Checklist before you send a PDF
A PDF can't be taken back once it's sent. Before you submit or share one, go through these items from the top.
1. Is the personal data really gone?
- Skim for ID numbers, bank account numbers, phone numbers, addresses and signatures that don't belong in this copy.
- If you only drew a black box, the text can still be copied. Use the redact tool to remove it, then check the saved file with Ctrl+A copy or search to confirm it's really gone.
- Text that is part of an image isn't removed by the redact tool. In that case, fix the source document and export a new PDF.
2. Page order and orientation
- Use the page list to look for missing, duplicated or upside-down pages.
- Delete pages you don't need (blank pages, temporary covers) and drag pages into the right order. See Reorder, rotate and delete PDF pages.
3. Check your edits
- Reopen the downloaded file and read the changed text and numbers. Check amounts, dates and names especially carefully.
- If you were told a line was condensed, make sure the end of the line isn't cut off.
- If you edited an important document such as a contract, tell the other party what changed and why.
4. Document properties
A PDF can carry the author's name, the program that made it and when it was created. PdfMonster can't edit these properties, so check them in your PDF viewer's Document Properties. If they're sensitive, clear them in the original program and export again.
5. File name and size
- Make sure the file name doesn't contain personal data or awkward words like “final_really_final”. Downloaded files end in
-edited, so rename it if needed. - Email attachments are usually limited to 10–25 MB. If yours is larger, reduce the image resolution in the original program and export again. PdfMonster can't shrink files, and it opens files up to 60 MB.
6. Can the recipient open it?
- Open it once on a phone or in a different PDF viewer. If letters appear as boxes, it may be a font problem.
- A sent file is hard to recall, so double-check the recipient and the attachment name just before sending.
This checklist is general guidance. For legal or confidential documents, follow your organization's rules first.