Crop PDF
Crop PDF: drag in a file, move the crop area in the preview or type in the margins, save. Everything runs in your browser and the PDF never leaves your device.
Source: pdf-lib – Andrew Dillon (MIT). Updated: .
How it is calculated
In short: The tool trims the margins of PDF pages. You set the crop area and every chosen page loses the same margins. Text stays text and quality does not change. Everything runs in the browser, without an upload.
How it works
- Drag in or choose a PDF. The preview shows the first page.
- Set the crop area: drag the edges of the white frame, or type the margins in millimetres (or inches).
- With “Detect white margin” the tool finds the content itself and sets the crop area tightly around it.
- Choose all pages or only some, for example 1-3, 5, and click “Crop and save”.
What happens technically
A PDF page has page boxes. The tool sets the MediaBox and the CropBox to the new area (ISO 32000-1). PDF programs then show, print and measure the page at the new size. Rotated pages are handled correctly: margins apply the way you see the page.
Honest limits
- Cropping is not redacting. The cut-off content stays in the file, just outside the page. Confidential parts must be redacted or recreated.
- Margins are absolute values. If pages have different sizes, the same amount applies to all chosen pages.
- File size barely changes. To make it smaller, use “Compress PDF”.
- Encrypted or damaged PDFs cannot be edited.
Privacy
The PDF is processed only in your browser and is not uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How can I crop a PDF?
Drag the PDF in, drag the edges in the preview or enter margins and click “Crop and save”. Free and without an upload.
Can I crop only some pages?
Yes. Choose “Selected pages” and enter, for example, 1-3, 5. The other pages stay unchanged.
How do I remove the white margin of a PDF?
Click “Detect white margin”. The tool sets the crop area tightly around the content and you can still drag it afterwards.
Is the cut-off part really deleted?
No. It stays in the file, just outside the visible page. To remove sensitive content for good you need redaction.
Is the PDF uploaded?
No. Cropping runs in your browser and the file never leaves your device.
Sources and legal basis
- pdf-lib – Andrew Dillon (MIT)
- ISO 32000-1:2008 (PDF 1.7), 14.11.2 Page boundaries: MediaBox and CropBox
- pdf.js – PDF rendering in the browser (Mozilla, Apache-2.0)
- pdf.js 6.3.289 licence (Apache-2.0)
- Open-source licenses of the libraries used (MIT, LGPL-3.0)
As of:
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