What does PDF reflow actually do?

It reads the position of every text block in the PDF, detects the column layout, and reorders the content into a single reading column — the way a human would read it. Paragraphs split across pages are joined back together, and the result can be exported as Markdown, EPUB or a re-typeset PDF.

Does it work on two-column academic papers?

Yes — that's the main use case. When a multi-column layout is detected, the columns are merged into one continuous reading flow, and a notice in the preview confirms the merge happened.

Can it reflow a scanned PDF?

No. Reflow needs a real text layer to rebuild the reading order — a scan is just an image of a page. The tool detects scanned PDFs and tells you to run them through the OCR PDF tool first, then reflow the result.

Which export formats are available?

Three: Markdown (.md) for notes and wikis, EPUB (.epub) for e-readers like Kindle and Kobo, and a reflowed PDF (.pdf) that re-typesets the content as a single column at your chosen font size.

What happens to figures and images?

With 'Keep images in place' enabled, figures are extracted and anchored where they appeared in the original document, so a chart stays next to the text that references it. Turn the option off for a pure-text export.

Can it remove page headers and footers?

Yes. Text that repeats in the same position across pages — running heads, journal names, page numbers — is detected and stripped from the reading flow when 'Remove repeated headers and footers' is on.

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?

No. Parsing, reading-order reconstruction and export all run locally in your browser. Your document never leaves your device.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes — and that's where reflow helps most, since it removes the pinch-and-zoom reading entirely. The reader settings live in a bottom sheet you can reach with one thumb.

PDF Reflow: รวม PDF สองคอลัมน์เป็นคอลัมน์เดียว

จัดเรียง PDF เลย์เอาต์คงที่ให้เป็นคอลัมน์เดียวอ่านง่าย ส่งออก Markdown, EPUB หรือ PDF จัดหน้าใหม่ ฟรี ส่วนตัว ในเบราว์เซอร์

1. Add a PDF

Drop a two-column paper, report or ebook. The text layer is analyzed locally — nothing is uploaded.

2. Tune the reader

Pick a reading theme and font size, keep images in place, and strip repeated headers and footers.

3. Export

Download the rebuilt flow as Markdown, an EPUB e-book, or a re-typeset single-column PDF.

About PDF Reflow

Fixed Layouts Were Made for Printing, Not Reading

Academic papers, technical reports and many ebooks are typeset in two narrow columns because that layout prints well on A4. On a phone or tablet it reads terribly — you pinch, zoom, scroll down one column, scroll back up, then down the second. Copy-pasting doesn't help either: the text comes out interleaved, with headers, page numbers and footnotes spliced into the middle of sentences.

PDF Reflow rebuilds the document instead of copying it. It reads the position of every text span on every page, detects the column layout, sorts blocks into the order a human would read them, and stitches paragraphs back together across page breaks. The result is a single clean column you can actually read — and export.

What You Can Control

The rebuilt document is shown in a live reader preview, and every setting applies to both the preview and the export.

Four Reading Themes

Light, sepia, dark and eye-green themes make long reading sessions comfortable in any lighting.

Adjustable Font Size

Scale the body text from 13 to 24 pixels — the layout re-wraps instantly, no zooming required.

Images Kept in Place

Figures and diagrams are anchored where they appeared in the original, so a chart stays next to the paragraph that explains it.

Header and Footer Stripping

Repeated running heads, page numbers and journal names are detected across pages and removed from the flow.

Three Ways to Take the Text With You

Export as Markdown when you want the content — headings, paragraphs and figures become clean markup you can drop into Obsidian, Notion or a static site. Export as EPUB to send the document to a Kindle, Kobo or phone e-reader, where it behaves like a real ebook with resizable text. Or export a re-typeset PDF: the same content, laid out again as a single column at your chosen font size, for printing or sharing.

If the PDF turns out to be a scan — images of pages with no real text layer — the tool tells you instead of producing an empty document, and points you at the OCR tool to build a text layer first.

How It Compares

Copy-paste and generic PDF-to-text tools extract characters. Reflow rebuilds the reading order.

ฟีเจอร์	OxygenPDF	Copy-paste	PDF-to-text converters
Multi-column reading order rebuilt			Varies
Paragraphs joined across page breaks
Repeated headers and footers removed			Varies
Images kept in position
Exports Markdown, EPUB and PDF
Scanned PDFs detected, not silently emptied
No file upload required

Your Documents Stay on Your Device

The PDFs people reflow are often preprints under embargo, internal reports, or ebooks they own. Most online converters upload the file to a server, run extraction there, and keep a copy — sometimes to train on.

OxygenPDF parses the PDF and rebuilds the reading order entirely in your browser using coordinate analysis. Nothing is sent anywhere, and closing the tab wipes the document. For anything covered by an NDA or just your own privacy expectations, client-side is the right default.