn PDF pages into JPG or PNG images.
- Combine pages into one PDF: order, merge, fix Get loose pages into one ordered PDF.
- Insert a PDF Into Excel: Embed, Link or Show Put a PDF into a spreadsheet
- Merge and Compress PDFs Into One - Free Guide Merge several PDFs first, then compress once against the real limit
- Open a Password Protected PDF (With Password) Open a PDF that asks for a password
- Split a PDF Into Separate Files (Range or Pages) Split a PDF into separate files
- Add a PDF to Google Docs: link, images or conversion Google Docs cannot embed a PDF. This guide covers the three workarounds
- Convert a ZIP to PDF: unzip, sort, build A zip holds files, not a document.
- Scan Multiple Pages Into One PDF File Get a multi-page scan into a single PDF
- Scan a Passport With Your Phone (Accepted Copy) Scan a passport page into a PDF an office accepts
- Rotate a PDF and Save It Turned (Permanently) Rotate a PDF so it stays turned
- Compress PDF Without Losing Quality - Free Guide Keep text sharp and images clean while your PDF shrinks
- Save a PDF Without Its Password (Unlock Once) Stop typing a PDF password every time
- Scan Documents on a Samsung Phone (Camera App) Scan documents on a Samsung Galaxy
- Remove Blank Pages From a PDF (Scan Cleanup) Remove blank pages a duplex scan left behind
- Combine images into one PDF: order, size, shrink Turn a folder of images into one ordered PDF.
- How to decrypt a PDF: password, copy, check Decrypting means using the password, not breaking it.
- Edit a password protected PDF: unlock, then edit A PDF refuses edits for two reasons
- ZIP a PDF File - Why It Barely Helps (Free Guide) Zipping a PDF barely shrinks it - the file is already compressed inside.
- Compress a PDF on Your Phone Online - Free Guide Shrink a PDF in your phone browser with no app to install
- Fill a PDF Form on Your Phone (iPhone and Android) Fill a PDF form on a phone
- Share a PDF as a Link (Free Hosting) Share a PDF as a link instead of an attachment
- Email Two PDFs as One Attachment (Merge First) Merge two PDFs into one file that survives mail size limits
- Can redacted PDF text be recovered? How to check A black box is not always a redaction.
- Compress Large PDF Files Online - Free Browser Guide Shrink a PDF with hundreds of pages in your browser
- Merge Scanned Documents Into One PDF (Order) Merge scanned documents into one PDF
- Combine screenshots into a PDF: PNG, order, size Turn a run of screenshots into one ordered PDF.
- Fix a PDF that prints blank pages Blank sheets from a file that looks fine.
- Fix PDF fonts missing or text wrong Substituted fonts and garbled text.
- Fix a PDF that will not open on your phone Android and iPhone fixes with no app.
- Fix a PDF too large for email Attachment limits and how to fit under them.
- Convert PDF to Markdown Native text to Markdown in the tab. Forgot your PDF password and cannot open it Forgot a PDF password?