Crop a PDF

Cut away scanner borders and wide white margins so each page fits its content. Trim all sides equally, or fine tune a single edge.

Files are never uploaded

How to use it

Add your PDF

Drop the document onto the box above, or click to browse. The same trim is applied to every page.

Work out how much to remove

A point is one seventy-second of an inch. A thin scanner border is usually 10 to 20 points; a fat white margin can be 40 points or more.

Set the equal margin

Start with the single value so all four sides are trimmed by the same amount. This fixes most scans and print-to-PDF exports in one go.

Fine tune a single side

If the border is heavier on one edge, open the advanced options and fill in just that side. Once any side value is present, it replaces the equal margin completely.

Download the cropped PDF

Press Crop PDF, then save the result. Check a page in your reader, because some viewers ignore the crop until the file is reopened.

Common issues

Cropping is not redaction

Content pulled outside the crop box is hidden, not removed, and a reader can recover it. If the goal is to hide a name or a number, delete those pages instead.

Margins that add up to more than the page

Top plus bottom must be smaller than the page height, and left plus right smaller than the width. Combine the per-side values with care to avoid a rejected crop.

Per-side values override the equal margin

Filling in any of the four individual boxes replaces the single equal value completely. Leave all four blank to use the equal margin on its own.

Front and back of a scan need opposite margins

The two sides of a scanned sheet often carry the border on different edges. Spot check both before you accept the result.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is a point?
A point is one seventy-second of an inch, the unit PDFs use for layout. 18 points is about 6 mm and 72 points is one inch.
Is the trimmed content deleted?
No. Cropping changes the visible area of the page, and anything outside it stays in the file but hidden. It can be restored by resetting the crop, so never use cropping to hide confidential information.
What happens if I crop too much?
The tool refuses a crop that would leave a page smaller than 10 points in either direction, so you get a clear error instead of a blank document. Reduce the margins and try again.
Does cropping change the printed page size?
Yes. The sheet prints at the cropped size, which is usually the point — a scan with a fat border becomes a tidy page.
Can different pages be cropped by different amounts?
Not in one run; the same margins apply to every page. For mixed page sizes, split the document, crop the parts separately, then merge them back.
Why does my page look unchanged?
Some viewers keep showing the original box until the file is reopened. Close and reopen it, or open it in a browser tab, to confirm the crop was applied.
Can I remove a black scanner edge?
Yes. Raise the margin until the dark strip falls outside the crop box. Start with the top and left values, where scanner shading is usually heaviest.
Can it add white space instead?
No, cropping only removes. To add a border, rebuild the pages with the JPG to PDF tool and a margin around your images.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The crop is applied in your browser and the result is saved straight to your downloads.

Related tools

Send us feedback

Something broken, or unclear? Tell us and we will look at it.

About this page. Written and maintained by the AI-Mind team. Last reviewed 11 October 2026. This tool runs entirely in your browser. Found an error or have a suggestion? Use the feedback form above or email [email protected].