PDF Guides

Clear, practical tutorials to get the most out of your PDF documents: reduce their size, protect them, merge, convert or sign them — with free tools that respect the confidentiality of your files.

How to reduce a PDF's file size without losing quality
Lossless compression, removing unneeded pages, metadata, images: every technique that actually works to slim down an oversized PDF — without uploading it anywhere.
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How to protect a PDF with a password
AES encryption, open vs owner passwords, print and copy permissions: everything you need to lock down a sensitive document without sending it online.
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How to merge multiple PDFs into a single file
Rental applications, job applications, invoicing: the complete method to combine several PDFs into one well-ordered document — with no limits and no watermark.
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How to convert a Word document to PDF
CV, thesis, contract: why PDF is the right format to send, how to convert a .docx cleanly, and the checks to run before you hit Send.
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How to sign a PDF online, without printing or scanning
Draw your signature with a mouse or finger and place it on the right page in thirty seconds — no printer, no scanner, and the document never leaves your device.
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PDF tools with no upload: the private alternative to iLovePDF and SmallPDF
Why most online PDF tools send your files to a server — and how to do almost everything locally, with no upload.
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Redact a PDF: permanently remove text (not just hide it)
A black box is not enough: the text often stays copyable underneath. Here is how to redact a PDF for good.
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Edit a sensitive PDF (HR, legal, medical) without putting it online
Fix a typo, fill a field, hide a line: how to edit a confidential PDF entirely in your browser.
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Compress a PDF to send it by email (Gmail and Outlook limits)
Gmail caps at 25 MB, Outlook at 20 MB. Here is how to get an oversized PDF under the limit without losing readability.
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Delete one or more pages from a PDF
Remove a blank page, an annex or a duplicate from a PDF, with no software and no upload.
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