Guides
Lumeo PDF Guides
A concise handbook for choosing and using Lumeo PDF Workspace tools.
Choosing the right tool
Use Compose when separate documents need to become one file, one file needs selected pages or smaller ranges, or pages need reordering, rotating, or removing. Use Distill when a file is too large for sharing or uploading. Use Capture to turn photos or scans into a PDF, and Render to export PDF pages as images or pull selectable text out. Use Seal to sign or initial a document, and Convert to move between PDF and Office formats or turn HTML into a PDF.
Current PDF tools
Compose — Merge PDF
Combine multiple documents into one polished PDF.
Workflow: Add PDFs, arrange them, choose output style, merge, download.
Limitation: Very large or damaged PDFs may need a smaller batch.
Compose — Split PDF
Extract pages, remove pages, or create smaller PDFs from one file.
Workflow: Add one PDF, choose a split method, select pages or ranges, download.
Limitation: Password-protected or damaged PDFs may not open in the browser.
Compose — Page Re-Order
Reorder, rotate, duplicate, or remove pages within one document.
Workflow: Add one PDF, drag pages to reorder, rotate or bulk-select, download.
Limitation: Password-protected or damaged PDFs may not open in the browser.
Distill — Compress PDF
Reduce file size for sharing, forms, and upload limits.
Workflow: Add one PDF, choose a compression profile, compress, review the result.
Limitation: Compression rebuilds pages as images, so review the output before replacing the original.
Capture — JPG to PDF
Turn photos or scanned images into a clean PDF document.
Workflow: Add JPG or PNG images, arrange them, choose a page size, combine, download.
Limitation: Very large batches of high-resolution images may need a smaller batch.
Render — PDF to JPG
Export PDF pages as sharp image files.
Workflow: Add one PDF, choose the pages and quality, export, download.
Limitation: Scanned pages without selectable text export as images only.
Render — Text Extract
Pull selectable text out of a PDF to read, search, or export it.
Workflow: Add one PDF, search or set a page range, choose TXT, JSON, or CSV, export.
Limitation: Scanned pages without an existing text layer have nothing to extract.
Seal — Sign PDF
Draw or type a signature and place it on any page.
Workflow: Add one PDF, create a signature, drag and resize it into place, download.
Limitation: Legally binding e-signature workflows with audit trails are not provided.
Convert — Word to PDF
Convert Word documents to PDF using free, self-hosted LibreOffice.
Workflow: Upload a DOCX or DOC file, convert, download the PDF.
Limitation: Server-side conversion, so the file is uploaded temporarily and cleared right after.
Convert — PDF to Word
Convert PDF pages into an editable Word file.
Workflow: Upload one PDF, convert, download the DOCX.
Limitation: Complex layouts, tables, or scanned pages may not convert cleanly.
Convert — HTML to PDF
Turn HTML and CSS into a downloadable PDF.
Workflow: Paste or type HTML/CSS, preview live, set page size and margins, generate, download.
Limitation: Forced CSS page-break rules are not guaranteed to be honored.
Inscribe — Edit PDF
Add text, freehand drawing, shapes, and whiteout boxes to a PDF.
Workflow: Add one PDF, pick a tool, click the page to place an element, adjust or delete it, export.
Limitation: Whiteout is visual-only -- it does not strip the underlying text or image data.
Inscribe — Watermark PDF
Add a text or image watermark to a PDF.
Workflow: Add one PDF, choose text or image, set opacity/rotation/placement and page range, add watermark, download.
Limitation: JPG watermarks are always opaque -- JPG has no transparency channel; use PNG for a see-through watermark.
Browser-first privacy
Lumeo PDF tools are designed to process supported files directly in your browser where possible. That keeps everyday document work simple, fast, and private without unnecessary sign-in.
Compose — Merge PDF questions
Are my PDF files uploaded to a server?+
No. Lumeo Merge PDF uses browser-first processing for supported files, so your documents stay on your device during the merge workflow.
Can I change the PDF order before merging?+
Yes. You can drag and rearrange documents in the workspace before creating the merged PDF.
Can Lumeo preserve the original PDF page sizes?+
Yes. Merge PDF includes output options for keeping original page sizes, matching the first PDF, or using smart A4 sizing.
What happens to my files after download?+
Lumeo can clear the active workspace after download, and you can also manually start a new merge to remove the current files from the session.
Compose — Split PDF questions
Are my PDF files uploaded?+
No. Supported Split PDF processing takes place directly in your browser, keeping the document on your device.
Can I extract only selected pages?+
Yes. Use Extract pages to create a new PDF containing only the pages you select.
Can I remove pages from a PDF?+
Yes. The Remove pages method creates a new PDF without the selected pages.
Can I split a PDF into multiple files?+
Yes. You can split by ranges, create one PDF per page, or create equal document chunks using Every N pages.
Does Split PDF support range shortcuts?+
Yes. Supported range inputs include values such as 1-3, 1-3,5, end, all, odd, and even.
Compose — Page Re-Order questions
What's the difference between Split and Page Re-Order?+
Split produces separate files from one PDF. Page Re-Order changes the order, rotation, or count of pages inside a single PDF and gives back one file.
Can I undo a reorder or delete before exporting?+
Yes. Changes only apply to the working copy in your browser tab -- reload the page to start over before you download.
Does duplicating a page keep its rotation?+
Yes. A duplicated page carries over any rotation already applied to the original.
Distill — Compress PDF questions
Are my PDF files uploaded?+
No. Supported compression processing takes place directly in your browser for this tool.
Can every PDF be compressed significantly?+
No. Results depend on the document. Text-only or already optimised PDFs may have limited savings.
Will compression reduce quality?+
Compression can reduce page rendering detail. Review the downloaded result before replacing the original.
What happens if the compressed file is larger?+
Lumeo compares the actual result with the original and recommends keeping the original when compression does not provide a useful reduction.
Capture — JPG to PDF questions
Which image formats can I convert to PDF?+
JPG, PNG, and WEBP images are supported, and can be mixed in the same PDF.
Can I reorder images before combining them?+
Yes. Drag images into the order you want before generating the PDF.
Are my images uploaded to a server?+
No. Images are combined into a PDF directly in your browser.
Render — PDF to JPG questions
Can I export only some pages as images?+
Yes. Select the pages you want before exporting.
What image formats can I export to?+
JPG, PNG, and WEBP are all supported, with adjustable quality and DPI.
How do I download multiple exported pages at once?+
When more than one page is exported, Lumeo bundles them into a single ZIP download.
Render — Text Extract questions
Does Text Extract work on scanned PDFs?+
Only if the PDF already has selectable text. Scanned pages without an OCR layer have no extractable text -- a searchable-scan tool is planned separately.
Which export formats are supported?+
TXT, JSON, and CSV -- one page range or the full document, with per-page or copy-all options in the workspace itself.
Can I extract only some pages?+
Yes. Enter a page range (e.g. 1-3,5) and only those pages are pulled into the preview and export.
Seal — Sign PDF questions
Is my signature stored anywhere?+
No. Signatures are drawn or typed in your browser and applied directly to the downloaded file.
Can I resize or reposition a signature after placing it?+
Yes, before you finish -- drag to reposition and use the resize handles to scale it on the page.
Convert — Word to PDF questions
Is Word to PDF conversion private?+
Office format conversion needs a server-side engine (free, self-hosted LibreOffice), so the file is uploaded temporarily and cleared immediately after conversion -- it is not stored.
Does it preserve formatting?+
Layout, fonts, tables, and images are preserved for standard DOCX/DOC documents. Highly complex layouts may shift slightly.
Convert — PDF to Word questions
Is PDF to Word conversion private?+
Conversion needs a server-side engine (free, self-hosted LibreOffice), so the file is uploaded temporarily and cleared immediately after conversion -- it is not stored.
Will my PDF's layout and tables convert cleanly?+
Standard text layouts, tables, and images convert well. Complex multi-column layouts or scanned pages may need manual cleanup.
Convert — HTML to PDF questions
Can I paste a full HTML document?+
Yes. Paste a complete document or a fragment -- styles are applied either way, and the result is sanitized before rendering.
Does it support CSS page breaks?+
Page size, orientation, and margins are configurable, but forced CSS page-break rules are not guaranteed to be honored by the current renderer.
Is my pasted HTML uploaded anywhere?+
No. It's rendered and converted to PDF entirely in your browser.
Inscribe — Edit PDF questions
Does whiteout actually remove the underlying content?+
No -- whiteout in Edit PDF hides content visually in the exported PDF, it does not strip the underlying text or image data. For documents with legal or compliance requirements, verify the underlying content is also removed before sharing.
Can I resize a shape or text box after placing it?+
Yes. Select it and drag the corner handle (or either endpoint, for a line) to resize. Freehand ink strokes can be moved and deleted, but not resized.
Can I edit an existing signature or reorganize pages with this tool?+
No -- use Sign PDF for signatures and Page Re-Order for rotating, reordering, or deleting pages. Edit PDF focuses on adding text, drawing, shapes, and whiteout boxes.
Inscribe — Watermark PDF questions
Are my PDF files uploaded to a server?+
No. Lumeo Watermark PDF uses browser-first processing, so your document stays on your device.
Can I use an image as a watermark, not just text?+
Yes. Upload a PNG or JPG. PNG transparency is preserved in the exported PDF; JPG watermarks are always opaque, since the JPG format itself has no transparency channel.
Can I apply the watermark to only some pages?+
Yes -- choose all pages, first page only, odd pages, even pages, or a custom range like 1,3,5-8.
Will the watermark stay upright on a rotated page?+
Yes. Lumeo detects each page's own rotation and composes it with your chosen watermark angle, so text and images render upright and correctly placed regardless of page rotation.
Privacy questions
What does browser-first mean?+
Browser-first means supported PDF work happens on your device in the browser instead of requiring a server upload.
Do I need an account for PDF tools?+
No. The public PDF workspaces are designed for simple document tasks without unnecessary sign-in.