Last updated: October 2026
How to crop a PDF
- Choose your PDF — it stays in your browser and is never uploaded.
- Set the margins to trim — top, right, bottom, left — in points or percent.
- Check the red preview box on the first page; it shows exactly what will remain.
- Choose all pages or a page range, then click Crop PDF and download.
Why crop a PDF?
Cut the dead space. Scans with wide white borders, slides with uneven margins, pages with printer artifacts at the edges — cropping tightens them all. Preview, don't guess. The red box on the first page shows exactly what will remain before you commit. Control the scope. Crop every page, or just a range — a single oversized page in an otherwise fine document doesn't force you to crop the rest. After cropping, you can rotate a PDF if orientation needs fixing, or redact a PDF to remove sensitive content near the edges.
What cropping actually does
Short answer: cropping sets the page's crop box — the visible window into the page. Content outside the box is hidden from view and from printing, but it is not deleted from the file. That is how PDF cropping works everywhere: it hides, it doesn't erase. Never rely on cropping alone to remove sensitive content — use redaction for that.
Frequently asked questions
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. The entire crop runs in your browser with JavaScript — your PDF never leaves your device, which makes this safe for sensitive documents.
What do points and percent mean?
Points are PDF units — a standard letter page is 612 by 792 points. Percent trims a share of each page's own size, which is handy when pages have different sizes.
Does cropping delete the trimmed content?
No. Cropping sets the visible crop box — content outside it is hidden from view and printing, but still in the file. Never use cropping to hide sensitive content; use redaction instead.
Can I crop just some pages?
Yes. Choose a page range like 1-3, 5 and only those pages are cropped. The rest stay exactly as they are.
Does cropping reduce quality?
No. Cropping only changes the visible area — the page content is not re-rendered or re-compressed.
What if my margins are too large?
The tool refuses margins that would leave almost nothing on a page and shows a clear error, so you can reduce them and try again.
What if my PDF is password-protected?
Password-protected PDFs can't be opened in the browser, so pages can't be cropped here. Remove the password in your PDF reader first.
Can I crop a PDF on my phone?
Yes. The cropper works on phone and desktop browsers — set margins, check the preview, and download the cropped file.