PDF guides
Short, practical how-tos for everyday PDF jobs, each with the tool to do it.
How to make a PDF smaller for email
Why PDFs get too big to attach, which compression level to pick for contracts, scans and brochures, and what to do when a file is still too large.
How to scan documents to PDF with your phone
Turn paper into a clean PDF with just your phone camera: how to take photos that read well, put the pages in order, and make the text searchable.
How to combine photos into one PDF
Put JPG, PNG and other images into a single PDF in the order you want: page size, fitting, keeping full photo quality, and iPhone HEIC photos.
How to password-protect a PDF
Lock a PDF so only people with the password can open it, or let anyone read it while blocking printing, copying or editing, and share the password safely.
How to make a scanned PDF searchable
Ctrl+F finds nothing and you cannot copy a word? The PDF is a picture of text. Here is how OCR adds real text to it, and how to get accurate results.
How to redact a PDF so the text is really gone
A black box over text does not remove it: anyone can copy it out. How real redaction works, how to do it, and how to check the result before you send it.
Why PDF to Word gives an empty document (and the fix)
Converted a PDF to Word and got blank pages? The PDF is almost certainly a scan. How to check, and how to get an editable document in two steps.
How to convert a scanned bank statement to Excel
Stop typing figures from statements by hand. Turn a scanned or photographed statement into a spreadsheet with OCR and PDF to Excel, and check it.
How to compare two versions of a contract
Got a "final" draft back? See exactly which words were added or removed between two PDF versions before you sign, instead of rereading both.
How to sign a PDF without printing it
No printer, no scanner: add your signature to a PDF in the browser on your phone or computer, and ask other people to sign it too, for free.
Is it safe to upload PDFs to an online converter?
What happens to a PDF you upload to a free online tool, the questions to ask before you do, and how Papermint answers each one.
How to remove a password from a PDF you own
Tired of typing the password every time you open your own PDF? Save an unlocked copy in a minute, as long as you know the password.