Add Margins to PDF
Add white space around every page in mm, inches or points, with mirrored binding margins for double-sided printing.
Select a PDF fileor drop it anywhere on this page, or paste
Opens in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Add Margins to PDF, free and private
Add margins to a PDF to make room for binding, hole punching, handwritten notes or a printer that clips the edges. Set one margin for every side or a different one for each side, in millimetres, inches or points. With mirrored margins the extra space goes on the inside edge of each page, so a bound document has its gutter on the left of odd pages and the right of even pages.
You choose how the white space is made. Make pages larger grows each page around the content, which keeps the content at 100%. Keep page size leaves the paper size alone and shrinks the content to fit inside the margins. Both keep text sharp and selectable, and the PDF is edited in your browser without an upload.
How to add margins to a PDF
- 1
Add your PDF
Press Select a PDF file or drop the file onto the page. A preview of your pages shows where the new margin goes, and the arrows under it flip through them.
- 2
Choose how to make room
Pick Make pages larger to add the white space around each page. Pick Keep page size when the PDF has to stay A4 or Letter, and the content is scaled down instead.
- 3
Set the margins
Pick mm, in or pt. Under Margins, keep Same on all sides and type one value, or pick Set each side and fill in Top, Bottom, Left and Right. Values convert when you switch units, so 10 mm becomes 0.39 in.
- 4
Add a binding margin for double-sided printing
With Set each side, turn on Mirror margins on even pages. Left and Right become Inside and Outside. Flip from page 1 to page 2 in the preview to see the gutter swap sides.
- 5
Add margins and download
Press Add margins. The result shows the new size of page 1, or how far its content was scaled. Press Download PDF. The file name ends in -margins.
Why use PDFToolz for this
Add white space to a PDF without quality loss
Pages are not redrawn or turned into images. The tool widens the page boxes or adds a scale to the page content, so text stays selectable and scans keep their full resolution.
Links, forms and bookmarks keep working
The pages are edited in place instead of being copied into a new file. Bookmarks, web links, links between pages, comments and fillable form fields all stay. In Keep page size mode, links, comments and form fields shrink and move with the content, and bookmarks still jump to the same spot on the page.
Mirrored margins for binding
Page 1 is treated as a right-hand page, so its inside edge is the left edge. Every even page swaps the inside and outside values, which is how printed books and reports are laid out.
Rotated pages get the margin where you see it
Margins are measured on the page as your PDF viewer shows it. A top margin goes at the top you read, even on a scan stored sideways with a rotation flag.
Works on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
The tool runs in any modern browser. There is no Acrobat, app or account needed, and no watermark or page limit.
Make pages larger or keep the page size?
Make pages larger adds the margin outside the current page. An A4 page of 210 × 297 mm with 10 mm on every side becomes 230 × 317 mm, and the content does not change size. A US Letter page of 8.5 × 11 in with 0.5 in on every side becomes 9.5 × 12 in. Use this for reading on screen, for adding space to write notes, and for print shops that print on larger paper and trim it.
Keep page size keeps A4 as A4 and shrinks the content into the area inside the margins. Width and height are scaled by the same amount, so nothing is stretched, and the content is centred in the space left over. With 10 mm on every side of an A4 page the content is scaled to about 90%, which leaves about 14 mm at the top and bottom. Use this when you print on your own printer at 100% scale.
How much margin to add for binding
The inside margin has to clear whatever holds the pages together. A few common setups:
- Two-hole or four-hole punch to ISO 838. The hole centres sit 12 mm from the edge and the holes are 6 mm wide, so an inside margin of about 20 mm keeps text clear of the holes.
- Comb, wire or coil binding. The machine punches a row of holes near the edge. Measure from the edge to the far side of a hole and add a few millimetres.
- Staples in the corner or a saddle stitch along the fold need little extra space. A plain 10 mm on every side leaves room for them.
Add a binding margin to a PDF for double-sided printing
When you print on both sides of the paper, the bound edge of the back side is on the right. A plain left margin would then sit on the outside of every even page. Pick Set each side, enter the binding space as Inside and a smaller value as Outside, and turn on Mirror margins on even pages. Page 1 gets the inside margin on the left, page 2 on the right, page 3 on the left again.
If your document has a cover that is printed on its own, page 2 is the first page of the double-sided part. Remove the cover with Delete PDF Pages first, add the margins, then put the cover back with Merge PDF.
What changes in the file
Adding margins changes the boxes that set each page's size. In Keep page size mode it also adds a scale to the page content. A few details follow from that:
- The new margin is empty. It shows as white on screen and prints as bare paper. You cannot pick a colour for it.
- Content a crop hid before stays hidden. The page content is clipped to the area that was visible.
- Trim, bleed and art boxes, which print shops use, are removed because they would no longer match the page.
- In Keep page size mode, form fields get smaller with the content, but the font size set in each field stays the same, so long entries may not fit.
- The same margins apply to every page. To change only some pages, take them out with Extract PDF Pages and join the parts again with Merge PDF.
Add margins, crop or resize?
Crop PDF does the opposite job. It removes margins by cutting the page down. Resize PDF Pages puts every page on a fixed paper size such as A4 or Letter and scales the content to fit, which can also add white bands when the shapes differ. Add margins when you need a set amount of space on given sides, then use Add Header / Footer or Add Page Numbers to fill that space with text.
Frequently asked questions
Add the PDF, pick Make pages larger or Keep page size, type the margin in mm, in or pt, and press Add margins. Then press Download PDF.
Pick Keep page size. The content is scaled down by one factor and centred inside the margins, so an A4 page stays 210 × 297 mm. With 10 mm on every side the content ends up at about 90% of its size.
Pick Set each side and enter a larger Left value, such as 20 mm. For double-sided printing, also turn on Mirror margins on even pages, so the wide margin lands on the left of odd pages and the right of even pages.
No. The pages are not converted to images. Text stays sharp and selectable, and scanned pages keep their resolution. In Keep page size mode everything is smaller, but not less sharp.
Yes. Open this page in Safari, Chrome or any other browser on a Mac, iPhone or iPad. The margins are added on the device and no app or account is needed.
No. The margins apply to every page. Extract the pages you want to change with Extract PDF Pages, add margins to that file, and join the parts with Merge PDF.
Yes. The pages are changed in place, so bookmarks, links, comments and fillable fields stay. In Keep page size mode they move and shrink with the content, and bookmarks point to the same spot as before.
It is free, with no watermark, sign-up or page limit. The PDF is edited in your browser and never sent to a server.
