Guides, tips and comparisons on processing PDFs, images, audio and video.
Extracting the images inside a PDF as a ZIP in their original state: how it differs from taking a page image, split images, the mask problem, and interpreting the extracted files.
7 min read
GuidePDF's image storage structure: Image XObject objects, DCTDecode/FlateDecode filters, color spaces, transparency masks, and why images get split into pieces.
8 min read
How-ToRestructuring a PDF for fast web view: what linearization is, who benefits, its effect on file size, and how it differs from compression.
7 min read
How-ToEditing PDFs in the browser: adding text boxes, drawing, placing a signature, font and positioning settings, and the checks to make before saving.
7 min read
ComparisonThe differences between exporting a PDF page as SVG, PNG or JPEG: file size, scalability, editability, and which wins for which content type.
7 min read
How-ToExporting PDF pages to vector SVG: the font problem, choosing between text and outlines, behavior with multi-page documents, and what gets lost in the conversion.
7 min read
How-ToThe steps for extracting specific pages as a new PDF: writing ranges, cover page offset, selecting multiple ranges, and what's preserved and lost in the extracted file.
7 min read
GuideThe background of page extraction: PDF's page tree structure, shared resources, why the extracted file can stay large, and what happens to bookmarks and links.
7 min read
GuideWhat the overlay operation corresponds to inside the file: XObject form objects, appending to the content stream, drawing order, transparency groups, and how resource collisions are resolved.
8 min read
GuideThe two-layer structure of PDF metadata: the Document Info dictionary, the XMP packet, conflicts between them, PDF/A requirements, and what metadata means for privacy.
7 min read
How-ToViewing, changing and deleting PDF metadata: the title/author/keyword fields, privacy risks, the difference between XMP and document info, and a pre-sharing checklist.
7 min read
ComparisonThe target formats for making PDF content reusable compared: Markdown, Word, plain text and HTML. Which is right for which purpose.
7 min read
How-ToGetting PDF content into Markdown: heading hierarchy detection, lists, tables, links, the multi-column layout problem, and post-conversion cleanup steps.
7 min read
How-ToTurning filled form fields and annotations into fixed content: why it's needed, which elements are affected, what to watch on signed documents, and a post-flattening checklist.
7 min read
GuideThe technical structure of PDF forms: the AcroForm dictionary, widget annotations, appearance streams, the NeedAppearances flag, and what flattening changes in the file.
7 min read
ComparisonThree ways to change a PDF compared: browser-based layer adding, desktop PDF editors, and converting to Word and saving back. Which is right for which job.
7 min read
GuideWhy text can't be edited in place in a PDF, how page content is stored, the difference between adding a layer and real editing, and the limits of browser-based editors.
7 min read
How-ToOverlaying one PDF onto another: applying letterhead paper, stamping, page alignment, size mismatches, and deciding between background and foreground layering.
7 min read
ComparisonThree methods for adding a corporate letterhead, logo or stamp to a PDF compared: an overlay tool, a watermark tool, and using a template in the source document.
7 min read
GuideMoving from a flow document model to a fixed page model: font metrics, line-breaking math, Excel's lack of a page concept, and PowerPoint becoming static.
8 min read
ComparisonThree ways to convert Word, Excel and PowerPoint files to PDF compared: Office's own export, an online converter, and the 'Print to PDF' option.
7 min read
How-ToConverting Office files to PDF: font embedding, fitting Excel to the page, losing PowerPoint animations, link and form behavior, and post-conversion checks.
7 min read
How-To2-up, 4-up and 6-up layouts: how many pages fit on a sheet, the legibility limit, choosing landscape or portrait orientation, and the paper-saving math.
6 min read
GuideThe background of the N-up operation: how the scale factor is calculated, what happens when aspect ratios don't match, the difference between N-up and booklet layout, and the effect on file size.
7 min read