This is useful in many situations, such as when you want to share a filled form but don't want the recipients to change anything on it. The output PDF is a flat PDF with no interactive elements. You can also rename the file to preserve the original. When you click the 'Print' button, it will ask you for the target folder to save the file in. Step 3.Ĭhange any parameters that you need to, such as orientation, page range, size, and so on.

Make sure you change the Printer name to Adobe PDF. Use the 'File' ? 'Print' menu to summon the 'Print' dialog.

Open the PDF to be flattened in Adobe Acrobat DC, Pro DC, or an older version. That method is a little more complex, so we're showing you the simple way. Technically, this is a shortcut because you can also use the PDF Optimizer feature in Acrobat to flatten the contents of a PDF. In short, you're exporting the file to a printer and saving it again as a simple PDF with no layers. The easiest way is to use the Print PDF module in Adobe to do this.

There are a couple of ways to flatten PDFs in Adobe Acrobat, even old versions. How do you share that without the recipient being able to change the data? That's where the feature to flatten PDF in Acrobat DC comes in handy. The feature is extremely useful when you have interactive elements in a PDF but you don't want them to remain interactive when distributing the file to a larger audience, especially online.įor instance, let's say you have an interactive form with specific data filled in and certain options selected in drop-downs, checklists, or radio buttons. The Adobe Flatten PDF function is a feature in Adobe Acrobat DC and Pro DC that allows you to remove layering in a PDF document and render it as a printable file.

Adobe acrobat pro dc flatten pdf