Files are processed in your browser, not uploaded. Privacy →
Deckle
Open a PDF
Skip to guide

PDF workflows

PDF tools: choose the right tool for the job

By DeckleUpdated

To pick the right PDF tool, start from the result you need: one PDF from several, fewer or reordered pages, separate files, images of pages, or the text on its own. Deckle has a tool for each, such as Merge PDFs, Organize PDF pages and PDF to JPG. Every tool runs in your browser, creates a new file and leaves your original as it was.

Merge PDF
Illustrated report, proposal and notes beside a numbered page sequence.
Illustration · choose the pages and order for your reader.

Find the right tool for the job

You want to Use Guide
Combine several PDFs into one Merge PDFs Merge PDF files in the right order
Remove pages Organize PDF pages Delete pages from a PDF
Change the page order Organize PDF pages Reorder pages in a PDF
Break a PDF into several files Split PDF Split a PDF by page range
Turn sideways pages the right way up Rotate PDF Rotate a PDF permanently
Make a PDF from photos or scans JPG to PDF, PNG to PDF, HEIC to PDF, TIFF to PDF Images to PDF guides
Get images of PDF pages PDF to JPG, PDF to PNG PDF to image guides
Copy all the text PDF to text Text extraction guides
Require a password to open Password protect PDF Password guides
Remove a password you know Unlock PDF Password guides
Remove author and other properties Remove PDF metadata Metadata guides

Page jobs and content jobs are different

Merge, split, organise and rotate work on whole pages. They are the right tools for assembling an application pack, fixing a sideways scan or sending one chapter. They do not rewrite the words on a page; for that, edit the document in the app that made it and export a new PDF.

Example: a 22-page report has a sideways chart on page 6 and an appendix on pages 3–5 that belongs at the end. Rotate page 6 in Rotate PDF, then open the result in Organize PDF pages and drag pages 3–5 after page 22. Two tools, one finished file.

Text, images or a PDF

The same page can leave Deckle in three forms, and they are not interchangeable:

  • A PDF keeps text you can search, links and the layout. Use it whenever the recipient accepts PDF.
  • Images from PDF to JPG or PDF to PNG look exactly like the pages but hold only pixels. Use them for slides, web pages and image-only upload forms. What changes when a page becomes an image lists what is lost.
  • Text from PDF to text keeps the words and nothing else. It only works on pages with selectable text; text-based vs image-only PDFs shows how to check.

Passwords, metadata and private content

These three are often confused:

  • A password controls who can open the file. It does not change what is inside.
  • Removing metadata clears document properties such as author and title. It does not touch names written on the pages.
  • Hiding content needs redaction. Cropping a margin or drawing a box over text leaves the original text in the file.

How every Deckle tool works

  1. Open the tool and choose your file, or drop it onto the page. Opening a file never changes it.
  2. Set the options. The action button stays disabled, with a note saying what is missing, until the setup is complete.
  3. Choose the action button, such as Merge PDFs or Export images.
  4. Read the result screen: it states what was done and a Verified: line of the checks that ran on the new file.
  5. Download the result. On a PDF result, Back to editing keeps working on the new file without downloading it first.

Tips

  • Keep the original. Every tool makes a new file, so name downloads clearly, such as report-final.pdf.
  • Chain tools in a sensible order. Remove and rotate pages before merging, so you fix each problem once.
  • Check the page count. The result screen shows it; compare it with what you expected.
  • Send a PDF when you can. It is smaller and more useful than images of the same pages.

Frequently asked questions

Are my files uploaded?

No. Files are processed in your browser on your device. The site itself loads over the internet.

Does Deckle change my original PDF?

No. Every tool creates a new file and leaves the original as it was.

Can I use several tools on one PDF?

Yes. On a PDF result, choose Back to editing to keep working on the new file, or download it and open it in another tool. An image result offers Make PDF instead.

Can Deckle convert PDF to Word?

No. Deckle has no Word, Excel or PowerPoint conversion. Use PDF to text to copy the words.

Related guides