Assemble and inspect the pages
Work from an authorized unencrypted copy. Merge, split or reorder using the file’s page positions, which may differ from printed labels. Check the final page count and keep the original because forms, bookmarks and signatures may be affected by editing.
Choose text or pictures deliberately
Text extraction reads an existing text layer and does not perform OCR. PNG/JPG/WebP previews render a page into pixels. Raster PDF flattening also loses selectable text and accessibility structure, so retain an accessible original when possible.
Do not mistake appearance for security
Crop hides page regions without deleting the underlying content. Metadata cleanup does not remove all hidden information. Signature placement inserts a visible image, not a verified certificate signature. Use a suitable redaction or signing workflow when those guarantees are required.