How to 'Flatten' in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

[kima74036004]

We recently purchased Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and I'm trying to figure out how to take a document that I added a stamp to and flatten it so our users cannot delete the stamp from it.  I have found the 'Flatten' option but it is greyed out.  The only option in the menu available is 'Import as Layer'.  How do I enable the 'Flatten' feature?  In previous versions, I used a java script to flatten when the option was not available.

[try67 · Accepted solution]

The script is this:

this.flattenPages();

It works in Acrobat DC.

[Priyanja · Accepted solution]

You can also use an existing Preflight fix-up "Flatten annotations and form fields".

Steps:

1. Go to Print Production app.

2. Click on Preflight option from Right panel.

3. Search for the fixup "Flatten annotations and form fields".

4. Run the profile by pressing "Analyze and fix" button.

Regards,

Priyanka

[try67]

Why not use a script in that version as well? It's the easiest and fastest way.

[kima74036004]

I'm adding it back in to give it a try and see what happens.  Thanks!

[lawgirl425]

Can someone expand on this script?  We are moving to DC in March and I know this is going to come up so want to be prepared.  Is there a way to do it in DC?

[try67 · Accepted solution]

The script is this:

this.flattenPages();

It works in Acrobat DC.

[bump_and_run]

try67, the script won't work once I save as a reader extended PDF.

Dave W.

[Bernd Alheit]

This is correct. You must remove the reader extension before you can flatten the file.

[bump_and_run]

Thanks. That makes the process moot for me. I need to be able to send a letter to a user that has a fillable field. They need to fill in the field with reader and flatten to send to their customer. I tried print to PDF which is listed everywhere as a way to flatten it and I get the error below. Is there any way for me to provide a reader extended PDF that the user and flatten before sending along to a customer?

%%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%

This PostScript file was created from an encrypted PDF file.

Redistilling encrypted PDF is not permitted.

%%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%

%%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%

[try67]

The file can't be flattened in Reader at all, Extended Rights or no. Best you can do is set the fields as read-only.

[bump_and_run]

Thanks!

[Priyanja · Accepted solution]

You can also use an existing Preflight fix-up "Flatten annotations and form fields".

Steps:

1. Go to Print Production app.

2. Click on Preflight option from Right panel.

3. Search for the fixup "Flatten annotations and form fields".

4. Run the profile by pressing "Analyze and fix" button.

Regards,

Priyanka

[Ben_E_86]

This is the best, easiest solution.

[Ashley30523641vj3j]

Thank you!! Ive been trying trying to figure this out for ages! 

[vitaminnn]

Didn't work for me.  I get this notice, hit "ok" and the pdf still isn't flattened.  Maddening.  

   

[parkanian]

Best flattening tool out there is UVSAR's selective flattener. It's a Creative Commons Share-alike license, so free to use and install, and it's an open source JS file: UVSAR : Selective Flattener tool for Adobe Acrobat 8, 9 and X ​

Places a menu item in the Edit menu called "Flatten" - WAY WAY WAY faster than any of the built-in options.

Alternatively, Foxit Phantom PDF has a nice implementation of Flatten, but they haven't implemented the full Adobe standard yet, so it may not be the best option if you need to do things like use digital signatures and/or view 3D PDFs.

[Syd.Salmon]

Excellent suggestion, parkanian. This is the fastest way and most natural flattener.

[JD1023]

you are the greatest human who has ever lived

[gatortrainlady]

The UVSAR Adobe Add-in worked fantastic!  

[Thom Parker · Accepted solution]

You'll also find a free flatten tool, as well as many others here:

https://www.pdfscripting.com/public/Free_Acrobat_Automation_Tools.cfm

[architechie]

This worked for me too, but only after running the problem as an administrator

[Scott Contracting]

This worked perfectly to flatten form fields. Thank you!

[wsyneswhirld]

If the goal of flattening is to make the pdf text unselctable to edit, which was my goal, the simple way is to save it as a jpeg, then open it in an application like Photoshop and Save As a PDF. Flattened and uneditable.

[Luisito77]

Thanks for the info.

However, using this method still leaves the resulting PDF file "editable" and NOT entirely flatten.

The script suggested works much better.

Cheers!

STAY SAFE

[mbmast]

I ran this tool and it did not work for me.  I have a PDF document with a single image "floating" over the document.  If you click on it, only the image is selected. not the entire page.  I want the image "flattened" so that the page appears the same, but if you click on what was the image, the page is selected.  That's a pretty simple request, but this tool won't do that.  I runs, it saves a new file, but the new file is identical to the old file; click on the image and only the image is selected.

[Bernd Alheit]

Export the file as TIFF images.

Combine the images as a new PDF file.