For discovery, productions and large case files
Get a giant discovery PDF small enough to upload and clean enough to send.
Every page becomes an image, so no text layer, metadata, comments or form fields survive. It handles PDFs of virtually unlimited size, even multi-gigabyte files, with no problem on a computer with just 4 GB of RAM, so older, slower computers can take them on too. A faster computer just finishes sooner.
Windows 10/11 and macOS 11+. Works fully offline, your files never leave your computer. One-time price, no subscription.
Why flatten
What a flat, image-only PDF fixes
Files that are too big
Text pages are stored as black-and-white images with fax-grade (CCITT G4) compression, typically 5–10× smaller than JPEG. Pages with any color stay in color. Court upload caps, email limits and shared-drive quotas stop being a daily fight.
Files that are too slow
Giant, heavily layered PDFs can freeze a viewer. Flat pages with a Fast Web View index open at the first page right away and jump anywhere without reading the whole file. Optional splitting (say, every 2,000 pages) keeps even 40,000-page sets manageable.
Hidden data that leaves with the file
Author names, edit history, comments, form data, embedded files, and text sitting under a “redaction” box all live inside a normal PDF. In a flattened copy, every page is just pixels, so there is nothing left to copy, search, or recover.
Every viewer shows the same thing
Fonts, layers and annotations render differently across tools. An image-only page looks the same everywhere, at the same page size and orientation as the original.
Built for legal work
Where law firms and legal departments use it
Discovery review and hearing sets
Combine hundreds of files into one PDF, or batch a whole folder at once. Get compact, fast-opening copies for attorneys to review, annotate and carry to a hearing.
Sending documents out clean
Before a PDF goes to opposing counsel, a client, or the public, flatten it. Metadata, comments and hidden layers do not go with it. Courts themselves point filers to flattening as a way to remove most metadata and interactive features.
No more copy-the-text-behind-the-box
When a black box is drawn over text that is still in the file, anyone can select, copy and paste the “hidden” words. Courts have issued show-cause orders over exactly that. Flattening rebuilds each page as an image, so the output has no text layer to copy from. In our own test, text under an opaque box did not survive. It preserves what the page showed, so confirm every box fully covers its text before you flatten. PDF Flatten does not apply redactions.
Rejected court uploads
Many CM/ECF courts cap uploads (the Maryland bankruptcy court says flattening is the simplest fix for most rejected PDFs). Check the cap in your court’s rules, flatten, split by page count if needed, and re-file.
Archives and closed matters
Shrink old matter files for long-term storage while keeping a faithful visual record of every page.
Confidential by design
PDF Flatten runs entirely on your computer. Client documents are never uploaded anywhere, and the app does not contact a server when it launches.
Know what it is, and what it isn’t
The output is image-only. It has no selectable or searchable text and no OCR. That is the point for review copies and clean sends.
How it works
Three steps, no learning curve
- Add your PDFs. Drag in one file or a whole folder’s worth. Password-protected files prompt for the password.
- Pick a setting, or leave the defaults. Auto mode chooses black-and-white fax compression, grayscale or color for each page. Adjust resolution, JPEG quality, split size, or combine inputs into one output.
- Click Convert. A progress bar shows pages per second, time remaining, and a size estimate. Your originals are never touched.
Prefer scripts? The same app runs from the command line for batch jobs:
PDFFlatten a.pdf b.pdf --combine -o all.pdf PDFFlatten big.pdf -o big_flat.pdf --split 2000
If a page cannot be read, the output gets a blank page of the same size so page numbers stay aligned, and the app lists every affected page. Check that list before you produce.
Verify it yourself: open a flattened file, try to select or search text, and check File → Properties. Conversion makes no network connection; the only call is the license activation you start yourself.
Pricing
One price. Yours to keep.
one-time, perpetual license for one computer
- No subscription, no per-page or per-file fees
- Windows 10/11 and macOS 11+ (Apple Silicon and Intel)
- Files stay on your machine; works offline
- Free trial to test it on your own documents first
A license covers one computer. A new computer needs a new license. Sold by Morrow Systems, LLC.
FAQ
Questions lawyers and legal staff ask
Does it change my original files?
No. It reads your originals and writes new files, by default named <name>_flattened.pdf. Existing files are never overwritten.
Can I search the flattened PDF?
No. Every page is an image, so there is no text layer to search or copy. That is also why nothing hidden survives. If you need searchable text, keep your original or run OCR separately.
Will it remove metadata and hidden text?
Yes. The output is rebuilt from page images only, with no document properties, bookmarks, links, annotations, form fields, embedded files or text layer. Text hidden behind a redaction box cannot be copied out of a flattened file. Do still make sure each box fully covers what it should, because flattening preserves what was visible on the page.
How big a file can it handle?
Virtually unlimited. It works through a file page by page instead of loading it all at once, so multi-gigabyte PDFs and tens of thousands of pages are routine (we have tested a 7.9 GB input), with memory use staying at a few hundred megabytes however large the file is. That means huge files run on older, slower computers too, with no special hardware needed; they just take longer. A faster computer with more CPU cores will process it faster; you can set how many pages are rendered in parallel.
Why are my output pages black and white?
In Auto mode, pages that are only text or line art are stored as high-resolution (300 DPI or better) black-and-white images, which is far smaller and faster to display. Any page containing color stays in color. You can force color, grayscale or black and white for the whole run.
Is anything sent to your servers?
Your documents never are. Conversion happens entirely on your computer. The only network activity is when you choose to activate your license.
Can I move my license to a new computer?
A license is for one computer, and a new computer needs a new license. At $20, we keep it simple.
I need help.
Email support@pdfflattener.us. Please try the free trial on your own documents before you buy; all sales are final.