Runs in your browser. Your files and text never leave your device - nothing is uploaded.
What this Crop PDF tool actually does
This is a free PDF cropper, also called a PDF page cropper or PDF document cropper, that trims a fixed margin off every page of a PDF file. Whether you need to crop PDF pages, remove PDF margins, or just trim PDF pages down to a tighter layout, it works the same way: draw the area to keep on a preview of the first page, or enter how many points to remove from the top, bottom, left, and right, and every page in the document gets that same crop applied in one pass.
It adjusts each page's crop box, the standard PDF property that controls what is visible, rather than re-rendering the page, so this free PDF cropper trims a PDF file without touching the underlying text or image resolution.
How to crop a PDF
- 1
Upload your PDF
Choose one PDF or drop it on the upload area. A preview of the first page appears, with a starting crop of 20 points per side.
- 2
Draw the area to keep
Drag across the preview to draw the area you want to keep, or type how many points to trim from the top, bottom, left, and right. Choose whether to crop every page or only page 1.
- 3
Crop the PDF
pdf-lib recalculates the crop box for every page in one pass, on your own device.
- 4
Download your cropped PDF
Save the result, named with "-cropped" added automatically.
Because only the crop box changes, the job takes about the same moment for a 3-page form as for a 300-page scan, and it all happens in this browser tab rather than on a server.
How to crop a PDF without Adobe or extra software
Trimming margins usually means opening a full PDF editor, but this cropper needs only a browser. The Tools Kit's PDF cropper runs entirely inside your browser tab: choose your file, draw or type your margins, download the result. You will not be asked to sign up, and if the first crop is off, simply run the original again with adjusted numbers.
Because the crop happens on your device rather than a server, it also works as a private way to trim PDF pages when the document is not something you want to upload anywhere.
Draw the crop or type exact margins
The first page appears as a preview once you choose a file. Drag across it to draw the area you want to keep; the shaded edges show what will be trimmed, and the four margin boxes fill in as you draw. For an exact crop, type the values instead. The same four values apply to every page, or to page 1 only if you choose. That makes it fast and predictable for uniform documents, like a batch of scans with the same border, but it is not the tool to reach for if every page needs a different crop.
A workaround for mixed documents: pull the pages that need a different crop into their own file with Split PDF, crop each file with its own values, then put them back together with Merge PDF. And if a page is the wrong way round rather than too wide, fix it with Rotate PDF before cropping, because top, bottom, left, and right refer to the page as it is stored.
Understanding points, and converting from inches or millimeters
Margins here are entered in points, the standard PDF unit, and there is no inches or millimeters toggle in the interface, though the preview shows the first page's size in both points and millimeters. Since 72 points equal one inch and about 28.35 points equal one centimeter, converting is simple: a half-inch margin is 36 points, a one-inch margin is 72 points, and a one-centimeter margin is about 28 points. A US Letter page measures 612 by 792 points; an A4 page measures 595 by 842 points.
Crop PDF terms explained
Cropping vocabulary comes from print and photo editing, where a crop usually destroys what it cuts. In a PDF it works differently, so here is what each term means for this tool.
| Term | What it means here |
|---|---|
| PDF margins | The blank space around the edge of a page that this tool trims away |
| Page boundaries / page dimensions | The visible width and height of a page, set by its crop box |
| Crop box | The standard PDF property that defines what part of a page is shown or printed |
| Crop area | The region left after trimming, defined here by the four margin values you enter |
| Document margins | Another name for the space being trimmed from every page at once |
| Trim area | The strip removed from a given side, measured in points |
| Page layout | How content sits within the page boundaries; unaffected by cropping since only the boundary moves |
Cropping on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android
Cropping a PDF on Windows, cropping a PDF on Mac, cropping a PDF on iPhone, and cropping a PDF on Android use the same four number fields, which suits a phone well: there is no crop frame to nudge with a fingertip, just values typed on the keypad. On a desktop, keep the PDF open in a viewer beside the browser so you can measure the border you want gone before entering it here.
Is it free, and is my file safe?
Cropping is free and leaves no trace of the tool on your pages: no watermark, no logo, and nothing added in the trimmed margin.
Because the crop happens on your own device, your PDF is never uploaded to a server. One privacy point specific to cropping is worth knowing, though: the trimmed area is hidden, not erased, so cropping is not a safe way to remove an account number or a signature from a page before sharing it.
Common uses
- Removing excess white space around a scanned page before sharing it
- Cutting off scanner edge artifacts or registration marks left after digitizing a document
- Trimming a PDF's borders for a tighter print layout
- Tightening margins on a document before uploading it to a portal with strict page-size limits
- Removing a fax header or footer strip added when a form was scanned or transmitted
Cropping PDF documents for the USA, Canada, and UK
Trimming a page down to just its content matters most when a portal has strict upload rules or a scanned form carries extra margins. Resubmitted scans are where this shows up most:
- USA: a US visa form or a US job application scanned with a wide fax header can be trimmed before resubmitting, and the same applies to other US government paperwork.
- Canada: Canadian immigration paperwork or a Canadian government document scanned with a registration mark or border can be cropped the same way before it goes back into a portal.
- UK: a UK visa document or an HMRC form scanned with a wide margin, or with a fax banner across the top, crops down cleanly before resubmitting.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The crop is applied by your own browser, so there is nothing to meter: no signup, no watermark on the trimmed pages, and no cap on how many times you re-crop the original with different margin values until it looks right.
Points, the standard PDF unit, where 72 points equal one inch and about 28.35 points equal one centimeter. There is no inch or millimeter selector, so either draw the crop on the preview or convert first: a half-inch margin is 36 points, a one-centimeter margin is about 28.
You can crop every page the same way, or crop page 1 only, using the Apply to choice. There is no separate crop for each of the other pages; for that, split the PDF, crop each part, and merge them back together.
Both work. Once you choose a PDF, the first page appears as a preview: drag across it to draw the area you want to keep, and the shaded edges are what gets trimmed. The margin boxes update as you draw, so you can fine-tune them by typing.
Yes, visually. Cropping shrinks the visible page dimensions by the margins you remove, which is how most people mean "change PDF page size" when the goal is trimming borders rather than resizing to a different paper size like A4 or Letter.
It adjusts the visible crop box rather than deleting anything. Some PDF tools can still access the trimmed area, but it will not display or print by default once cropped.
Yes. A scanned PDF crops the same way as any other PDF, since the crop box change applies to the page boundary regardless of whether the page holds real text or a scanned image.
Yes. No installer, no account. The crop box is rewritten by a PDF library that loads with this page, so you can remove PDF margins without Adobe Acrobat, a desktop PDF editor, or any other software.
The tool keeps at least a 10-point margin on each dimension, so an aggressive setting never shrinks the crop box to zero or a negative size.
Not while it is locked. A password-protected PDF cannot be opened by pdf-lib, so remove the password first by opening it and saving an unprotected copy, then crop that copy.
No. Cropping only moves the visible boundary; the underlying text and image resolution are untouched, so nothing is re-compressed or re-rendered.
No. pdf-lib adjusts each page's crop box entirely in your browser, so your PDF stays on your device and is never sent to a server.
Yes. Pick the PDF from your Files app or downloads, then draw the crop on the page preview with your finger or type the four values on the number keypad. The -cropped copy saves to your downloads; open it in your phone's PDF viewer to check every page.
Need to remove whole pages rather than trim their edges? Delete PDF Pages drops them by number. Cropping does not shrink the file, since the hidden content stays inside, so use Compress PDF if size is the goal. Planning to number the pages with Add Page Numbers to PDF? It places numbers about 28 points in from the page's original edge, so keep the crop on that side below 28 points or the new numbers will be hidden too. Trimming a photo instead of a document? The Image Cropper handles JPG and PNG files. The rest of the document tools are on the PDF tools page.
Reviewed by Raja Jahangir · Last reviewed: October 7, 2026
How do you crop the margins of a PDF?
To crop a PDF, upload it, then draw the area to keep on the page preview or type how many points to trim from each side; the default is 20 points, about 7 mm. Click Crop PDF and the file downloads with a new crop box; the content is kept, so the crop can be undone.
How many points is one inch in a PDF?
A PDF point is 1/72 of an inch, so 72 points equals one inch and 28.35 points equals one centimetre. To trim a half-inch margin enter 36 points; for a one-centimetre margin enter 28. A US Letter page is 612 by 792 points and an A4 page is 595 by 842 points.