Crop PDF Pages
Crop visible PDF margins with rotation-aware physical units
About this tool
Set CropBox margins from the current visible rectangle, using the intersection of CropBox and MediaBox, displayed rotation and physical UserUnit scaling. Choose pages with a strict range, inspect the first selected page and generate a downloadable result after every selected page passes validation. Outside content remains in the file; cropping is not redaction. Content is not rasterized, but editing invalidates signatures and interactive form or annotation appearances are not guaranteed. Input is limited to 75 MiB and 1000 pages; output to 100 MiB. No PDF drafts are saved.
Scenario Recipes
Trim a rotated scan using its visible edges
Goal: Apply physical margins to a selected page, including an existing CropBox.
- Load the four-orientation example and select page 2, whose rotation is 90°.
- Choose pt; set top=10, right=20, bottom=30, left=40, then preview the first selected page.
- Create the result and inspect page 2 in a PDF reader; pages 1, 3 and 4 keep their original CropBoxes.
Result: For an effective box x=20, y=30, width=380, height=530 at 90°, the new box is x=30, y=70, width=340, height=470.
Failure Clinic (Common Pitfalls)
Sensitive text remains after cropping
Cause: CropBox controls display; it does not erase text or image objects outside the visible box.
Fix: Use a dedicated redaction process for confidential content and verify that removed information cannot be extracted.
One page rejects margins that fit the preview
Cause: Preview shows the first selected page. Mixed sizes and rotations can leave another selected page with zero visible width or height.
Fix: Reduce the margins or process differently sized groups separately. All selected pages must retain positive visible area; no partial file is produced.
The result differs from the expected paper size
Cause: Margins use the intersection of CropBox and MediaBox in the displayed direction, including UserUnit, rather than raw unrotated MediaBox units.
Fix: Check the preview dimensions and unit. A 25.4 mm margin is 72 physical points; on UserUnit=2 it is 36 raw PDF units.
Production Snippets
Visual margins on a 90° page
text
Current visible PDF box: [20, 30, 400, 560]
Rotate: 90; UserUnit: 1
Visual margins (pt): top 10, right 20, bottom 30, left 40
New CropBox: [30, 70, 370, 540]
New displayed size: 470 × 340 ptFrequently Asked Questions
Which edges do margins use?
The visible top, right, bottom and left after page rotation. The visible rectangle is CropBox intersected with MediaBox; UserUnit is included in physical units.
Does cropping erase outside content?
No. It changes the displayed CropBox only. Outside text and images remain recoverable; this is not redaction.
How are ranges validated?
Blank selects all. Use complete pages or ascending ranges such as 1-3,5. Duplicates merge in source order; invalid or out-of-range tokens reject the whole operation.
Does preview show the selected page?
It shows the first selected page in its original orientation with the proposed crop overlay. All selected pages are checked before export.
What happens with forms or signatures?
Content is not rasterized, but form and annotation appearance is not guaranteed. Editing invalidates existing signatures. Keep and inspect the original.
What are the limits and download behavior?
Up to 75 MiB input, 1000 pages, 14400 pt displayed sides and 100 MiB output. Generation is local; download is explicit. Changing a file or option invalidates pending work and old output.
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