Optimize File Size with Our PDF Compression SDK

.NET PDF Optimization SDK

If you’ve ever struggled with large, slow-loading PDF files, optimization is the solution through a trusted PDF Compression SDK.

The GdPicture.NET PDF Compression SDK is the most complete PDF optimization engine in the market. More than 12 years of continuous research and speaking to thousands of developers have been done to address all areas of compression and optimization, with a focus on font optimization, data compression, and image analysis.

Trusted since 15+ years, by 3000+ and Fortune500 companies, and 10K+ developers.

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What is an Optimized PDF and General Compression

PDF Optimization is about serializing several compression algorithms to surpass the limitations of some compression schemes while removing unwanted or unused objects and applying several other techniques when necessary.
On this page you will find several categories of optimization, each containing different functionalities, which can be enabled or disabled depending on the document and context.

Unused objects removal
Content stream compression
Object streams generation

Content Removal

In a PDF file, many objects can be redundant, unwanted, or unused, and therefore, be removed. This includes:

Blank page
JavaScript
Metadata
Thumbnails
Form fields

Annotations
Bookmarks
Embedded files
Hyperlinks
Page-Piece contents

Control image compression

Automatic image re-compression
High-quality image downscaling
Manage compression scheme: Zlib/deflate, CCITT, JBIG2, JPEG, JPEG 2000

Advanced image compression

Color Detection
Mixed Raster Content compression (MRC)
Enable or disable JBIG2 encoder Pattern matching & substitution (PM&S) mechanism
Adjust JPEG-2000 encoding quality
Adjust JBIG2 PM&S engine sensitiveness

GdPicture.NET includes many hyper-compression features, check our pages for more information:

JBIG2 Codec Extension

Hyper-Compression Engine

Fonts optimization

Fonts used to render the document content are an essential part of the document structure of a PDF, since its main goal is to accurately display your document regardless of software, hardware, or the operating system. Embedded fonts which are becoming mandatory in new PDF Standards are optimized using several techniques:

Font Data Stream Compression
Subsetting font programs to contain only the used glyphs
Font Data Table Reduction
Font Merging

You can read our blog articles for more information:

Pack and Optimize Fonts

Fonts Optimization in PDF

Other quality enhancement features

PDF optimization also means insuring the quality of a document for optimum reading, without slowing the loading process even on large files.

Fast web view (linearization)
Repair characters

Areas of use

PDF Optimization is dependent of the context and purpose of documents. Every organization has different contexts to manage, sometimes required by the industry, sometimes by law, or simply by internal usage.
The PDF Optimization SDK allows you to address all contexts by enabling/disabling the features you need.
Below you will find a few examples where PDF optimization needs to be adapted:

Electronic document exchange

Documents must be fast to load, so anything slowing viewing and sharing should be avoided. Small and linearized PDF documents are favored to reduce response times.

Document archiving

Archiving often requires maximum compression of the files to save space. However, if a sufficient resolution is needed to keep a good quality document, redundant or unnecessary content is usually removed.

Pre-press

Printing requires to keep a high resolution for a correct reproduction, colors and transparency need to be preserved.

Example of Usage

Optimizing PDF documents in general

Optimizing PDF documents by enabling MRC compression

Optimizing PDF documents by re-compressing images

Optimizing PDF documents by controlling image compressions

On the right side you will find screenshots illustrating the various compression options applied to a PDF Optimization solution, PDF Reducer Cloud:

Try our hyper-compression engine with your document

How to Use the PDF Compression SDK

Download and install GdPicture.NET package from here.

You will find a compiled demo applications in
[Install directory]\Samples\Bin\

You will find an example of a full application (the source code of PDF Reducer) in
[Install directory]\Samples\DotNet\GdPicture.NET 14\WinForm\C#\PDF Reducer

You will find other code snippets within the online reference guide found here

https://www.gdpicture.com/guides/gdpicture/

Do you want to know more about PDF optimization?

We have created an article about issues, constraints, and methods for optimizing PDF files.

The text is based on a presentation held at the PDF Day – France in April 2018.
Organized by the PDF Association, the PDF days are the meeting place of the PDF industry, where experts conduct educational (non-commercial) presentations, panel and discussion-based sessions about the format.

Download article

You can also read our blog series:

Introduction to the Optimization of Existing PDF files: Methods

Lossless Methods: Optimization of Document Content

Lossless Methods: Compression of Streams and Fonts

Methods with Losses: JPEG2000 and JBIG2

Methods with Losses: resizing, color detection, and other techniques

Methods with Losses: Mixed Raster Content (MRC) Compression

FAQs

The SDK utilizes a combination of advanced compression algorithms and optimization strategies, including:

Content Removal: Eliminating unnecessary elements such as blank pages, JavaScript, metadata, thumbnails, form fields, annotations, bookmarks, embedded files, and hyperlinks.
Image Compression: Applying automatic image recompression, high-quality downscaling, and managing compression schemes like Zlib/deflate, CCITT, JBIG2, JPEG, and JPEG 2000.
Font Optimization: Streamlining embedded fonts to reduce redundancy and file size.
Data Compression: Compressing content streams and generating object streams to enhance overall efficiency.
Advanced Image Analysis: Implementing color detection and Mixed Raster Content (MRC) compression to balance quality and compression rates effectively.

These techniques collectively contribute to significant reductions in PDF file sizes.

Yes, the GdPicture.NET PDF Optimization SDK is highly customizable. Developers can enable or disable individual optimization features to tailor the process according to specific document contexts and requirements. This flexibility ensures that only the desired optimizations are applied, preserving essential content while reducing file size.

The SDK offers robust image processing capabilities, including:

Automatic Image Recompression: Recompressing images to more efficient formats without compromising quality.
High-Quality Downscaling: Reducing image resolution to balance quality and file size appropriately.
Compression Scheme Management: Supporting various compression methods such as Zlib/deflate, CCITT, JBIG2, JPEG, and JPEG 2000 to optimize images effectively.

These features ensure that images within PDFs are optimized for minimal file size while maintaining visual fidelity.

Absolutely. The SDK is designed to handle batch processing efficiently, making it ideal for large-scale document management tasks. Its advanced optimization algorithms and customizable features allow for the processing of extensive document collections, ensuring significant storage savings and improved document handling performance.

The SDK is versatile and applicable across various scenarios, including:

Electronic Document Exchange: Reducing file sizes for faster transmission and reduced bandwidth usage.
Document Archiving: Optimizing PDFs for long-term storage, conserving space while preserving content integrity.
Pre-Press Preparation: Streamlining PDFs for printing processes by removing unnecessary elements and compressing content.
Customized Optimization: Applying specific optimization settings tailored to unique organizational needs or document types.

These use cases demonstrate the SDK’s capability to enhance efficiency and performance in various PDF handling applications.