How to Crop a PDF to Remove Margins

To crop a PDF, open the Crop PDF tool, choose the file, drag the box over the part of the page you want to keep, or type how many millimetres to cut away, and tap Crop PDF. You get a new PDF with trimmed pages.

Cropping changes only what is visible. Text stays selectable and searchable. But the part you cut away is hidden, not deleted, so do not use cropping to hide private information.

What you need

• The PDF that has wide margins, or a page where you want only a part
• To know whether you want to crop all pages the same way, or only some
• About a minute

Steps to crop a PDF

1. If a page is sideways, fix that first with Rotate PDF. Cropping a sideways page is confusing.
2. Open the Crop PDF tool, tap the box and choose your PDF. The file stays on your device. It is not uploaded.
3. Under Which pages?, choose All pages, or choose Only the pages I choose and tap the pages to crop in the grid. The preview shows the first page you pick.
4. Drag the crop box on the preview to the part you want to keep. Drag a corner to change its size.
5. If you prefer numbers, type how much to cut away in millimetres under Top, Right, Bottom and Left. A note shows what the result will be.
6. Tap Crop PDF and wait for the progress bar.
7. Download the new file and scroll through it. Make sure nothing you need is cut off, especially on pages that are laid out differently.

When cropping helps

• Scans with wide empty borders. Cutting the margins makes the text larger on a phone screen, so it is easier to read.
• Scans with dark edges. A scanner’s shadows around the page look untidy and can confuse text reading. Trimming them helps. If you plan to use Image to Text, crop first.
• Keeping part of a page. If only one table or picture on the page matters, you can keep just that area.
• Printing. Trimmed pages fit the paper better and use less ink on empty borders.

How the crop box is applied to many pages

The same box is applied to every page you choose, by share of the page’s width and height. If your pages are all the same size, the result is the same on every page. If pages have different sizes, each page is cut by the same share of its own size, so the result looks similar but not identical.

This is why it helps to crop only similar pages together. If some pages need a different crop, crop them in a separate round.

Cropping hides, it does not delete

When you crop a PDF, the tool sets the visible area of each page. The content outside that area stays in the file, and someone with a PDF editor can bring it back.

That is fine for tidying margins. It is not fine for hiding something private, such as an account number or an address. For that, use Redact PDF, which removes the content for good. Our guide on hiding personal information in a PDF explains the difference and how to check your result.

Tips

• Crop a little less than you think. It is easy to cut off a page number or the edge of a letter. You can always crop again from your original.
• Keep your original. The tool makes a new copy and does not change your file.
• Check the last page. Pages near the end sometimes have a different layout.
• Use millimetres for exact margins. For example, 10 mm on every side gives an even border.

Common problems

Part of the text is cut off. Go back to your original and crop with a larger box, or use smaller margins in millimetres.

Pages look different after cropping. The pages may have different sizes. Crop them in separate groups.

The crop box will not move. On a phone, drag the box itself with one finger. To resize it, drag a corner.

The file is the same size as before. That is normal. The content outside the box is still in the file.

Frequently asked questions

Will the text still be selectable?

Yes. Cropping changes only the visible area of each page. The text and pictures are not redrawn, so you can still select, search and copy the text.

Is the cropped-off part deleted?

No. It is hidden, not deleted. Use the Redact PDF tool to remove private details for good.

What if my pages have different sizes?

Each page is cut by the same share of its own width and height. The same box gives a similar result on pages of different sizes.

Can I crop only some pages?

Yes. Choose Only the pages I choose and tap the pages you want to crop.

Is my PDF uploaded?

No. The cropping happens inside your browser, on your device.