How-To Fix Broken PDFs

PDF files can include interactive forms – radio buttons, checkboxes, text boxes, lists, etc.
The data for these forms is stored in a separate area to the text on the page.

💥 On some occasions, it can happen that such a rich content PDF is not recognized by Xodo Sign for example upload not possible or document stuck in the signing process.

Flattening is the process of removing this separate form data and adding it as text, images, and shapes into the actual PDF data stream.

👉 The PDF will still look the same but the user can no longer interact with the forms, this makes it usable with Xodo Sign.

Your PDF is changed as followed:

  • Form values aren't editable anymore
  • Lists and drop-down fields take the current selection
  • Complex elements of the PDF are simplified

  Flatten your PDF here

Please visit the Flatten PDF tool from Sejda

After that you should be able to use it with Xodo Sign.

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