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What Does It Mean to "Flatten" a PDF?

Flattening a PDF converts interactive elements — fillable form fields, in particular — into permanent, non-editable page content.

"Flatten" is common PDF terminology that isn't obvious from the word alone. Here's exactly what it changes in a file.

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A fillable template keeps its fields editable when you download it. Flattening makes the entered text part of the page. Keep an editable copy if you expect to update the values later.

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What Does It Mean to "Flatten" a PDF? | PDFPilot