How to Crop an Image or Page in a PDF
You can crop an image inside a PDF, but that is a different task from trimming the whole page. Choose the tool that matches what you want to change.
Crop a selected image in Acrobat
Adobe’s desktop Acrobat instructions describe this sequence:
- Open the PDF and choose Edit.
- Select the image you want to change.
- Choose Crop image in the editing tools.
- Drag the selection handles to set the visible portion.
- Select outside the image to apply the change, then save a copy.
These steps target an image object. If selecting the artwork selects a larger scanned page instead, you are working with that scan, not a separate photograph extracted from it. Return to the source layout or image when you need finer control.
Trim the PDF page instead
To reduce margins around a whole page, use Acrobat’s Crop page tool. Choose Edit, then Crop page, draw the area you want to keep and double-click inside it. Review the page-box settings and page range, then confirm.
Check the selected range before applying the crop to a multi-page document. A margin that suits a portrait cover may cut into a landscape chart.
Cropping does not securely remove information
Adobe says page cropping hides content rather than deleting it, and does not reduce the file size. Resetting the page size can restore the original content. Do not use a crop to conceal confidential text before sharing a PDF.
Keep the original file, save the edited copy separately and reopen it before sending. Check the page edges, images and any content that should remain readable.
Check the output you need
A PDF on a website is not automatically low-resolution or unsuitable for print. The file’s actual images, fonts, page dimensions and export settings matter; its delivery channel does not establish those properties.
For a print job, ask the printer for its required page size, bleed and export settings before changing the document. For an on-screen extract, confirm the crop answers the task without removing necessary context. More publishing workflow resources are in the Digital Tools hub.
