If you work with interactive PDF forms, you know they’re great for collecting data but not always ideal for sharing or archiving. Interactive fields can cause compatibility issues, and sometimes you need a static, non-editable PDF. That’s where Datalogics PDF Forms Flattener™ comes in. 

What is PDF Forms Flattener? 

PDF Forms Flattener is a command-line tool for Windows and Linux that converts interactive PDF forms into standard PDF documents. It supports both AcroForm and XFA technologies, ensuring your forms are flattened quickly and accurately. 

When you flatten a PDF: 

• Form fields become regular text. 
• Interactive features are removed. 
• The output file is easier to distribute and archive.   

Why Flatten PDF Forms? 

• Prevent Editing: Lock form data as static text. 
• Improve Compatibility: Ensure your PDF works across all viewers. 
• Meet Compliance: XFA forms are deprecated in PDF 2.0 and not allowed in ISO standards like PDF/A. 
• Simplify Workflows: Flattened PDFs are easier to process and share.   

Key Features 

• Supports AcroForm and XFA   
• Import and Export Data: Use FDF, XFDF, XML for AcroForms; XDP, XFD, XML for XFA.   
• Annotation Appearance Generation: Automatically create missing annotation appearances for better rendering.   
• Batch Processing: Automate flattening with scripts for large document sets.   
• Conversion Options: Convert XFA fields to AcroForm fields for better compatibility.   

How to Use PDF Forms Flattener 

Run from the command line or automate with scripts.   

Basic Syntax: 

• PDFFormsFlattener --input input.pdf --output output.pdf --flatten true 

Optional Parameters: 

• --import: Import data into form fields. 
• --flatten: Options include true (default), skip, or asprinted. 
• --convert: Convert XFA fields to AcroForm fields. 
• Example:  PDFFormsFlattener --input "C:\Forms\XFADocument.pdf" --output "C:\Flattened\output.pdf" --import datafile.xdp 

Common Use Cases 

• Government & Legal: Lock sensitive form data before submission. 
• Healthcare: Flatten patient intake forms for secure archiving. 
• Finance: Ensure compliance by converting dynamic XFA forms to static PDFs.   

Ready to simplify your PDF workflows? Download PDF Forms Flattener and start your free evaluation today.