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- KB159
- Feb 04, 2021 02:51 PM
- 50150
Is it possible to use PDF-XChange Viewer and PDF-XChange Editor to convert annotations and comments into base document content?
Question:
Is it possible to use PDF-XChange Viewer and PDF-XChange Editor to convert annotations and comments into base document content? I have added annotations and comments to documents and I want to make them permanent so that subsequent users cannot modify them.
Answer:
Yes - the Flatten Comments (or in some cases the Rasterize pages) feature is used for this purpose. Please note:
- This is a licensed feature. If unlicensed versions of the software are used to perform this operation then watermarks will appear on output pages.
- If there are protected annotations in documents, such as digital signatures, then this option is not permitted.
- Flattening comments also removes clickable hyperlinks and flattens fillable form fields into selectable text.
- This operation cannot be reversed. If you want the option of editing comments/annotations then save a copy of the document before flattening comments.
Editor
Flatten comments
- Click Comments in the Ribbon Toolbar.
- Click Flatten Comments. The Flatten Annotations dialog box will open.
- Select the desired settings (detailed here) and click OK to flatten comments.
Rasterize pages
Note that this method will convert page content (comments, images, text, etc) into a single rasterized image per page. You will not be able to select the text or any individual items for editing after doing this, and it is not a reversible process once the document has been saved. This has the same effect as printing the document, and then scanning it back into PDF as a plain image, but can retain some specific content, like bookmarks and links.
- On the Convert tab of the Ribbon Toolbar, click Rasterize pages:
- Configure the Rasterize Pages settings to your liking, and click OK.
Viewer
- Click Comments in the Menu Toolbar.
- Click Flatten Comments. The Flatten Annotations dialog box will open.
- Select the desired settings and click OK to flatten comments.
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