PDFNIB

Help

Help: how the PdfNib editor and tools work

Short answers for the editor and the tools. If yours is not here, write to us.

Getting started

Open a PDF or start blank
On the home page press Open a PDF, or drag a PDF onto the editor. Images (PNG, JPEG) open as pages too. Start blank gives you an A4 sheet; Templates gives you other sizes, lined or graph paper, or a ready-made layout.
Templates, paper and page sizes
Press Templates (in the top bar or the empty studio) for blank, lined or graph paper in A4, Letter, Legal, A3 or A5, or for a Pro template: invoice, certificate, letterhead or resume. Every part of a template is an ordinary layer. With nothing selected, the Inspector's Page section changes the current page's size, orientation and paper, and new pages copy the page before them.
Add text, images, shapes and ink
Pick a tool on the left rail (or press its key: T for text, I for image, R rectangle, O ellipse, H highlight, L line, A arrow, D draw) and click the page. Double-click text to edit it in place.
Sign and stamp
Press S for a signature (draw, type, or upload; tick the box to keep it for next time) and M for stamps like APPROVED, PAID or today's date.
Pages
Use the sidebar to add, duplicate, rotate, delete or drag pages into order, and Insert to add pages from another PDF or an image.
Redact (Pro)
Press X and click the page to place a box over anything that must go, or type a word in the Redaction panel to mark every match. On export those pages are redrawn as images without what was under the boxes. The panel also offers cleanup: links, form fields, metadata, or flattening every page.
Form fields (Pro)
Press F, pick a field type in the panel (text box, checkbox, radio button or dropdown) and click the page to place it. Name it in the Inspector: fields with the same name share a value, and radio buttons with the same name form a group. Exported fields are standard PDF form fields that any viewer can fill.
Export
Press Export PDF. Text is embedded with real fonts, so Bangla, Hindi, Arabic and other scripts look right everywhere.

Saving and privacy

Where are my documents?
In this browser's storage on this device. Open Saved documents from the top bar to rename, duplicate or delete them. Nothing is uploaded or synced.
I cleared my browser data and my documents are gone
Clearing site data removes the local library. Export a PDF whenever you need a copy that lives outside the browser.

Pro

What is Pro?
The heavy jobs: OCR in 100+ languages, true redaction with document cleanup, editing existing text, fillable forms, document templates, strong and batch compression, plus no limits on merging or the library. $39 a year, $6.99 a month, or a $4.99 pass for 7 days, with lower prices in many countries and a 14-day refund.
Buying and what we store
Pay on the pricing page or when a Pro feature asks. Paddle takes the payment as merchant of record; PdfNib's licence service keeps only your email and plan status, never your documents. Pro unlocks the device you bought it on.
Pro on another device or browser
Open the Pro account page, enter the email you paid with, and type the 6-digit code we send. There is no password. Offline, Pro keeps working until the end of the paid period plus a week.
Cancelling, receipts and refunds
The Pro account page links to Paddle's customer portal for receipts, payment details and cancellation. You keep Pro until the end of the paid period. Refunds within 14 days: see the refund page.

Install and use offline

Chrome and Edge (desktop and Android)
Open the menu and choose Install PdfNib (or Add to Home screen). The app then opens in its own window, can open PDFs from your file manager, and works with the internet off.
Safari on iPhone and iPad
Tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. The editor and tools you have visited keep working offline.
Does it really work offline?
Yes. After a page has loaded once, turn off the internet and try it. Fonts for scripts you have not used yet download the first time you use them.

Fixing common problems

A PDF will not open
Password-protected files must be unlocked first with the Unlock PDF tool. Damaged files may not open at all; try re-exporting them from the app that made them.
Large files are slow
Everything runs on your device, so speed depends on it. Close other tabs, and prefer the desktop for files over a few hundred pages.
Text looks different in the export
PdfNib embeds Noto fonts. If you chose Helvetica, the export uses the PDF standard font, which some scripts do not cover; switch the layer to Noto Sans or a script font.

Free PDF tools

Contact

Email hello@pdfnib.com. Do not attach documents you would not want to leave your device; describe the problem instead.

PdfNib Pro

PdfNib Pro

OCR, true redaction, editing existing text, fillable forms, templates, strong and batch compression, no limits, priority support and commercial use.

Prices in USD; the checkout shows your local price and tax. Lower prices in many countries. 14-day refund on every plan.

Already have Pro? Restore it on this device