Teachers lose a surprising amount of time to file wrangling: joining worksheets, cutting pages out of a textbook, squeezing a scan under the school portal's limit. A few tools remove most of that.
Build resource packs
Combine handouts, worksheets and reading into one file with Merge PDF, which takes up to 10 files per run. Rearrange the order with Reorder Pages and add page numbers with Add Page Numbers so students can find "page 6". See our merge guide.
Cut down long documents
Only need chapter 3? Split PDF extracts a page range, and Extract Pages picks individual pages. Use Delete Pages to remove answer keys from a student copy. Read splitting a PDF for a worked example.
Turn your documents into PDFs
- Handouts written in Word: Word to PDF
- Photos of whiteboards or paper worksheets: JPG to PDF, then Resize PDF to A4 (see converting images)
- Slides you want as a handout: export from your presentation software, or use PDF to PNG to reuse a page as an image
Feedback and marking
Annotate PDF adds highlights, underlines and notes. It marks the first page, so for multi-page assignments, use a viewer that annotates all pages, or extract, annotate and merge back. Sign PDF adds your signature to a report or a permission form. See annotating a PDF.
Share safely
- Add a password to answer keys or grade sheets with Protect PDF, and share the password separately.
- Check your school's policy on student data before uploading anything with names or grades.
- Stamp DRAFT or SAMPLE with Add Watermark.
Make files portal-friendly
Learning platforms often limit upload size. Compress PDF on Medium usually works, and our compression guide explains how to hit a target. If you scan documents, use 150 to 200 DPI in black and white for text.
Scanned materials
If you scan old worksheets, OCR PDF makes them searchable (it works best for English), and Extract Text lets you copy the words into a new document. For students who need a translated reading for understanding, Translate PDF produces a plain-text machine translation; the text is sent to an external service, so don't use it for material containing student information.
A weekly routine
- Keep a folder per class with clearly named PDFs.
- Work from copies, and keep master versions.
- Compress before uploading to the portal.
- Check every file on a phone, since many students read on one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the tools free for classroom use?
Yes, and you don't need an account.
What is the size limit?
50 MB per file.
Can students use these tools too?
Yes. See our guide for students.
Can I annotate every page of a long PDF?
The annotate tool marks the first page. Use the extract-and-merge method for others.