I have a pdf file that consists of images and its size is way too big. Can you recommend any offline tool to resize pdf? I am also wondering if it is possible to wirte a python script to optimize pdf.

To resize and optimize a PDF file that consists of images, you have several effective offline tools and a way to write a Python script for optimization.

Recommended Offline Tools for Resizing PDFs

1. WPS Office

Features: Allows resizing of individual pages or entire documents while preserving formatting. It supports batch resizing.
Platforms: Available for Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, and Android.

2. Smallpdf Desktop App

Features: Offers compression options to reduce PDF size without losing quality. It can handle batch processing for multiple files.
Platforms: Compatible with Windows 7+.

3. MiniTool PDF Editor

Features: Enables resizing through page setup settings or cropping. You can choose standard sizes or custom dimensions.
Platforms: Windows.

4. Adobe Acrobat DC

Features: A professional tool that provides comprehensive PDF editing capabilities, including resizing.
Platforms: Available on multiple platforms including Windows and macOS.

Writing a Python Script to Optimize PDFs

You can also use Python to optimize your PDF files by compressing the images within them. One effective library for this purpose is IronPDF. Here’s how you can do it:

Install IronPDF

First, install the IronPDF library using pip:


bash
pip install ironpdf

Sample Python Code

Here's a simple script to compress a PDF using IronPDF:


python
from ironpdf import *

# Load the PDF document
pdf = PdfDocument("Image_based_PDF.pdf")

# Compress images within the PDF
pdf.CompressImages(60)  # Adjust the quality parameter (1-100)

# Save the compressed PDF
pdf.SaveAs("document_compressed.pdf")

Alternative Method Using Ghostscript

If you prefer using Ghostscript, you can write a script like this:

Ensure Ghostscript is installed on your system.
Use the following Python script:


python
import subprocess

def compress_pdf(input_path, output_path, quality='screen'):
    subprocess.call(['gs', '-sDEVICE=pdfwrite', '-dCompatibilityLevel=1.4',
                     '-dPDFSETTINGS=/' + quality, '-dNOPAUSE', '-dQUIET',
                     '-dBATCH', '-sOutputFile=' + output_path, input_path])

# Example usage
compress_pdf('input.pdf', 'output_compressed.pdf', 'ebook')  # Change quality as needed

Quality Settings for Ghostscript

You can specify different quality settings such as:

screen: Low-resolution output (72 dpi).
ebook: Medium-resolution output (150 dpi).
printer: High-quality output (300 dpi).
prepress: High-quality output suitable for printing.

Using these tools and scripts, you can effectively resize and optimize your PDF files offline while maintaining the integrity of the content.