Overview

Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded for free for desktop from Adobe’s website or a mobile version can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play. When you write on a PDF using Adobe Acrobat Reader’s annotation tools (see instructions here) those annotations are always editable. However, other programs used to work with PDFs may not be able to view those annotations. In order to allow those programs to display those annotations, the annotated PDF must first be “flattened”, which makes the annotations permanent and no-longer editable.

It is important to note that certain annotations, such as comment bubbles, may still not be visible with the flattened PDF.

Create a Flattened PDF on Windows 10

1. Annotate your PDF as usual using Adobe Acrobat Reader and save the PDF when you’re finished.

2. When you’re ready to flatten the PDF, go to File > Print.

3. In the Print window, select the Printer dropdown menu and select Adobe PDF. (This option is available in most programs that can open PDFs on a Windows computer including web browsers such as Google Chrome or Firefox.)

4. In the bottom right corner, select Print.

5. Select where you wish to save the file and update the filename appropriately.

Create a Flattened PDF on Mac OSX

1. Annotate your PDF as usual using Adobe Acrobat Reader and save the PDF when you’re finished.

2. When you’re ready to flatten the PDF, open the PDF in the Preview application. Your computer may default to opening PDFs in Preview. If it does not, you can open the PDF in Preview in two ways:

   • Launch the Preview application from Finder or from your Dock and go to File > Open and select your PDF;

OR

2. • Right-click or control-click on the PDF file and select Open With > Preview

3. With your document open in Preview, go to File > Export as PDF.

4. Select where you wish to save the file and update the filename appropriately.

Create a Flattened PDF on an iPad

1. Annotate your PDF as usual using Adobe Acrobat Reader and save the PDF when you’re finished.

2. In the Adobe Acrobat Reader app, select the Home tab at the bottom.

3. In the top right, select the circular Profile icon.

4. On the left side menu, select Preferences.

5. Scroll down to the Sharing heading and turn on the option for Share a Flattened PDF.

6. Return to view your PDF in the Acrobat Reader app and select the Share icon in the upper right corner.

7. At the bottom of the share window, select Share a Copy.

8. Select your desired mail app to send to someone, or send this flattened PDF to another app of your choice.