DocForensic

PDF Web Optimizer

Linearize PDFs for Fast Web View so page 1 appears while the rest downloads - with lossless cleanup, optional image and font optimization, and a check of the server you publish on.

A normal PDF keeps the index a viewer needs at the very end of the file, so a browser often has to download the whole document before it can show the first page. Linearizing ("Fast Web View") reorders the file so the first page and the index come first - readers see page 1 within moments, and the rest streams in behind it.

Every file is analyzed first: whether it is already linearized, how many bytes stand between a visitor and page 1, which pages and objects are heaviest, and how long the first page takes on 3G, 4G and broadband. Choose an optimization level, set how the document opens and its web metadata, then optimize. Each result is reopened and verified - linearization, page count and a render of page 1 - and a hosting check tells you whether your server supports the byte-range requests that make Fast Web View work.

Simple workflow

How it works

  1. 1

    Add PDFs

    Add one or more PDFs - each is analyzed for web readiness, page weight and load time.

  2. 2

    Choose a level

    Pick lossless, balanced or maximum optimization, and set how the document opens in the browser.

  3. 3

    Optimize & publish

    Download the linearized PDFs and report, and check that your server serves them with byte ranges.

Frequently asked questions

What does "linearized" or "Fast Web View" mean?

It is a way of arranging the inside of a PDF so the first page and the information a viewer needs come first. A browser can then show page 1 after downloading only a small part of the file, instead of waiting for all of it.

Will optimizing change how my PDF looks?

Not at the Lossless level - only the file's internal layout and housekeeping change, and page 1 is compared with the original to prove it. Balanced and Maximum also shrink very high-resolution images and subset fonts, which makes files much smaller with little visible change.

My PDF is linearized but still loads slowly - why?

Fast Web View only works when the server answers byte-range requests. Run the hosting check with the address the PDF is published at: it shows whether ranges are supported, whether the file is sent as application/pdf, and whether on-the-fly compression is getting in the way - with settings to fix it.

Can I optimize a signed PDF?

You can, but rewriting the file invalidates its digital signatures, so signed files are skipped unless you confirm. Optimize the document before it is signed where you can.

Stay ahead of your document work

New tools and thoughtful product updates, delivered occasionally. No noise, no spam.