Crop the margins of a PDF
To crop a PDF, drop it in and enter how much to remove from the top, bottom, left and right, or click auto-detect to find the white borders. The preview darkens the area that will be cut. Apply it to all pages or just odd or even ones, then download. Nothing is uploaded.
- ✅ Free
- 🔒 No sign-up
- 📱 Works on mobile
- ⚡ Instant results
🔒 Everything runs in your browser. Your data and files never leave your device.
📌 Key facts
- Cropping a PDF resets the visible page frame (CropBox and MediaBox); the text and images stay inside the file.
- Margins are set in millimeters, with a preview that darkens the cut area and a red frame for the final page.
- Auto-detect measures the content of the page on screen to remove white borders.
- You can crop all pages, only even pages or only odd pages.
- The file stays on your device, so nothing is uploaded.
How to crop a PDF
Cropping shrinks the visible area of each page. The tool resets the page frame (CropBox and MediaBox): text and images stay intact, only the window changes.
- Enter the margins to remove in millimeters, or click "Detect white borders" to measure the content of the page shown.
- Check the preview: the darkened area will be removed, and the red frame is the final page.
- Choose the pages (all, even, odd) and apply.
\[ \text{final width} = \text{original width} - \text{left margin} - \text{right margin} \]
Common page sizes
| Format | Inches | Millimeters |
|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 8.5 × 11 in | 216 × 279 mm |
| US Legal | 8.5 × 14 in | 216 × 356 mm |
| A4 | 8.27 × 11.69 in | 210 × 297 mm |
| 5 × 7 in photo | 5 × 7 in | 127 × 178 mm |
A Letter scan with a 10 mm white edge on every side comes out at about 196 × 259 mm once cropped.
Cropping does not erase what it hides
The trimmed content is hidden but can stay inside the file. If the removed area holds sensitive information, use the redaction tool, which truly deletes content. Rotated pages are handled: margins always match what you see on screen.
Crop PDF use cases you will actually meet
People crop a PDF most often after scanning. For example, a letter sheet on a flatbed scanner leaves a gray or white edge on every side. Then one setting cleans every page at once.
- Scans with borders: click auto-detect, then check the red frame in the preview.
- Binding margin: apply a different margin to even and odd pages.
- Document excerpt: keep only a table or a signature block and cut the rest.
- Printing: remove a wide margin so the text fills the sheet better.
How to set PDF margins without cutting text
Start with small values. When you remove 0.2 in, you see the effect in the preview right away. Then add a little more if the edge still shows.
| Situation | Suggested setting |
|---|---|
| Clean Letter scan | Auto-detect, then add a small safety gap |
| Photo of a page | Manual margins, no auto-detect |
| Scanned book | Even and odd pages one after the other |
| Rotated page | Margins follow what you see on screen |
Finally, leave a little air around the text. If you cut too close, the page feels cramped when you read it.
Before and after: related PDF tools
Cropping does not change page order. If a page sits sideways, use rotate PDF first. To rearrange or delete pages, open organize PDF. Then add a footer with add page numbers to PDF.
Do you need to hide sensitive information? Cropping is not enough, because the content stays in the file. In that case, choose redact PDF. Last, if you start from a phone photo, run scan to PDF before you crop.
Practical questions before you crop a PDF
Before you crop a PDF, open the file and look at a page packed with content. If the text almost touches the edge, choose small margins. Then check the preview on the fullest page, because it limits how much you can trim.
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Does the text change? | No, only the visible frame moves |
| Do pages keep the same size? | Yes, if you use the same margins everywhere |
| Can I crop only half of the pages? | Yes, with even or odd pages |
| Does the file go online? | No, everything stays on your device |
If you do not like the result, start again from the original file. That way you always keep an intact base. Finally, name the new version clearly, for example by adding "cropped" to the file name.
To finish, open the cropped PDF in your usual viewer. That way you spot a margin that is too tight before you send it. If you send the file to a print shop, keep the original too, because the shop may ask for safety margins. So you can always start over.
3 real-life examples
Remove dark scanner edges
Your scan has an 8 mm dark edge on the top and right. Enter 8 in Top and Right: the preview shows the cut zone, and the page goes from 216 × 279 to 208 × 271 mm.
Hug the content of a screenshot
A screenshot printed to PDF leaves wide white margins. Click auto-detect, check the result, then apply to all pages.
Trim a binder strip on odd pages
Crop 12 mm from the left on odd pages only, to remove a scanned binder-hole strip.