Flattening Markups

Flattening markups moves the markup from the annotations layer to the content layer. Markups can be flattened individually or all at once. The Flatten Markups dialog box provides additional controls over how markups are Flattened.

ClosedFlattening Individual or Selected Markups
ClosedTo flatten with configurable flattening settings
  1. Select one or more markups in the main workspace or in the Markups list.

  2. Go to Document > Flatten Markups or press CTRL+SHIFT+M. The Flatten Markups dialog box appears.

  3. Select the desired flattening settings.

    ClosedFlattening Settings

    Allow Markup Recovery (Unflatten): Enables unflattening of the PDF if any markups need to be edited in the future. Flattening is irreversible if the PDF is flattened without this option checked.

    Assign Layer: Flattens the markups to a Layer name as specified in the field next to this option. Enter a name to create a new layer or select an existing layer from the dropdown list.

    Options: Click to enable any of the following related options:

    Leave Markups on Existing Layer:

    Overlay Text: When enabled, markups flattened to a layer show the name of the layer next to them.

    Overlay Font and Overlay Position: Determines the font, size and position of the overlay text.

    Show Properties in Popup: When enabled, selected properties will appear in a popup when the flattened markup is clicked. If not enabled, markup properties are lost.

    Options: Click to select which properties will appear in the popup.

    Flatten Capture Media as Attachment: When enabled, Capture media embedded in the markup will be flattened to a summary report (similar to the Capture Summary available from the Markups list) as an attachment.

    Options: Click to enable any of the following related options:

    Attach Media as Linked Files: Select this option to attach images and videos embedded with Capture to the summary report as linked files. Clicking on a preview image in the Capture Media Addendum will open the image or video in the device's default viewer. This option is only available when Include Capture Media Addendum is selected.

    Title: Enter the name of the summary and/or the summary PDF file.

    Padding: Enter the amount of surrounding context shown around the preview image included in the Markup Summary. Setting a higher value provides more surrounding context.

    Page Size: Select the page size and orientation (Portrait or Landscape) of the PDF output.

    All Markups: All markups matching the types selected in the Flatten Markup Types list, filtered or not, will be flattened.

    Exclude Filtered Markups: Markups that are currently unavailable because of a Filter in the Markups list will not be flattened. All other markups matching the types selected in the Flatten Markup Types list below will be flattened.

    Selected Markups: Flattens only the markups that were selected prior to opening this dialog box, if any. This option is not available if no markups were selected.

    Flatten Markup Types list: Choose specific markup types to flatten or not flatten: checked types will be flattened, unchecked types will not. Click Check All to select all markup types.  Click Uncheck All to deselect all markup types.

    Page Range: Defines the page range that will be flattened. Options are:

    • All Pages: Sets the range to all pages.
    • Current: Sets the range to the current page only. The current page number will appear in parentheses, for example, Current (2) if page 2 is the current page.
    • Selected: Sets the range to the current selection. This option only appears if pages were selected prior to invoking the command.
    • Custom: Sets the range to a custom value. When this option is selected the list becomes a text box. To enter a custom range:
      • Use a dash between page numbers to define those two pages and all pages in between.
      • Use a comma to define pages that are separated.

      For example: 1-3, 5, 9 will include pages 1, 2, 3, 5 and 9.

    Add Files: Click to specify additional files to be flattened using the same settings. See Batch Flatten Markups for more information.

    Unflatten: Recovers markups that have previously been flattened, if Allow Markup Recovery was selected when the markups were originally flattened.

  4. Click Flatten.
ClosedTo flatten with default flattening settings
  1. Select one or more markups in the main workspace or in the Markups list.
  2. Right-click a markup and select  Flatten. The selected markup(s) are automatically flattened using the current default flatten settings (usually the last settings used).
ClosedFlattening All Markups

To flatten all markups on selected pages (including all pages) of a PDF at once:

  1. Go to Document > Flatten Markups or press CTRL+SHIFT+M. The Flatten Markups dialog box appears.

  2. Select All Markups and any other desired flattening settings.

    ClosedFlattening Settings

    Allow Markup Recovery (Unflatten): Enables unflattening of the PDF if any markups need to be edited in the future. Flattening is irreversible if the PDF is flattened without this option checked.

    Assign Layer: Flattens the markups to a Layer name as specified in the field next to this option. Enter a name to create a new layer or select an existing layer from the dropdown list.

    Options: Click to enable any of the following related options:

    Leave Markups on Existing Layer:

    Overlay Text: When enabled, markups flattened to a layer show the name of the layer next to them.

    Overlay Font and Overlay Position: Determines the font, size and position of the overlay text.

    Show Properties in Popup: When enabled, selected properties will appear in a popup when the flattened markup is clicked. If not enabled, markup properties are lost.

    Options: Click to select which properties will appear in the popup.

    Flatten Capture Media as Attachment: When enabled, Capture media embedded in the markup will be flattened to a summary report (similar to the Capture Summary available from the Markups list) as an attachment.

    Options: Click to enable any of the following related options:

    Attach Media as Linked Files: Select this option to attach images and videos embedded with Capture to the summary report as linked files. Clicking on a preview image in the Capture Media Addendum will open the image or video in the device's default viewer. This option is only available when Include Capture Media Addendum is selected.

    Title: Enter the name of the summary and/or the summary PDF file.

    Padding: Enter the amount of surrounding context shown around the preview image included in the Markup Summary. Setting a higher value provides more surrounding context.

    Page Size: Select the page size and orientation (Portrait or Landscape) of the PDF output.

    All Markups: All markups matching the types selected in the Flatten Markup Types list, filtered or not, will be flattened.

    Exclude Filtered Markups: Markups that are currently unavailable because of a Filter in the Markups list will not be flattened. All other markups matching the types selected in the Flatten Markup Types list below will be flattened.

    Selected Markups: Flattens only the markups that were selected prior to opening this dialog box, if any. This option is not available if no markups were selected.

    Flatten Markup Types list: Choose specific markup types to flatten or not flatten: checked types will be flattened, unchecked types will not. Click Check All to select all markup types.  Click Uncheck All to deselect all markup types.

    Page Range: Defines the page range that will be flattened. Options are:

    • All Pages: Sets the range to all pages.
    • Current: Sets the range to the current page only. The current page number will appear in parentheses, for example, Current (2) if page 2 is the current page.
    • Selected: Sets the range to the current selection. This option only appears if pages were selected prior to invoking the command.
    • Custom: Sets the range to a custom value. When this option is selected the list becomes a text box. To enter a custom range:
      • Use a dash between page numbers to define those two pages and all pages in between.
      • Use a comma to define pages that are separated.

      For example: 1-3, 5, 9 will include pages 1, 2, 3, 5 and 9.

    Add Files: Click to specify additional files to be flattened using the same settings. See Batch Flatten Markups for more information.

    Unflatten: Recovers markups that have previously been flattened, if Allow Markup Recovery was selected when the markups were originally flattened.

  3. To flatten the markups on specific pages of the PDF, choose one of the following from the Pages dropdown list:

    • All Pages: Sets the range to all pages.
    • Current: Sets the range to the current page only. The current page number will appear in parentheses, for example, Current (2) if page 2 is the current page.
    • Selected: Sets the range to the current selection. This option only appears if pages were selected prior to invoking the command.
    • Custom: Sets the range to a custom value. When this option is selected the list becomes a text box. To enter a custom range:
      • Use a dash between page numbers to define those two pages and all pages in between.
      • Use a comma to define pages that are separated.

      For example: 1-3, 5, 9 will include pages 1, 2, 3, 5 and 9.

  4. Click Flatten.
ClosedFlatten Settings

The Flatten Markups dialog box contains several settings for customizing how Revu flattens markups. It can also be used to add files to the flatten process (flattening several documents at the same time using the same settings) or to unflatten previously flattened markups.

Allow Markup Recovery (Unflatten): Enables unflattening of the PDF if any markups need to be edited in the future. Flattening is irreversible if the PDF is flattened without this option checked.

Assign Layer: Flattens the markups to a Layer name as specified in the field next to this option. Enter a name to create a new layer or select an existing layer from the dropdown list.

Options: Click to enable any of the following related options:

Leave Markups on Existing Layer:

Overlay Text: When enabled, markups flattened to a layer show the name of the layer next to them.

Overlay Font and Overlay Position: Determines the font, size and position of the overlay text.

Show Properties in Popup: When enabled, selected properties will appear in a popup when the flattened markup is clicked. If not enabled, markup properties are lost.

Options: Click to select which properties will appear in the popup.

Flatten Capture Media as Attachment: When enabled, Capture media embedded in the markup will be flattened to a summary report (similar to the Capture Summary available from the Markups list) as an attachment.

Options: Click to enable any of the following related options:

Attach Media as Linked Files: Select this option to attach images and videos embedded with Capture to the summary report as linked files. Clicking on a preview image in the Capture Media Addendum will open the image or video in the device's default viewer. This option is only available when Include Capture Media Addendum is selected.

Title: Enter the name of the summary and/or the summary PDF file.

Padding: Enter the amount of surrounding context shown around the preview image included in the Markup Summary. Setting a higher value provides more surrounding context.

Page Size: Select the page size and orientation (Portrait or Landscape) of the PDF output.

All Markups: All markups matching the types selected in the Flatten Markup Types list, filtered or not, will be flattened.

Exclude Filtered Markups: Markups that are currently unavailable because of a Filter in the Markups list will not be flattened. All other markups matching the types selected in the Flatten Markup Types list below will be flattened.

Selected Markups: Flattens only the markups that were selected prior to opening this dialog box, if any. This option is not available if no markups were selected.

Flatten Markup Types list: Choose specific markup types to flatten or not flatten: checked types will be flattened, unchecked types will not. Click Check All to select all markup types.  Click Uncheck All to deselect all markup types.

Page Range: Defines the page range that will be flattened. Options are:

Add Files: Click to specify additional files to be flattened using the same settings. See Batch Flatten Markups for more information.

Unflatten: Recovers markups that have previously been flattened, if Allow Markup Recovery was selected when the markups were originally flattened.

ClosedUnflattening Markups

If the Allow Markup Recovery setting was enabled when a markup was originally flattened (see Flatten Settings above) and no other action has been taken on the page that would result in the markup being irretrievable (see Warning below), it can be unflattened.

To unflatten markups:

  1. Go to Document > Flatten Markups or press CTRL+SHIFT+M. The Flatten Markups dialog box appears.

  2. To unflatten the markups on specific pages of the PDF, choose one of the following from the Pages dropdown list:

    • All Pages: Sets the range to all pages.
    • Current: Sets the range to the current page only. The current page number will appear in parentheses, for example, Current (2) if page 2 is the current page.
    • Selected: Sets the range to the current selection. This option only appears if pages were selected prior to invoking the command.
    • Custom: Sets the range to a custom value. When this option is selected the list becomes a text box. To enter a custom range:
      • Use a dash between page numbers to define those two pages and all pages in between.
      • Use a comma to define pages that are separated.

      For example: 1-3, 5, 9 will include pages 1, 2, 3, 5 and 9.

  3. Click Unflatten. All markups on the selected pages are unflattened.

Warning: The following commands, if executed on a page containing flattened markups, will prevent all markups on the page from being unflattened:

If you intend to use these commands to edit the content of a PDF with flattened markups that you want to remain recoverable, unflatten all the markups before you execute these commands.

Related topics

Markups Introduction

Working with Layers