PDF workflow guides
Everyday PDF tasks with step-by-step instructions. Each guide links to a working tool and says what it cannot do.
Guides (16)
- PDF too large to emailGet a file under the 25 MB Gmail limit — or any limit — without uploading it anywhere.
- Scanned PDF to WordWhy a scan converts to an empty .docx, and the OCR step that fixes it.
- Make a scan searchableAdd an invisible text layer so Ctrl+F works, without changing how the pages look.
- Compress without losing qualityKeep selectable text when you can, and only rasterize when scans force the issue.
- PDF to Word formattingGet editable text out of a PDF without expecting a pixel-perfect Word clone.
- Merge PDFs on any deviceCombine PDFs in a browser tab on Windows, Mac, or mobile — same steps everywhere.
- PDF ↔ JPGPick the direction based on whether you need images or a single document.
- PDF size for email & WhatsAppHit real-world attachment limits without uploading your file to a compressor.
- Compression mini-studyWhat to expect from Keep text, Max shrink, and Target size on common PDF types.
- Split a PDF by pagesSplit by range or one file per page — privately, without uploading.
- Extract pages from a PDFSave only the pages you need into a new PDF — locally.
- Rotate and reorder pagesFix sideways pages and drag thumbnails into the correct order — locally.
- Remove blank PDF pagesDelete blank or unwanted pages by number — keep at least one page.
- Sign a PDFPlace a drawn or uploaded signature image — private, free, no certificate claim.
- PDF upload size limitsTypical caps for email and portals — and how to shrink toward them privately.
- OCR vs text extractionPick the right local tool: OCR for scans, Extract text for existing text, PDF to Excel for rough tables.
Related tools
- Compress PDFShrink PDFs locally — keep selectable text by default, or max-shrink with a searchable overlay.
- Merge PDFsCombine multiple PDFs into one free — no upload. Drag to reorder before merging.
- Split PDFExtract a page range or split into individual pages. Free, private, no upload.
- PDF to WordExport PDF text into an editable .docx locally. Best for text-based PDFs — run OCR first on scans.
- Images to PDFCombine PNG or JPEG images into a single PDF.
- Sign PDFDraw your signature with a mouse or finger and place it on any page.