PDFBox
← Back to tools

Crop Pages

Trim white margins on all sides

How to use

Purpose

Crop PDF pages to trim white margins, scanner black borders, or unwanted header/footer regions. Cropping is non-destructive — it adjusts the visible CropBox while preserving original content, so it's reversible. Runs locally via pdf-lib; no upload, no watermark, no page limit, free. Use it to clean up A4 scanned contracts, strip ads from ebooks, normalize margins for printing.

Steps

  1. Drag or pick a PDF
  2. See thumbnails on the left and the first-page large preview on the right
  3. Drag the four sides of the crop frame to set the visible area
  4. The shaded area outside the frame will be cropped
  5. Pick scope: "Current page only", "All pages", "Odd pages", "Even pages", or custom range
  6. (Optional) Enable "Auto-detect content bounds" — the tool scans each page for the maximal non-blank rectangle
  7. Click "Process"
  8. Download the cropped PDF, suffix "-cropped"

FAQ

Is the crop irreversible?
No. By default the tool only adjusts the CropBox (visible window) — the MediaBox (actual page) is retained, so any PDF editor can restore the original dimensions. Content is preserved; nothing is physically removed.
Will my file be uploaded?
No. Cropping modifies metadata via pdf-lib in your browser; the file never leaves your device.
Can I batch-crop scanner black borders?
Yes. Enable "Auto-detect content bounds" — the tool scans every page for non-blank regions and crops to that boundary. Effective for batch-cleanup of scanned contracts or reports.
Will cropping reduce file size?
No. Since the CropBox is just metadata and original content is preserved, size is virtually unchanged. To actually shrink the file, use the Compress tool.
Will selectable text be preserved?
Yes. Text, images and vector graphics all remain — only the visible area shrinks. Content outside the frame is still in the file, just hidden.

Use cases

  • Clean up A4 scans by removing black edges
  • Strip ad banners or whitespace from ebooks
  • Tighten margins in academic papers to save print pages
  • Hide header/footer version stamps in reports
  • Standardize financial scan dimensions for archival

Tip

The frame set on the first page is used as a template across the selected scope. If page-by-page content varies (charts that stick out on some pages), "Auto-detect content bounds" is more reliable. For pre-print crops, leave a margin for printer-safe area — don't trim all the way to content edge.