[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"i-lucide:file-text":3,"i-lucide:image":8,"i-lucide:code-xml":10,"i-lucide:search":12,"i-lucide:menu":14,"i-lucide:globe":16,"i-lucide:chevron-down":18,"i-lucide:check":20,"page-content:en:tool:flatten-pdf":22,"i-lucide:lock":66,"i-lucide:arrow-up-right":68,"i-lucide:upload":70,"i-lucide:plus":72},{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":7},0,24,false,"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"M6 22a2 2 0 0 1-2-2V4a2 2 0 0 1 2-2h8a2.4 2.4 0 0 1 1.704.706l3.588 3.588A2.4 2.4 0 0 1 20 8v12a2 2 0 0 1-2 2z\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"M14 2v5a1 1 0 0 0 1 1h5M10 9H8m8 4H8m8 4H8\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":9},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Crect width=\"18\" height=\"18\" x=\"3\" y=\"3\" rx=\"2\" ry=\"2\"\u002F>\u003Ccircle cx=\"9\" cy=\"9\" r=\"2\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"m21 15l-3.086-3.086a2 2 0 0 0-2.828 0L6 21\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":11},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m18 16l4-4l-4-4M6 8l-4 4l4 4m8.5-12l-5 16\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":13},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Cpath d=\"m21 21l-4.34-4.34\"\u002F>\u003Ccircle cx=\"11\" cy=\"11\" r=\"8\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":15},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M4 5h16M4 12h16M4 19h16\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":17},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Ccircle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"10\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"M12 2a14.5 14.5 0 0 0 0 20a14.5 14.5 0 0 0 0-20M2 12h20\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":19},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m6 9l6 6l6-6\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":21},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M20 6L9 17l-5-5\"\u002F>",{"tool":23,"category":65},{"title":24,"description":25,"heading":26,"intro":27,"howTo":28,"sections":40,"faq":52},"Flatten PDF — Lock Form Fields and Annotations","Flatten PDF form fields and annotation appearances into page content, removing their interactivity. Text stays selectable; pages are not turned into images.","Flatten PDF","Turn filled-in form fields and annotation appearances into page content. This removes their interactivity; it does not protect the PDF against further editing.",{"title":29,"steps":30},"How to flatten a PDF",[31,34,37],{"title":32,"body":33},"Choose your PDF","Select a document with form fields, comments or stamps.",{"title":35,"body":36},"Choose what to flatten","Flatten form fields, annotations, or both. Both are on by default.",{"title":38,"body":39},"Flatten and download","The flattened file downloads next to your untouched original.",[41,48],{"title":42,"list":43},"What flattening does to each element",[44,45,46,47],"Form fields: each field's visible appearance is drawn into the page and the interactive field is removed. The value is no longer editable as a form field, but a PDF editor can still change page content.","Annotations with their own appearance, such as highlights, stamps and drawn comments, are painted into the page content and removed as annotations.","Links and other annotations without an appearance have nothing to paint. They are removed, and the text underneath stays where it was.","Hidden annotations are removed without being painted, and comment pop-ups are dropped.",{"title":49,"paragraphs":50},"Flattening is not rasterising",[51],"Some tools flatten by turning every page into an image. This one does not: the page content stays vector and text stays selectable and searchable, and the form values are added as page content on top.",[53,56,59,62],{"question":54,"answer":55},"Why flatten a PDF form before sending it?","A flattened form shows the same values in every viewer and cannot be changed by editing the fields, which is useful for applications, contracts or forms you archive.",{"question":57,"answer":58},"Can flattening be undone?","No. The fields are removed from the new file. Keep your original PDF if you might need to edit the form again.",{"question":60,"answer":61},"Will a signed PDF stay valid?","No. Flattening changes the document, so a digital signature will no longer validate. The tool warns you when the PDF contains a signature field.",{"question":63,"answer":64},"Does flattening make the PDF smaller?","Not necessarily. Flattening removes interactivity; it does not compress images or fonts.",null,{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":67},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Crect width=\"18\" height=\"11\" x=\"3\" y=\"11\" rx=\"2\" ry=\"2\"\u002F>\u003Cpath d=\"M7 11V7a5 5 0 0 1 10 0v4\"\u002F>\u003C\u002Fg>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":69},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M7 7h10v10M7 17L17 7\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":71},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 3v12m5-7l-5-5l-5 5m14 7v4a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H5a2 2 0 0 1-2-2v-4\"\u002F>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":73},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M5 12h14m-7-7v14\"\u002F>"]