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Crop PDF

PDF Tools

Trim the margins off every page of a PDF by a percentage you choose. Runs in your browser — free, private, no signup.

Updated Sep 17, 2026 Maintained by BoldlyType editors
Free · Private — your PDFs never leave your device
5%

Applied evenly to all four sides of every page. 3–8% removes most scanner borders.

How this PDF cropper works

Set how much to trim from each side, anywhere from 1% to 45%, and the tool applies the same crop to every page of your PDF. It's the quick fix for scans with wide borders and slides with too much white space. The file is processed in your browser and never uploaded. Honest note: cropping a PDF hides the margins rather than deleting them. The trimmed area is still inside the file, so never use cropping to remove sensitive information.

PDF cropping tips

  • Start small: 3% to 8% removes most scanner borders without touching the text.
  • The trim is applied evenly to all four sides of every page, so choose it based on the page with the narrowest margin.
  • Each run trims from the page as it currently looks, so two 3% passes stack. Crop in small steps if you're unsure.
  • Cropping hides content but doesn't delete it. To remove text or images for good, use a redaction tool in a full PDF editor.
  • Want the cropped pages back on standard paper? Run the result through Resize PDF. Your crop is kept.

Crop PDF — common questions

Latest questions readers ask us about this topic.

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?

No. The crop is applied by your browser and the new PDF downloads from your device's memory. Nothing is transmitted or stored, so scans of IDs, invoices and contracts stay on your computer.

Does cropping delete the hidden content?

No, and this matters. Cropping a PDF changes the page's visible area, so the trimmed margins are hidden but still in the file. Anyone can reveal them by resetting the crop in a PDF editor. To remove information permanently, use proper redaction instead.

Can I crop different amounts on each side or page?

Not in this version. The tool trims the same percentage from all four sides of every page, which suits scans and slide decks with even borders. For page-by-page crops, a desktop PDF editor with a visual crop box is the better choice.

Will cropping make the file smaller?

Usually not by much. The hidden margins stay in the file, so the size barely changes. Making a PDF smaller means recompressing the images inside it, which is a different job from cropping.

The sub-questions readers ask next — answered, with where to go.

Specificity and tension. A scroll-stopping opener promises a concrete payoff ('the 3-word edit that doubled my reply rate') or opens a loop the reader needs closed — not a vague 'let's talk about engagement'. Front-load it: on most feeds only the first line shows before a cut-off, so the hook has to do its work there. Test several angles for the same post; the winner is rarely the one you'd have guessed.

Style your opening line

Match the length to the job, then check it against the limit. Instagram captions can run long for storytelling but the hook must land in the first line or two before 'more'; X/Twitter rewards tight, standalone lines; LinkedIn cuts long posts after about three lines. TikTok and Reels captions are short by nature. The reliable move is to draft freely, then trim against a live counter so nothing important gets cut.

Check the limit live

Fewer, and more relevant, than the old advice. Instagram now allows at most five hashtags on a post or reel, and LinkedIn says hashtags don't directly affect how widely a post is distributed. Pick a small set that genuinely describes the post, specific rather than broad, and treat the tags as labels that help people find it, not as a reach boost. Write each as one capitalized word so screen readers can read it, and put them at the end so they don't interrupt the read.

Read the content hub

Treat the bio as a one-line pitch, not a résumé. Open with who you help and the outcome they get, add a single proof point, and close with a reason to follow or a clear next step. Keep it skimmable, lead with the words people would search, and reserve any styled text for one emphasised phrase. Links and @mentions stay plain so they stay clickable.

Generate a bio

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