PDF Crop
Trim PDF margins by an exact amount - free.
Your PDF is cropped inside this page. It is never uploaded.
What this tool does
Choose a PDF, set how many points to trim from the top, bottom, left and right, and download a copy with those margins removed from every page.
Trims a specified margin from each side of every page in a PDF, measured in points (72 points = 1 inch).
Calculates the crop from each page's own actual dimensions, so a document mixing page sizes crops correctly throughout rather than using one page's measurements for all of them.
Skips (and reports) any page too small for the requested margins, rather than producing an invalid zero or negative page size.
Sets each page's crop box - the region a viewer displays - without touching its underlying content or its full media box, so cropping is a metadata change rather than a re-render of the page.
Re-parses the original file fresh every time you click, the same approach the page-numbers tool uses, so cropping again with different margins starts from the original page size instead of compounding onto an already-cropped box.
How to use it
- Choose a PDF.
- Set the margin to trim from each side, in points.
- Download the cropped PDF.
Why use this tool
Wide margins waste space on screen and in print, and cropping with an editor is slow. Trimming exact amounts from every page cleans a document quickly.
Why we built it
We built the PDF crop tool to calculate the crop from each page's own size instead of assuming the first page's. Rotate first with rotate PDF and shrink the file with compress PDF.
Who this tool is for
- People trimming scanner borders or wide margins
- Readers preparing a PDF for a small screen
- Designers tidying exports
When to use it
- Removing scan margins.
- Preparing pages for tablets or e-readers.
- Cutting headers or footers.
- Making pages tighter for printing.
Why margins are entered in points, not inches or a preset
Points are the unit a PDF's own page geometry is defined in.
A PDF page's dimensions are defined internally in points, where 72 points equal one inch - so entering a crop margin directly in points avoids a rounding conversion and lines up exactly with the units your PDF is already measured in. An eighth-inch margin is 9 points; a full inch is 72 - a quick reference rather than needing a separate unit converter first.
Cropping hides content - it doesn't delete it
A crop box changes what's displayed, not what's actually stored in the file.
Cropping here works by setting each page's crop box, which is the region a PDF viewer actually displays - it's a separate value from the page's underlying media box, which still describes the page's full original size and everything drawn on it. That means the text and images outside your new crop margins aren't removed from the file at all; a compliant viewer simply won't show them. Because of that, this isn't a way to redact or permanently strip out sensitive content near a page's edge - someone who expands the crop box back out, or opens the file with a tool that ignores it, can still see what was trimmed away.
What you give it, and what you get back
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Input | One PDF. |
| Options | Margin to trim from each side, in points. |
| Output | A cropped PDF. |
Issues you may run into
| What you see | Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| An error mentions encryption | The PDF is password protected. | Unlock it first with the Unlock PDF tool. |
| Page unchanged | It was too small for the margins. | Use smaller margins. |
| Content is cut off | The margin is too large. | Reduce the trim. |
Assumptions and limitations
- An encrypted or password-protected PDF can't be read and cropped - it needs to be unlocked first.
- A page too small for the requested margins is left uncropped rather than cropped to an invalid size, and this tool tells you when that happens.
Frequently asked questions
How do I crop a PDF's margins for free?
Choose your PDF, set how many points to trim from each side, and download the result.
How many points is a normal margin?
72 points equal one inch, so a typical half-inch margin is 36 points, and a quarter-inch is 18.
What happens if my margins are too large for a page?
That page is skipped and left uncropped rather than being shrunk to an invalid size, and the tool tells you which pages were affected.
Does this work with password-protected PDFs?
No - an encrypted PDF needs to be unlocked first before it can be read and cropped.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. Cropping happens entirely in your browser - your file is never sent to a server.
Does cropping delete the trimmed content, or just hide it?
Just hide it. Cropping sets the page's crop box, the region a PDF viewer displays - the actual content outside that box is still stored in the file, so this isn't a way to redact or permanently remove sensitive material.
Does cropping re-render or rasterize my PDF pages?
No - it only changes each page's crop box metadata. Nothing is rasterized or redrawn, so text stays selectable and there's no quality loss.