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 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

1. Click Comments in the Ribbon Toolbar.
   
2. Click Flatten Comments. The Flatten Annotations dialog box will open.
3. Select the desired settings (detailed here) and click OK to flatten comments.

Viewer

1. Click Comments in the Menu Toolbar.
   
2. Click Flatten Comments. The Flatten Annotations dialog box will open.
3. Select the desired settings and click OK to flatten comments.