How to crop a PDF?

Learn how to crop a PDF with different software tools. Discover step-by-step instructions for cropping PDFs using Sejda, PDFsam Basic, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, and GIMP, and choose the best option for your needs.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• #1 How to crop a PDF with Sejda
• #2 How to crop a PDF with PDFsam Basic
• #3 How to crop a PDF with Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
• #4 How to crop a PDF with GIMP
• Conclusion

Introduction

Cropping a PDF can be a useful technique to remove unwanted or unnecessary content, focus on specific sections, or adjust the dimensions of a document. Various software tools provide cropping capabilities for PDF files, allowing users to customize their documents according to their needs. In this article, we will explore four popular tools and discuss how to crop a PDF using each of these tools.

Comparative Table:

#1 How to crop a PDF with Sejda

Sejda is a free online tool that allows you to crop PDFs quickly and easily. With Sejda, you can easily remove unwanted margins or white space around the edges of a PDF document.

How to crop a PDF for free with Sejda:

Step 1: Go to the Sejda website

The first step is to go to the Sejda website. Once you’re on the website, you’ll see the Sejda crop PDF tool.

Step 2: Upload the PDF file you want to crop

The next step is to upload the PDF file you want to crop. You can do this in one of three ways:

• Drag and drop the PDF file onto the designated area.
• Click on “Choose Files” and select the PDF file from your computer.
• Click on “Google Drive” or “Dropbox” to upload the file from your cloud storage.

Step 3: Select the pages you want to crop

If your PDF has multiple pages and you only want to crop certain pages, you can select them by clicking on the page thumbnails on the left-hand side of the screen. To select multiple pages, hold down the “Ctrl” key on Windows or the “Command” key on Mac while clicking on the thumbnails.

Step 4: Adjust the crop area

Next, you’ll need to adjust the crop area. Sejda provides two different methods for doing this: manual and automatic.

Manual cropping: To manually adjust the crop area, click and drag the crop handles on the edges of the page. You can also type in the dimensions of the crop area in the boxes next to the handles.

Automatic cropping: If you want Sejda to automatically detect the crop area for you, click on the “Auto crop” button. Sejda will analyze the document and remove any white space or margins around the edges of the pages.

Step 5: Preview the results

Before you apply the crop, you can preview the results to make sure everything looks the way you want it to. To preview the results, click on the “Preview” button. Sejda will show you a side-by-side comparison of the original and cropped pages.

Step 6: Apply the crop

If you’re satisfied with the results, click on the “Apply changes” button. Sejda will apply the crop to the selected pages and generate a new PDF file.

Step 7: Download the cropped PDF

Finally, you’ll need to download the cropped PDF file to your computer. To do this, click on the “Download” button. Sejda will generate a new PDF file with the cropped pages and prompt you to save it to your computer.

Cropping a PDF can be a useful way to remove unwanted margins or white space around the edges of a document. With Sejda, you can upload your PDF, select the pages you want to crop, adjust the crop area, preview the results, apply the crop, and download the cropped PDF to your computer. Give Sejda a try the next time you need to crop a PDF.

#2 How to crop a PDF with PDFsam Basic

PDFsam Basic is a free desktop application that allows you to crop PDFs quickly and easily. With PDFsam Basic, you can remove unwanted margins or white space around the edges of a PDF document.

We’ll walk you through the steps to crop a PDF for free with PDFsam Basic:

Step 1: Download and install PDFsam Basic

The first step is to download and install PDFsam Basic. Once you’ve downloaded the application, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install PDFsam Basic on your computer.

Step 2: Launch PDFsam Basic

Once PDFsam Basic is installed, launch the application by double-clicking on the desktop icon or by searching for it in the Windows Start menu.

Step 3: Open the PDF file you want to crop

The next step is to open the PDF file you want to crop. To do this, click on the “Open” button in the PDFsam Basic toolbar, or go to “File” > “Open” in the menu bar. Browse for the PDF file on your computer and select it.

Step 4: Select the pages you want to crop

If your PDF has multiple pages and you only want to crop certain pages, you can select them by clicking on the page thumbnails on the left-hand side of the screen. To select multiple pages, hold down the “Ctrl” key on Windows or the “Command” key on Mac while clicking on the thumbnails.

Step 5: Crop the PDF pages

To crop the PDF pages, go to “Edit” > “Crop” in the menu bar. This will open the crop tool.

Manual cropping: To manually adjust the crop area, click and drag the crop handles on the edges of the page. You can also type in the dimensions of the crop area in the boxes next to the handles.

Automatic cropping: If you want PDFsam Basic to automatically detect the crop area for you, click on the “Auto crop” button. PDFsam Basic will analyze the document and remove any white space or margins around the edges of the pages.

Step 6: Preview the results

Before you apply the crop, you can preview the results to make sure everything looks the way you want it to. To preview the results, click on the “Preview” button. PDFsam Basic will show you a side-by-side comparison of the original and cropped pages.

Step 7: Apply the crop

If you’re satisfied with the results, click on the “Apply” button. PDFsam Basic will apply the crop to the selected pages and generate a new PDF file.

Step 8: Save the cropped PDF

Finally, you’ll need to save the cropped PDF file to your computer. To do this, go to “File” > “Save” in the menu bar. PDFsam Basic will prompt you to choose a location to save the file and give it a new name if you wish.

Cropping a PDF can be a useful way to remove unwanted margins or white space around the edges of a document. With PDFsam Basic, you can open your PDF, select the pages you want to crop, adjust the crop area, preview the results, apply the crop, and save the cropped PDF to your computer.

#3 How to crop a PDF with Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

Cropping a PDF can be useful for a variety of reasons, such as removing unwanted margins or trimming a specific section of a page. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC provides a simple and effective way to crop a PDF document.

1. To begin, open the PDF in Acrobat Reader DC and select the “Edit PDF” tool from the right-hand menu. From there, select the “Crop Pages” option. This will bring up a crop box around the edges of the page.
2. To crop the page, simply click and drag the handles of the crop box to adjust the size and position of the cropped area. The dimensions of the crop box can also be adjusted manually by entering values in the “Width” and “Height” fields.
3. Once the desired cropping area has been selected, click on the “Apply” button. This will crop the page to the selected area, removing any unwanted content outside of the crop box.
4. If you need to crop multiple pages, you can do so by selecting the “All Pages” option in the “Crop Pages” dialog box. This will apply the same crop settings to all pages in the document. Alternatively, you can choose to crop specific pages by selecting the “Selected Pages” option and entering the page range you wish to crop.
5. Finally, it’s important to note that cropping a PDF will permanently remove the content outside of the crop box. If you want to preserve the original document, it’s recommended to create a copy of the PDF before cropping.

Cropping a PDF with Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is a simple and effective process that can help remove unwanted margins or trim specific sections of a page. The “Crop Pages” option allows for precise adjustment of the crop box, and the tool can be used on a single page or multiple pages at once. It’s important to remember that cropping a PDF will permanently remove any content outside of the crop box, so it’s recommended to create a copy of the document before making any changes.

#4 How to crop a PDF with GIMP

GIMP is a free and open-source image editing software that can also be used to manipulate PDF files. While GIMP is primarily designed to edit raster images, it can import PDF files and allow users to edit individual pages within the document. One of the most common tasks users might want to do with a PDF is to crop it, removing unwanted borders or whitespace around the edges of a page. In this paragraph, we will explore how to crop a PDF using GIMP.

Step 1: Open the PDF file in GIMP

To begin, open GIMP and click on “File” in the top left corner of the window. From the drop-down menu, select “Open.” Navigate to the location of the PDF file you want to crop and select it. In the “Import from PDF” dialog box that appears, select the page or pages you want to edit, then click “Import.”

Step 2: Select the crop tool

With the PDF page now open in GIMP, select the “Crop Tool” from the toolbar on the left-hand side of the screen. The crop tool is represented by a small square with a diagonal line through it. Alternatively, you can press “Shift + C” on your keyboard to activate the crop tool.

Step 3: Define the crop area

Click and drag your mouse over the PDF page to define the area you want to keep. You can adjust the size and position of the crop area by clicking and dragging the handles on the edges of the selection box. Alternatively, you can enter precise values for the crop area in the “Tool Options” panel at the bottom of the screen. Once you are satisfied with the crop area, press “Enter” on your keyboard to apply the crop.

Step 4: Export the cropped PDF

With the PDF page now cropped, it’s time to save the edited file. Click on “File” in the top left corner of the window and select “Export As.” In the dialog box that appears, choose a name and location for the cropped PDF file and select “PDF” as the file type. If you want to keep the same resolution and other settings as the original PDF, make sure the “Use export settings from last export” box is checked. Finally, click “Export” to save the cropped PDF file.

While GIMP is primarily designed for editing raster images, it can also be used to manipulate PDF files. Cropping a PDF in GIMP is a relatively simple process that involves opening the file, selecting the crop tool, defining the crop area, and exporting the edited file. By following the steps outlined above, users can easily crop unwanted borders or whitespace from a PDF page, making it more aesthetically pleasing and easier to read.

Conclusion

In summary, cropping a PDF is a simple process that can be accomplished using various software tools. Sejda provides an easy-to-use online platform with additional features for PDF manipulation. PDFsam Basic offers an intuitive desktop application for cropping and other PDF operations. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, a popular choice, offers a user-friendly interface with cropping options and additional annotation tools. Lastly, GIMP, a free and open-source image editing software, can be used to crop PDFs with advanced customization. Selecting the most suitable tool depends on individual preferences, the availability of features, and the specific needs of the task at hand.

If you want to learn more about how to optimize a PDF file, you can read about it in our previous blog article.