Overview
Flatten Form Fields converts all interactive form fields in the document into static page content. After flattening, the current values of text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns, and other form elements are rendered directly into the page content stream and the form field objects are removed. The document is no longer an interactive form.
How to use
- Open a PDF document containing form fields in Acrobat.
- Go to Plug-Ins > Pages > Flatten Form Fields.
- A confirmation dialog appears warning that the operation cannot be undone.
- Click OK to flatten all form fields, or Cancel to abort.
Warning
This operation cannot be undone. Once form fields are flattened, the document is no longer fillable. Always save a backup copy of your form before flattening.
Tip
Flattening is useful when you need to distribute a completed form as a read-only document, or when form field appearances are not rendering correctly in some viewers. Flattening ensures the filled-in values appear identically everywhere.
Note
This feature has no additional options dialog — it simply processes all form fields in the entire document. Digital signature fields are also flattened.