Altto
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Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browser

Crop the margins on a PDF.

This free crop PDF tool trims excess white space from every page in one pass — pick a size and get back a tighter PDF, without a single page leaving your device. Password-protected PDFs need unlocking first.

Not uploaded — nobody sees it Trims every page equally No watermark, ever No subscription or account
Your file is never uploaded — it’s processed right here in this browser tab, on your device. It never reaches a server, so we never see it, copy it or keep it.

Crop page

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At a glance

Crop PDF: quick facts

Trim the margins of a PDF, on every page or just one.

Updated

Price
Free. No sign-up, no watermark.
Options
Small, Medium or Large trim on all pages, or drag a crop box on any single page.
How
Sets a smaller visible page size; the trimmed edge is hidden, not deleted.
File size
Usually about the same. Use Compress PDF to make it smaller.
Privacy
Your file is processed in your browser and never uploaded.
How it works

How to crop the margins off a PDF

Choose Small, Medium or Large to trim the same margin from every side of every page, or draw your own crop box on any page and apply it to that page or to all of them.

  1. 01

    Add your PDF

    Drop in the PDF you want to trim.

  2. 02

    Pick a trim size

    Choose Small, Medium or Large — the margin removed from every side of every page.

  3. 03

    Save your PDF

    Get back the same document with tighter margins on every page.

Tips

Tips for cropping PDF pages

Cropping moves the visible edge of each page, so a little care stops you trimming off something you need.

  • Know what each size trimsSmall takes about 6 mm off every side, Medium about 13 mm and Large about 19 mm. Word puts headers and footers 1.25 cm from the edge by default, so Medium or Large can clip page numbers and footers. Start small.
  • Cropping hides, it doesn’t deleteThe trimmed area is no longer shown or printed, but it’s still inside the file, and editing software can bring it back. Never crop to hide private details such as account numbers; remove them from the original document instead.
  • Use a custom box for scansScans often have a dark strip or the scanner lid along one edge only. Open the crop tool on a page and drag the box to cut just that side, then tick “Apply this crop to every page” if they all match.
  • Crop first, number afterwardsAdd Page Numbers places numbers about 1 cm in from the edge of the page. Crop first and number afterwards, so the numbers sit inside the new, tighter edge instead of being trimmed off.

Like every Altto tool, this runs on your device — nothing you add is uploaded. How Altto works

72

points make an inch (2.54 cm), the unit PDF pages are measured in. Small, Medium and Large trim a quarter, a half and three quarters of an inch from each side.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What the crop tool can and can’t do. Pages the wrong way round? Fix them first with Rotate PDF.

Does this crop every page the same amount?
Yes — the margin you choose is trimmed equally from all four sides of every page.
Can I crop just one page, or an odd shape instead of a uniform margin?
Yes. Below the trim-margin buttons, each page in your PDF gets its own preview — open the crop tool on any page to drag a freeform box exactly where you want it, on that page only or applied to every page at once.
Will cropping remove content, or just hide it?
It sets a smaller visible page size (both the crop box and media box), so the trimmed margin is removed from what’s shown and printed.
What if Large trims off content I need?
Try Small or Medium instead, or re-upload your original file — Altto never modifies the file on your device, only the copy it hands back to you.
Can I crop a password-protected PDF?
Not directly — unlock it first with our Unlock PDF tool, then crop it here.
Does cropping make the file smaller?
Usually not by much. The trimmed margins are hidden rather than removed, so everything that was on the page stays in the file. If you need a smaller file, use Compress PDF, which shrinks the photos and scans inside it.
Can I crop pages to an exact paper size, such as A5?
Not directly. Cropping trims the edges, so each page ends up whatever size is left once the margins are gone. To fit a document onto a particular paper size, print it with your viewer’s fit-to-page option and choose that size in the print dialog.
Will a cropped PDF print differently?
The printer only sees the smaller page. With fit-to-page switched on, it’s enlarged a little to fill the paper; without it, it prints at its real size with extra white space around it. Check the preview in your print dialog to see which you’ll get.
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