Does this make the file smaller?

No, and it is not meant to. Linearising changes the order of objects rather than recompressing them — to reduce size, use a compression tool instead or as well.

Does the document look any different?

Not at all. The rendered result is identical; only the internal layout of the file changes. Nothing about the visible pages is altered.

When is it not worth doing?

For small files, and for documents that are downloaded before being opened rather than streamed in a browser. The benefit only appears when a reader renders progressively over a network.

Linearize PDF | Cine Power Planner

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About Linearize PDF

Linearising restructures a PDF for Fast Web View. The objects needed to draw the first page are moved to the front of the file, so a reader can display page one while the rest is still arriving instead of waiting for the whole download.

Restructuring runs in a dedicated web worker on this machine. The file is rewritten locally and never uploaded.

How to use Linearize PDF

Add one or more PDFs — up to ten can be processed in a batch.
Run the optimisation. Object order is rewritten and a hint table is added.
Compare the file sizes, which should be close to the originals.
Download and upload the optimised files to wherever they are hosted.

On a production

A lookbook of two hundred megabytes is linked from a production website. Unlinearised, a viewer stares at a blank frame until the entire file lands. Linearised, the cover appears almost at once — which decides whether anyone sees page two at all.

Frequently asked questions

Does this make the file smaller?: No, and it is not meant to. Linearising changes the order of objects rather than recompressing them — to reduce size, use a compression tool instead or as well.
Does the document look any different?: Not at all. The rendered result is identical; only the internal layout of the file changes. Nothing about the visible pages is altered.
When is it not worth doing?: For small files, and for documents that are downloaded before being opened rather than streamed in a browser. The benefit only appears when a reader renders progressively over a network.