About Crop PDF
FreeToolr Crop PDF cuts visible margins from PDF pages without sending your file to a server. You can enter top, right, bottom, and left margins in millimetres or percentages. Apply the same crop to every page, or list only the pages you want to change. A page 1 preview helps you check the result before processing.
The tool sets each page's MediaBox and CropBox, so PDF viewers and printers show the smaller page. Content outside the crop stays in the PDF but remains hidden from view. This differs from redaction, permanent content removal, resizing, and compression. Processing runs in your browser, and the finished PDF downloads straight to your device. That gives you a simple way to trim scanned documents, reports, forms, and pages with wide borders while keeping selectable PDF content intact.
How to use it
- 1Select a PDF from your device.
- 2Enter the top, right, bottom, and left margins in millimetres or percentages.
- 3Choose all pages or list the pages to crop.
- 4Check the page 1 preview, then create and download the cropped PDF.
Worked example
For a US Letter page with coordinates [0,0,612,792], cropping 10 mm from every side uses about 28.346 PDF units per side. The new page box is [28.346,28.346,583.654,763.654].
How it works
Original page box: [x0, y0, x1, y1]
Width: W = x1 - x0
Height: H = y1 - y0
Margins measured from the page: left = L, right = R, bottom = B, top = T
New page MediaBox and CropBox: [x0 + L, y0 + B, x1 - R, y1 - T]
New visible width: W' = W - L - R
New visible height: H' = H - T - B
Validity checks: L + R < W, B + T < H, xLL < xUR, yLL < yUR
For percentage margins, L = pL x W, R = pR x W, B = pB x H, and T = pT x H.
Unit conversions: points = inches x 72; points = millimetres x 72 / 25.4; inches = millimetres / 25.4; 1 inch = 25.4 mm.
Example: 10 mm = 28.3464567 default PDF user-space unitsThe PDF standard defines the CropBox as the displayed and printed page regionContent outside it is hidden, not deletedSource: ISO 32000-1 PDF specificationAdobe PDF Reference: Page Boundaries. Last checked 4 November 2026.
What it is good for
- Use millimetres or percentages for precise margin cuts.
- Apply one crop to all pages or only the pages you list.
- Keep files on your device while processing in the browser.
- Cropping hides content outside the page box but does not permanently delete it.
- Cropping usually does not reduce file size because the original page content remains in the PDF.
Questions people ask
What does Crop PDF do?
It changes the visible page boundary by setting the page MediaBox and CropBox. PDF viewers and printers show the smaller page, while content outside the crop stays hidden.
Does cropping permanently delete PDF content?
No. This tool hides content outside the crop. Use a dedicated redaction or sanitization tool when you need permanent removal of sensitive information.
Can I crop every PDF page at once?
Yes. Enter the four margins and apply them to all pages. You can also list specific pages instead.
Can I crop only selected pages?
Yes. List the pages you want to change. Pages not listed keep their existing page boundaries.
Should I use millimetres or percentages?
Use millimetres when you need a fixed physical margin. Use percentages when you want the margin to scale with each page's width and height.
Will cropping reduce my PDF file size?
Usually not. The crop changes what viewers and printers show, but content outside the crop remains in the file.
Does FreeToolr upload my PDF?
No. Crop PDF runs in your browser, so the file is not uploaded. The processed result downloads straight to your device.
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