Crop PDF
Trim margins without discarding what is underneath.
or drop it here
Nothing is uploaded. Your file never leaves this tab.
What PDF cropping is
Setting the page’s CropBox — the rectangle a reader displays — without changing its MediaBox. Content outside the new boundary remains in the file; readers simply stop showing it, which makes the crop reversible and makes it useless as redaction.
What this tool does that others do not
Hidden, not destroyed
This is how every serious PDF cropper works, and it means anyone who needs the margins back can have them. It also means cropping is not a way to hide something: the text outside the box is still there and still extractable.
Margins in the unit the format uses
PostScript points, 72 to the inch. A 36pt margin is half an inch and 28pt is roughly a centimetre; an A4 page is 595 by 842 points. Working in the format’s own unit removes a conversion step and the rounding that comes with it.
How to use it
Decide whether you want cropping at all
If the goal is to remove content rather than to tidy a margin, this is the wrong tool — delete the page or rebuild it without that content.
Set the four margins in points
72 to the inch. Start conservative; the boundary is easy to move again because nothing has been discarded.
Check a page with a wide element on it
Margins apply to every page, so the page most at risk is the one with a full-width table or figure.
Worked example
Real input, real figures.
Trimming scanner margins
You give it
A scanned A4 document, 595 × 842 points, cropped by 36pt on each side.
You get
The displayed page becomes 523 × 770 points — half an inch off each edge. The MediaBox is unchanged, so the trimmed strips are still in the file and can be restored by resetting the CropBox.
Against redaction
| Aspect | Cropping | Redaction |
|---|---|---|
| What changes | The display boundary (CropBox) | The content itself |
| Is the text still there | Yes, and extractable | No |
| Reversible | Yes, by anyone | No |
| Right tool for hiding a note | No | Yes |
Guide
What it will not do
- The margins apply to every page. For a single page, extract it with Split PDF, crop it and merge it back.
Questions people ask
Straight answers. Each one links directly: copy the address after opening it.
Is cropping a way to hide confidential content?
No, and treating it as one has caused real disclosures. Cropping sets a display boundary; the content outside it remains in the file and any text extractor will still find it. To remove content you have to delete the page or rebuild it without that content.
What unit are the margins in?
PostScript points, which is what PDF uses internally. There are 72 to an inch, so a 36pt margin is half an inch and 28pt is roughly a centimetre. An A4 page is 595 by 842 points.
Can I crop one page differently from the rest?
Not yet — the margins apply to every page. For a single page, extract it with Split PDF, crop it, and merge it back.
Nothing leaves your device
Your file is read into this tab and worked on there. It is never uploaded, which is why there is no queue, no daily limit and no account, and why the tool still works with the network switched off.
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