How to remove crop marks from a PDF
- Add your PDF. Click Choose PDF files or drag files onto the box.
- Check what was found. The tool shows the trim size saved in the file, and the green dashed line in the preview shows what will be kept.
- Choose what to keep. Final trim size for screen use, or trim size plus bleed if you still need to send it to a printer.
- Click Remove crop marks and download the trimmed PDF.
When you need this
- A designer sent you a print file and you want to share it by email or on a website without marks around it.
- You want to print a proof on a home or office printer at the real size.
- An online printer rejected your file because it contains crop marks but no bleed was expected.
- You want a clean PDF for an e-reader, presentation or social media.
No trim size in your file?
Some PDFs have marks drawn on the page but no saved trim size. If the page is a common size such as US Letter, A4 or a business card with marks around it, the tool detects it for you. Otherwise choose Custom margin, enter how much to cut from each edge, and adjust until the green line in the preview sits exactly on the crop marks.
Frequently asked questions
How does the tool know where to cut?
Print-ready PDFs exported from InDesign, Illustrator, Affinity and most layout apps save the finished size as a TrimBox. The tool reads it and cuts every page to that size. If the TrimBox is missing, it checks whether the page is a standard size such as Letter or A4 with marks around it, and you can always set a custom margin and see the result in the preview.
What is the difference between “Final trim size” and “Trim size plus bleed”?
“Final trim size” gives you the page exactly as it will look after cutting, which is what you want for screen viewing, email or a home printer. “Trim size plus bleed” removes only the marks and printer notes, and keeps the extra bleed area that a print shop needs.
Is anything deleted from my PDF?
The tool changes the page boundaries, so everything outside the new edge is hidden in every PDF viewer and printer. Text, images and vector graphics inside the page are not changed or re-compressed, so quality stays exactly the same.
Is my file uploaded?
No. Your PDF is processed by JavaScript in your browser and never sent to a server. That makes it safe for client proofs and unreleased artwork.
Can I process several PDFs at once?
Yes. Add as many files as you like and download them together as a ZIP file. Each file is trimmed using its own saved trim size.
Why does my PDF have crop marks in the first place?
Crop marks are added when a document is exported with printer’s marks for a print shop. They show where the paper should be cut. They are useful for printing, but get in the way when you want to share the file on screen.
Related tools
Preparing a file for print instead? Add bleed to a PDF and optionally add crop marks.