30 practical guides
PDF guides for real jobs
Each guide answers one specific question, walks through it step by step with the right tools, and explains what is going on underneath, so you know what to check before you send the file.
Convert to PDF
Getting photos, Office files, emails, Markdown and spreadsheets into a PDF that looks right everywhere.
Convert to PDF
Combine JPG Photos into One PDF
Put several JPG photos into a single PDF in the order you choose, on any device, without uploading them. Page size, quality and file size explained.
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Convert iPhone HEIC Photos to PDF
Turn HEIC photos from an iPhone or iPad into a PDF that opens on Windows, Android and any upload form, the right way up. Plus how to stop getting HEIC.
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Convert a Markdown README to PDF
Turn a README.md or Markdown notes into a formatted PDF with real headings, lists, tables and code blocks. What renders, what doesn't, and image fixes.
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Save an Email as a PDF for Your Records
Keep a permanent PDF of an email with its sender, recipients, date and subject. How to get the .eml file from Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail or Thunderbird.
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PowerPoint to PDF Without Speaker Notes
Convert a PowerPoint deck to a PDF that shows only the slides, with speaker notes left out. What else changes in a PDF, and how to drop slides.
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Convert a CSV File to a Printable PDF Table
Turn a CSV export into a tidy PDF table you can print or send to someone without a spreadsheet app. Delimiters, wide tables and encoding explained.
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Word to PDF Without Changing the Formatting
Convert a Word document to PDF so fonts, page breaks and tables stay where you put them. Why layouts shift, and how to check before you submit.
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Getting text, tables and images back out of a PDF, including scans, so you can edit and reuse them.
Convert from PDF
Convert a Scanned PDF to Editable Word
Turn a scanned PDF into a Word document you can edit. Why scans need OCR first, how to get cleaner text, and what to check before you rely on it.
Read the guideConvert from PDF
Convert a Bank Statement PDF to Excel
Get transactions from a bank or card statement PDF into Excel as real numbers. How to handle locked statements, scans and totals that don't add up.
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Extract Images From a PDF at Full Quality
Get the photos and pictures out of a PDF at their original resolution, without screenshots. When to extract images and when to save whole pages.
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Convert PDF to Markdown for a Docs Site
Turn a PDF manual, paper or report into clean Markdown for a docs site, wiki or notes app. What comes through, what to fix by hand, and alternatives.
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Extract Text From a PDF as Plain Text
Pull all the text out of a PDF into a .txt file you can search, paste, feed to a screen reader or another tool. What happens to columns, tables and scans.
Read the guideOrganize
Merging, splitting, rotating, cropping and tidying pages, all on your own device.
Organize
Merge Scanned Pages into One PDF on a Phone
Combine scanned pages or photos into a single PDF on an iPhone or Android phone, in the browser, without installing an app or uploading anything.
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Split a PDF into Separate Pages
Break a PDF into one file per page, or pull out just the pages you need, in your browser. Page range syntax, file naming and what's kept.
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Rotate Sideways Scanned Pages in a PDF
Fix scanned PDF pages that are sideways or upside down and save them the right way up, for every page or just the odd ones. No quality loss.
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Print 4 Slides per Page From a PDF
Put 2, 4, 6 or 9 slides or pages on each sheet of A4 or Letter for handouts, revision notes and proofs. Readability guide and printing tips.
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Crop PDF Margins for Reading on an E-reader
Trim the white margins from a PDF so the text fills a Kindle, Kobo or tablet screen and is larger to read. How much to crop, and what cropping hides.
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Delete Pages From a PDF
Remove blank, duplicate or unwanted pages from a PDF and keep the rest untouched. Type page numbers or delete by sight, in your browser.
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Remove Your Name From PDF Metadata
Check and clear the author, title and other hidden properties of a PDF before you share it. What metadata reveals, and what this tool does not change.
Read the guideOptimize & secure
Making PDFs smaller, signed, locked, unlocked, archive-ready and printer-friendly.
Optimize & secure
Compress a PDF Under 10 MB for Email
Shrink a PDF below 10, 20 or 25 MB so it attaches to Gmail or Outlook. Why limits are lower than they look, and what to do if a file won't shrink.
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Make a PDF Smaller Without Losing Quality
Reduce a PDF's file size while keeping text sharp and photos clean. What lossless and lossy savings really are, and which compression level to pick.
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Remove a Password From a PDF You Can Open
Remove the password from a PDF when you already know it, so it opens without prompting. Open passwords vs permission passwords, and when to keep one.
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Sign a PDF Without Printing It
Add your signature to a PDF without printing, signing and scanning. Draw, type or upload it, place it on the line, and keep the file on your device.
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PDF/A for Archiving and Court Filing
Convert a PDF to PDF/A-2 for archives, records systems and e-filing portals. What PDF/A requires, what gets removed, and how to check a file passes.
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Add Page Numbers to a Thesis PDF
Number the pages of a thesis or dissertation PDF, including starting the count after the title page and front matter. Step-by-step with free tools.
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Flatten a Filled PDF Form So It Can't Be Edited
Lock a filled-in PDF form so the answers can't be changed and show the same in every app. What flattening does, and what it doesn't protect against.
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Grayscale a PDF to Cut Printing Costs
Convert a colour PDF to grayscale before printing to save colour toner and get predictable black-and-white output. What changes and what doesn't.
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Repair a PDF That Won't Open
Fix a PDF that shows an error, blank pages or won't open at all. What usually breaks inside a PDF, what can be recovered and what can't.
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Password-Protect a PDF Before Emailing It
Encrypt a PDF with a password before you email it, using AES-256. How to choose and share the password so the protection actually means something.
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Make a Scanned PDF Searchable with OCR
Add a hidden text layer to a scanned PDF so you can search, select and copy text, while the page looks exactly the same. Tips for better OCR results.
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