Merge PDF
Combine PDFs and reorder pages by dragging. Nothing is uploaded.
Crop PDF
Trim margins by changing the page box, not the content.
What it does. Cropping a PDF changes the CropBox — the rectangle a viewer displays — without altering the content. The material outside it is still in the file and comes straight back if the box is reset. That makes cropping non-destructive — and it means cropping is not a way to hide anything.
Runs in your browserNothing uploadsNo signupWorks offline
How to use Crop PDF
- Drop in the PDF and drag the crop area, or set margins numerically.
- Apply to one page, a range, or all.
- Export.
A PDF page has several boxes
| Box | What it means |
|---|---|
| MediaBox | The physical page — always present |
| CropBox | What a viewer displays. Cropping sets this |
| BleedBox | Includes bleed for commercial printing |
| TrimBox | The finished size after trimming |
| ArtBox | The extent of meaningful content |
Most PDFs define only a MediaBox, and viewers fall back to it when there is no CropBox. Print workflows use TrimBox and BleedBox, which is why a press-ready file shows crop marks and a 3mm border that a "crop to trim" setting removes.
Cropping hides, it does not delete
This is the important limitation and it is regularly misunderstood. Content outside the CropBox remains in the file — it is simply not displayed.
Anyone can reset the box and see it, in one step, with no special tools. Whether copying text returns it varies: some readers clip extraction to the crop box, others read the whole content stream — so whether the hidden text leaks depends on which software opens the file, not on you.
So cropping to remove a letterhead, a signature or a name at the margin does not remove it. That needs the same treatment as any redaction: remove the content, or flatten the page to an image.
When cropping is the right tool
Reading a paper on a tablet, where large margins waste most of the screen. Removing scanner borders. Preparing pages for a two-up print layout.
All of these are display problems, which is exactly what the CropBox is for.
One caution: cropping changes the page dimensions viewers report, so a cropped page sent to print will be scaled differently. If the document is going to a printer, crop for the printer's spec rather than for reading.
Frequently asked questions
Does cropping delete the content outside the crop?
No. It changes the CropBox — the rectangle viewers display. The content is still in the file and comes straight back when the box is reset, so nothing has actually been removed.
Can I use cropping to hide sensitive information?
No. Anyone can reset the crop box and see it in one step. Some readers also return the hidden text when you copy, depending on whether they clip extraction to the crop box. That needs real redaction — removing the content or flattening the page to an image.
What is the difference between MediaBox and CropBox?
MediaBox is the physical page and is always present. CropBox is what a viewer displays, and falls back to MediaBox when absent. Cropping sets the CropBox.
Can I undo a crop?
Yes, by resetting the CropBox to the MediaBox. Because nothing was deleted, the original page comes back intact.
Will cropping affect printing?
It changes the page dimensions a printer sees, so the page will be scaled differently. If the document is going to print, crop to the printer's specification rather than for on-screen reading.