Crop a PDF — trim the white margins off every page, or just the pages you choose. Pick a PDF, enter how many millimetres to remove from the top, bottom, left and right, and download the cropped file. It runs entirely in your browser: free, no sign-in, and your file never leaves your device.
How the crop tool works
The tool reads your PDF in your own browser and trims each page you choose by the margins you enter. A margin of 10 mm on all four sides of an A4 page (595 × 842 points, or 210 × 297 mm) takes 10 mm off every edge, leaving a page of about 538 × 785 points (190 × 277 mm). The text and images inside the cropped area stay exactly where they were — only the edges are cut away — and your original file is never changed, so you can crop the same PDF again with different margins any time.
Nothing is uploaded to a server. Your PDF is processed on your own device, so it works on any connection and your documents stay private. The cropped file downloads with a clear name, for example “report-cropped.pdf”, and the tool shows the old and new page size next to the download link so you can check the result at a glance.
A PDF with wide white borders wastes space on the page and on the screen — a scanned form with a thick frame, a slide deck exported with generous margins, or a document that was printed and scanned back with a grey edge. The Crop PDF tool trims those margins away: you choose a PDF, say how many millimetres to remove from the top, bottom, left and right, and download a cropped file. It runs entirely in your browser: free, no sign-in, and your file never leaves your device.
Cropping is not the same as deleting pages or shrinking text. The words and images inside the area you keep stay exactly where they were, at exactly the same size — only the edges are cut off, so the page itself becomes smaller. Your original file is never changed: the cropped file is a new copy, and you can crop the same original again with different margins whenever you like.
How to use the tool, step by step
- Step 1 — Choose a PDF. Drop a PDF file onto the box, or click it to choose one from your device. PDF files only, up to 50 MB. As soon as it loads, the tool shows the file name, how many pages it has, and the original page size — check that size before you type any margins.
- Step 2 — Enter your margins. Type how many millimetres to remove from the top, bottom, left and right. Each side is separate, so you can trim 20 mm off the top and nothing off the bottom. Two preset buttons fill in all four sides at once: “Remove 10 mm margins” and “Remove 25 mm margins”.
- Step 3 — Pick the pages (optional). Leave the pages box blank to crop every page. To crop only some pages, type page numbers separated by commas — a dash means a range: “1-3, 5” crops pages 1, 2, 3 and 5. Pages you do not list keep their original size.
- Step 4 — Check the preview, then crop. As you type, a live preview shows the new page size next to the old one, so you can see the result before anything is cropped. Press “Crop PDF” and download the new file — it is named after your original, for example “report-cropped.pdf”, and the tool shows the old and new page size next to the download link.
How margins work: millimetres and points
Margins are entered in millimetres, because that is how most people measure a page edge. Inside a PDF, page sizes are measured in points: 1 inch is 72 points and 25.4 millimetres, so 10 mm is about 28.35 points and 25.4 mm is exactly 72 points (1 inch). The tool converts your millimetres to points for you — you never need to do the maths yourself.
An A4 page is 595 × 842 points, which is 210 × 297 mm. Removing 10 mm from every side takes 20 mm off the width and 20 mm off the height, because each side loses 10 mm: the page becomes 190 × 277 mm. Removing different amounts from each side works the same way — the width loses the left margin plus the right margin, and the height loses the top margin plus the bottom margin.
- 10 mm on all sides: an A4 page (210 × 297 mm) becomes 190 × 277 mm.
- 25 mm on all sides: an A4 page (210 × 297 mm) becomes 160 × 247 mm.
- Top only, 20 mm: an A4 page stays 210 mm wide and becomes 277 mm tall.
- Left 15 mm, right 5 mm, top 10 mm, bottom 0 mm: an A4 page becomes 190 mm wide (210 − 15 − 5) and 287 mm tall (297 − 10 − 0).
Worked examples
Example 1 — an A4 page, 10 mm off every side. The page starts at 595.3 × 841.9 points (210 × 297 mm). Removing 10 mm (28.35 points) from each side leaves 595.3 − 2 × 28.35 = 538.6 points wide and 841.9 − 2 × 28.35 = 785.2 points tall — 190 × 277 mm. That is the “Remove 10 mm margins” preset, and it suits a document whose text sits comfortably inside a 10 mm frame.
Example 2 — an A4 page, 25 mm off every side. The same page starts at 595.3 × 841.9 points (210 × 297 mm). Removing 25 mm (70.87 points) from each side leaves 595.3 − 2 × 70.87 = 453.5 points wide and 841.9 − 2 × 70.87 = 700.2 points tall — 160 × 247 mm. That is the “Remove 25 mm margins” preset, and it suits a scanned page with a wide grey border all round.
Example 3 — top margin only, 20 mm, on an A4 page. Only the top is trimmed: the width stays 595.3 points (210 mm) and the height becomes 841.9 − 56.7 = 785.2 points (277 mm). Use this when a document has a tall empty header but the side margins are already tight — for example a form with a big blank space above the title.
Example 4 — a US Letter page, 10 mm off every side. A US Letter page is 612 × 792 points (215.9 × 279.4 mm). Removing 10 mm from each side leaves 612 − 56.7 = 555.3 points wide and 792 − 56.7 = 735.3 points tall — 195.9 × 259.4 mm. The same preset works on any page size; the tool always shows the original size first, so you can check it before you crop.
Example 5 — cropping only pages 1–3 and 5 of a 10-page PDF. Type “1-3, 5” in the pages box with 10 mm on all sides. Pages 1, 2, 3 and 5 are cropped to 190 × 277 mm; pages 4 and 6–10 are left at the original 210 × 297 mm. The output is still one 10-page PDF, with the cropped and uncropped pages in their original order.
Cropping selected pages
Pages are counted from 1, and ranges include both ends. “2-4” is pages 2, 3 and 4 — three pages, not two. A single number is one page: “5” is just page 5. Ranges are separated by commas, and spaces do not matter, so “1-3,5” and “1 – 3, 5” mean the same thing.
Selected-page cropping is for files where only some pages need trimming — the first page of a scan with a dark border while the rest are clean, or the cover page of a report with a wide frame. Every page you do not list is copied into the output exactly as it was, at its original size, so the page order and the page count never change.
Common mistakes
- Margins larger than the page. On an A4 page, left plus right must add up to less than 210 mm, and top plus bottom to less than 297 mm. A left margin of 150 mm and a right margin of 100 mm leaves nothing — the tool refuses and tells you to reduce them.
- All four margins at 0 mm. Nothing would change, so the tool asks for at least 0.1 mm on at least one side. If the page already looks right, it does not need cropping.
- Expecting the text to get bigger. Cropping cuts the edges off; it does not enlarge anything. The text keeps its size and only the white space around it goes. If the text itself is too small, crop first and then print or view the smaller page larger.
- Cropping the wrong pages. Check the page count the tool shows after your file loads, and keep every page in your list inside it. On a 10-page PDF, “8-12” fails because pages 11 and 12 do not exist.
- Expecting the original to change. Cropping never edits your original PDF. The cropped file is a new download — keep the original until you have checked the cropped file opens correctly.
- Password-protected files need unlocking first. The tool cannot open a PDF that asks for a password. Open it with the password and save an unprotected copy, then crop that copy.
Related tools
The crop PDF tool sits in the File & Image group, and its companion tools cover the rest of a PDF workflow.
- Compress PDF — make a PDF file smaller after you have cropped it, so it is easier to send or store.
- Split PDF — pull just the pages you need out of a PDF as separate files, before or after cropping.
- PDF Merger — combine several PDFs into one file, in the order you choose.
- JPG to PDF — turn images into a PDF first, then crop the pages the images became.
- PDF to JPG — turn PDF pages into JPG images after cropping, for sharing or printing one page at a time.
- Sign PDF — add your signature to a PDF, for example the single page you just cropped.
- PDF to Word — turn a PDF into an editable Word document after you have cropped the pages you need.
- Excel to PDF — turn a spreadsheet into a PDF, then crop the margins off the pages it makes.
For all of ToolZana’s free tools, start at the ToolZana home page.
Tips for clean crops
- Start with 10 mm. Most documents only need a light trim. Try the 10 mm preset first and look at the result — you can always crop the original again with 25 mm if the border is still there.
- Check the preview before you crop. The live preview shows the new page size next to the old one. If the new size looks wrong — far smaller than you expected — one of the margins is probably larger than you meant.
- Crop uneven borders unevenly. Scanned pages rarely have the same border on all four sides. Measure the worst side and set each margin to match its own edge, instead of using the same number everywhere.
- Keep the original. The cropped file is a copy. Keep the original PDF until you have checked every cropped page — a margin that was slightly too large can cut into a header or a page number, and the fix is to crop the original again with a smaller margin.
- Crop before you compress. Trimming the margins first and then compressing the result gives the smallest file, because the compressor has less page to work with.
The short version
The Crop PDF tool trims the margins off PDF pages: enter millimetres for the top, bottom, left and right, optionally list only the pages to crop, and download the cropped file. An A4 page (595.3 × 841.9 points, 210 × 297 mm) with 10 mm removed from every side becomes 538.6 × 785.2 points (190 × 277 mm); with 25 mm removed it becomes 453.5 × 700.2 points (160 × 247 mm). Cropping only pages “1-3, 5” of a 10-page PDF leaves the other pages at their original size, and the page count never changes. Your file never leaves your device, the tool is free, and there is no sign-in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a crop PDF tool?
A crop PDF tool trims the edges off the pages of a PDF — it removes a set amount from the top, bottom, left and right, so each page becomes smaller and the white margins disappear. The text and images inside the area you keep stay exactly where they were, at the same size. The original file is never changed: the cropped pages are saved as a new PDF file.
How do I crop a PDF online for free?
Choose your PDF in the tool, enter the margins in millimetres for the top, bottom, left and right, and press “Crop PDF”. The cropped file downloads straight away, named after your original — for example “report-cropped.pdf”. It is completely free, with no sign-in, and the whole crop runs in your browser, so your file is never uploaded.
How do I remove margins from a PDF?
Enter the margin to remove on each side in millimetres. For a light trim on all four sides, use the “Remove 10 mm margins” preset; for a wide border, use the “Remove 25 mm margins” preset. The live preview shows the new page size before you crop, so you can check the result — an A4 page with 10 mm removed from every side becomes 190 × 277 mm. Press “Crop PDF” and download the result.
How many millimetres should I crop from a PDF?
Start with 10 mm on all four sides — that suits most documents with normal white margins. Use 25 mm when the page has a wide border, for example a scan with a grey frame. If only one edge is wide, trim just that side: 20 mm off the top of an A4 page leaves it 210 mm wide and 277 mm tall. If the preview shows a page much smaller than you expected, one margin is too large — reduce it and try again.
Can I crop only some pages of a PDF?
Yes — type the pages in the pages box, separated by commas, with a dash for a range: “1-3, 5” crops pages 1, 2, 3 and 5. Leave the box blank to crop every page. Pages you do not list keep their original size, and the output is still one PDF with the same page count and the same page order.
What happens to the text and images when I crop a PDF?
Nothing happens to them — cropping only cuts the edges of the page off. The text, images and layout inside the area you keep stay in the same place at the same size. Anything that sat in the margin you removed is cut away with it, so check the preview and keep the original file until you have looked at the cropped pages.
Do my files leave my computer when I crop a PDF here?
No. The crop happens entirely in your browser, on your own device — your PDF is never uploaded to a server, stored, or seen by anyone else. You can use the tool offline once the page has loaded, and closing the page removes the files from the tool.
What is the largest PDF I can crop?
Files up to 50 MB can be cropped here. The limit exists because the whole crop runs in your browser: a larger file would use too much of your device’s memory and could freeze the page. If your file is over 50 MB, split it into smaller parts first, or reduce its size and try again.
Why does the tool say my PDF is password-protected?
Some PDFs are locked with a password, and the tool cannot open a locked file without it. Open the PDF with the password in your usual PDF reader, then save an unprotected copy and crop that copy instead. If you do not know the password, the file cannot be cropped here.
Can I crop a scanned PDF?
Yes — a scanned PDF is still a PDF, and the tool crops it by pages just like any other file. The pages are images inside the PDF, so cropping cuts the edges off those images. This is the most common use for cropping: scans often come with a dark frame or a wide grey border that a 10 mm or 25 mm trim removes cleanly.
What is the difference between cropping and resizing a PDF?
Cropping cuts the edges off a page, so the page gets smaller but the text stays the same size. Resizing scales everything on the page — text, images and all — to fit a different page size, so the text gets bigger or smaller. If the content is fine and only the margins are too wide, crop. If the text itself needs to be larger or smaller, resize instead.
Can I undo a crop?
Yes — because cropping never changes your original PDF. The cropped file is a new download, and the original stays exactly as it was. If a margin was too large and cut into a header or a page number, just crop the original again with a smaller margin. Keep the original until you are happy with the cropped file.