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Linearize PDF

docs/tools/linearize-pdf.md

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Linearize PDF

Linearization restructures a PDF so the first page can be displayed before the entire file has downloaded. Adobe calls this "Fast Web View." If you host PDFs on a website or serve them through a document portal, linearization makes them feel significantly faster to open.

How It Works

  1. Upload one or more PDF files.
  2. Click Linearize PDF(s).
  3. Download the results as a ZIP archive containing all linearized files.

There are no settings to configure. The tool uses QPDF's --linearize flag, which rearranges the internal structure of the PDF without altering its visual content.

What Linearization Does

  • Reorders PDF objects so the first page's data appears at the beginning of the file
  • Adds a linearization dictionary and hint tables so viewers know where to find each page
  • Enables byte-range requests -- a browser can fetch just the first page without downloading the whole file
  • Cleans up the cross-reference table for efficient random access

Features

  • Batch processing of multiple PDFs in a single operation
  • Output preserves all content, fonts, images, and interactive elements
  • Uses QPDF (WebAssembly) for reliable, standards-compliant linearization
  • Results are packaged into a ZIP for easy download

Use Cases

  • Hosting PDF reports on a website where users expect instant page display
  • Embedding PDFs in web applications with in-browser viewers
  • Publishing PDF catalogs or manuals accessed over slow mobile connections
  • Preparing documents for content delivery networks (CDNs) that support byte-range serving

Tips

  • Linearize after all other edits are done. Any subsequent modification (merging, adding pages) will break the linearization.
  • Combine with Compress PDF for the smallest, fastest-loading PDFs possible.
  • Linearization adds a small amount of overhead to file size (typically under 1%).