Minimal PDF Compress 1.5
Minimal PDF Compress is a user-friendly, graphical desktop application designed to simplify PDF compression and conversion tasks using Ghostscript on Windows. It allows users to compress PDF files or convert them to PDF/A format with customizable options, all through an intuitive GUI (Graphical User Interface). Built with Python and Tkinter, this tool eliminates the need for command-line interactions, making PDF processing accessible to everyone.
For many users, the command prompt can be intimidating due to its text-based nature, complex syntax, and lack of immediate feedback. Ghostscript, while powerful, typically requires command-line expertise to perform tasks like PDF compression or conversion to PDF/A.
Note: Ghostscript's pdfwrite device doesn't technically "compress" PDFs in the traditional sense. Instead, it recreates a new PDF that may be smaller due to optimizations like removing unnecessary metadata, simplifying fonts, or recompressing images.
Minimal PDF Compress 1.5 changelog:
This release integrates the powerful cpdf command-line tool to provide a new layer of advanced, final-pass optimizations after the initial Ghostscript processing. Many new features have also been added.
UI changes
- The application is now organized into three main sections.
- - Compression and Optimization: the original functions
- - Page Tools: A new section for manipulating the structure of PDF documents.
- - Page Tools: A new section for manipulating the structure of PDF documents.
- The application title now includes the version number (v1.5).
- Enhanced progress bar and status reporting for better feedback during operations.
New Features
- A new option to use cpdf -squeeze has been added. This feature intelligently restructures the PDF file to remove redundant objects and can significantly reduce file size, especially on complex documents.
- For scanned documents or files with faint text, a "Darken Text" option is now available. This uses cpdf -blacktext to convert all text to pure black, dramatically improving readability.
- A "Fast Processing" checkbox has been added for cpdf operations. This can speed up processing for modern, well-formed PDFs.
Page Tools
- Merge PDFs: Combine multiple PDF files into one. Includes the ability to reorder files before merging.
- Split PDF: Split a document using three powerful modes.
- Delete Pages: Remove specific pages or page ranges from a PDF.
- Rotate Pages: A standalone tool to rotate all pages in a document. (You can still do this from the compression tab).
PDF Tools
- Image Stamping: Stamp any JPG or PNG image onto a PDF. Control the position, size (width/height), and opacity. Note that opacity isn't true opacity, it just fades the image. For now, process your watermarks separately, or uncheck "Stamp on top.."
- Text Stamping: Stamp custom text onto a PDF. Features include:
- Font, size, and color selection (via a color picker).
- Control over position and opacity.
- Dynamic Fields: Automatically add the filename, current date/time, or sequential Bates numbering to your stamps.
- PDF to Image: Convert all pages of a PDF into high-quality images (PNG, JPEG, or TIFF) at a specified DPI.
- Metadata Editor: Load a PDF to view, edit, and save its core metadata fields (Title, Author, Subject, Keywords).
- Password Protection: Secure your PDFs with user and owner passwords using AES encryption.
- Remove Opening Action: A utility to strip commands that force a PDF to open to a specific page or zoom level.
Installation
What You'll Need
- Ghostscript is required for the app to work. If you don't have it, just download and install it from the official Ghostscript website.