GUIDES AND TIPS
The TidyToolbox blog.
Short, practical guides on file conversion, QR codes, PDFs, and getting more out of the tools on this site.
How does a free PDF editor actually work?
Free PDF editors let you click on existing text and retype it. Here is what is actually happening on the page, and why it still counts as real editing.
READ THE GUIDE → PDFHow to add text to a PDF for free
Filling in a form, adding a note, or fixing a line on a PDF does not need Acrobat. How to add and format text on a PDF free, right in your browser.
READ THE GUIDE → PDFHow to sign a PDF online for free
No printer, no scanner, no paid Acrobat plan. Two free ways to sign a PDF online, straight from your browser, and when to use each one.
READ THE GUIDE → BARCODESHow to make a barcode for free
Need a barcode for a product, an asset tag, or an inventory sheet? Here is how to generate one for free, right in your browser.
READ THE GUIDE → BARCODESDo you need to buy a barcode, or can you make one free?
A barcode costs nothing to generate. Whether the number inside it needs to be officially registered depends entirely on what you are using it for.
READ THE GUIDE → PDFHow to compress a PDF for free
A PDF that is too large to email or upload usually just needs compressing. Here is how to shrink one for free, right in your browser.
READ THE GUIDE → PDFWhy is my PDF so large, and how do you fix it?
A 40 page PDF should not be 200 megabytes. The usual reasons a PDF balloons in size, and which fix actually matches each one.
READ THE GUIDE → VIDEO CONVERSIONHow to convert MKV to MP4
A straightforward guide to converting MKV to MP4 free in your browser, why it usually takes seconds, and why it sometimes does not.
READ THE GUIDE → VIDEO CONVERSIONHow to convert MKV files to MP4 for free
A video that plays fine on your own computer and refuses to open anywhere else is almost always MKV. Here is why, and the fix, done free in your browser.
READ THE GUIDE → SPREADSHEETS AND IMAGESBulk image downloader: every image in a spreadsheet, in one click
Upload a sheet of image links, click the download button, and save every picture as one ZIP. Here is how it works and what to expect from it.
READ THE GUIDE → RESUMES AND CVSShould your CV have a photo?
The answer depends entirely on where you are applying. A country by country look at where a headshot is expected, where it will get your application rejected, and how to handle both.
READ THE GUIDE → IMAGE CONVERSIONHow to convert HEIC to JPG for free
Your iPhone saves photos as HEIC by default, which plenty of websites and apps still cannot open. Here is why that happens and how to convert them in seconds.
READ THE GUIDE → QR CODESQR codes for small business events
Table numbers, check in links, menus, feedback forms. A practical look at where QR codes actually help at an event, and how to generate a whole batch at once.
READ THE GUIDE → PDFHow to combine multiple photos into one PDF
Whether it is a stack of receipts, a scanned form, or pages from a notebook, here is the simplest way to turn several photos into a single PDF file.
READ THE GUIDE → QR CODESHow to read a QR code from a photo
Stuck with a QR code in an old screenshot or a photo your camera will not scan? Here is how to read it free, without pointing a phone camera at anything.
READ THE GUIDE → QR CODESWhat is actually inside a QR code?
A QR code is not always a link. It can hold Wi Fi details, a contact card, an SMS, or plain text. Here is what actually gets stored inside one, and how to check.
READ THE GUIDE → QR CODESHow to check a QR code is safe before you scan it
A QR code taped over a parking meter or left on a cafe table is not automatically safe. Here is how to see where a code actually leads before you open it.
READ THE GUIDE →