Scans often have dark borders, and exported documents sometimes have huge margins. Cropping tightens the page around the content, so it reads better on a small screen and prints with less waste.
How the Crop PDF tool works
Crop PDF trims a set amount from the top, right, bottom and left edges. The same amounts are applied to every page, and the values are in points (72 points is one inch, or about 25 mm).
- Open Crop PDF and upload your file (up to 50 MB).
- Enter how much to remove from each edge.
- Download the cropped file and check several pages.
Start with small numbers, around 20 to 40 points, and repeat if you need more. It is easier to trim a bit more than to work out a big number in one go.
Get the numbers right
Because every page gets the same crop, choose values that suit the widest margin you need to keep. If page 1 has a header and page 10 has a wide table, look at both before you decide.
Pages with different sizes or offsets are trickier. If your file mixes sizes, first unify them with Resize PDF, then crop.
Cropping is not deleting
Cropping changes what part of the page is shown. The content outside the crop area is usually still stored in the file, so it can sometimes be recovered by someone with the right software. If anything outside the crop is sensitive, do not rely on cropping. Follow the steps in our redaction guide to produce a flattened copy.
Good uses
- Removing black scanner edges and shadows
- Cutting a large blank margin so text fills the page on a phone
- Trimming a header or footer from every page
- Preparing pages for printing with less white space
What to do afterwards
- Straighten sideways pages first with Rotate PDF; crop after.
- Shrink the file with Compress PDF if it's still large. Our guide to compressing for email has practical targets.
- Make scans searchable with OCR PDF, which works better on tidy, cropped pages.
- Set a standard page size with Resize PDF.
Example: cleaning up a scanned contract
A scan often has a dark strip down one side and wide white space at the bottom. Try 30 points on the left and 40 points at the bottom, download the result and scroll through every page, not just the first. If the signature page has content close to the edge, reduce the numbers. Once it looks right, run OCR PDF so the text can be searched, and compress the file if it will be emailed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I crop different amounts on different pages?
No. The same crop applies to every page. Split the file if you need different crops.
What units do the margins use?
Points. 72 points equal one inch.
Can I undo a crop?
Not in the downloaded file. Keep your original.
Will cropping shrink the file size?
Not much. Cropping affects what is visible, not the amount of image data.