PDF guides

Short, practical articles about working with PDFs without handing them to someone else's server.

• Is it safe to upload a PDF to an online tool? What happens to a PDF after you upload it, how long two big sites keep it, and when a tool that runs in your browser is the safer choice.
• How to check that a PDF tool doesn't upload your files Anyone can test whether a PDF tool really keeps your file on your device. Three checks, a few minutes, no special software.
• How to merge PDF files without uploading them Combine several PDFs into one in your browser, put them in the right order, and keep every file on your own device. Steps, limits and tips.
• How to make a PDF small enough to email A PDF that an email system rejects is usually full of images. What lossless compression can and cannot do, and what to try when it barely helps.
• How to redact a PDF properly A black box over text only hides it. Here is how to remove the words from the file for real, what to expect on scans, and a quick test to prove it worked.
• How to password protect a PDF Lock a PDF with a password in your browser, add limits on printing and copying when you need them, and avoid the mistakes that make the lock pointless.
• How to remove metadata from a PDF before you share it PDFs carry author names, dates and software tags nobody typed. See what yours says, what each clean-up tool removes, and what it leaves behind.
• An alternative to iLovePDF and Smallpdf with no uploads How PDFLocal compares with iLovePDF and Smallpdf on where your file goes and how long it stays there, using what each site says itself.