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Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)

pdfwithlove.netlify.app

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Re: Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)

#101

Post by pratik227 »

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #97
pratik227 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I’ll do that. I have a Chrome extension that I’m planning to make paid, and I may also release a desktop version. I’m thinking of pricing it cheaply—around $2 for lifetime access

My immediate thought is if it’s only $2 it can’t be very good.

what you suggest what price we can sell for ?

Re: Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)

#102

Post by tedk-42 »

sam_lowry_ wrote: post #83
forgotpwd16 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>many nontrivial and creative ways to do pdf processing They're all wrapping PDFlib and provide the same functionality.

I am already well served by ghostscript, GIMP, Imagemagick, etc: Optimize PDF: #!/bin/bash INPUT="$1" OUTPUT="$(mktemp --suffix=.pdf)" gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dCompatibilityLevel=1.4 -dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook \ -dNOPAUSE -dQUIET -dBATCH -sOutputFile="$OUTPUT" "$INPUT" mv "$OUTPUT" "$INPUT" Merge PDF: #!/bin/sh gs -q -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE=pdfwrite \ -dCompatibilityLevel=1.3 -dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook \ -sOutputFile=merged.pdf…

You're being downvoted because not everyone has CLI access to a server and the required ghostscript binaries etc.

Realistically, most 'normal users' have PDF needs like these links and we as tech people can safely give these sites to non-technical people and have confidence their data isn't being stolen on remote dodgy servers (think gas / electricity bills, invoices, bank statements etc which is a PII gold pot).

Re: Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)

#105

Post by bambax »

vunderba wrote: post #23

Seems like Clientside PDF editors are the new "hello world" app these days. From the last couple months on Show HN alone: Show HN: PDF Quick – Free PDF tools with 100% client-side processing https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46094734 Show HN: A privacy-first, client-side toolbox (PDF, Imgs, Dev) no server uploads https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46018221 Show HN: FileZen – Client-side PDF and Video tools using…

Also, PdfTk has existed for decades and is very solid (but Windows only, I think).

Re: Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)

#106

Post by kkfx »

sam_lowry_ wrote: post #83
forgotpwd16 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>many nontrivial and creative ways to do pdf processing They're all wrapping PDFlib and provide the same functionality.

I am already well served by ghostscript, GIMP, Imagemagick, etc: Optimize PDF: #!/bin/bash INPUT="$1" OUTPUT="$(mktemp --suffix=.pdf)" gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dCompatibilityLevel=1.4 -dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook \ -dNOPAUSE -dQUIET -dBATCH -sOutputFile="$OUTPUT" "$INPUT" mv "$OUTPUT" "$INPUT" Merge PDF: #!/bin/sh gs -q -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE=pdfwrite \ -dCompatibilityLevel=1.3 -dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook \ -sOutputFile=merged.pdf…

To better compress my personal preference is

    pdftops -paper A4 -expand -level3 file.pdf # I'm from EU, so A4 is my common paper format

    ps2pdf14 -dEmbedAllFonts=true        \
    -dUseFlateCompression=true           \
    -dOptimize=true                      \
    -dProcessColorModel=/DeviceRGB       \
    -r72                                 \
    -dDownsampleGrayImages=true          \
    -dGrayImageResolution=150            \
    -dAutoFilterGrayImages=false         \
    -dGrayImageDownsampleType=/Bicubic   \
    -dDownsampleMonoImages=true          \
    -dMonoImageResolution=150            \
    -dMonoImageDownsampleType=/Subsample \
    -dDownsampleColorImages=true         \
    -dColorImageResolution=150           \
    -dAutoFilterColorImages=false        \
    -dColorImageDownsampleType=/Bicubic  \
    -dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook                 \
    -dNOSAFER                            \
    -dALLOWPSTRANSPARENCY                \
    -dShowAnnots=false                   \
      file.ps compressed.pdf

Re: Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)

#107

Post by omnimus »

p0w3n3d wrote: post #89

I wonder why everything now is written in web frameworks. Meanwhile I am currently using macos which has a magnificent PDF tool called... Preview. It allows annotate, merge, realign pages, insert one page from another document or even a JPEG-scan, etc. However, before the courtesy of my company giving me a macos-enabled gear - I had to cope with PDFs using multiple apps on Windows and Linux. Recently I got there agai…

There are many powerful native pdf tools but they are usually paid and you have to install them. Preview is ok but its only on mac. Preview also has only some of the features.

These online converters are immensely popular for a reason. They also used to do everything serverside and had ads all around which is obviously terrible security wise. So having WASM versions is much better.

Since these are link away they are easy to send and save. I help self-host a podcast and you need very particular settings for the export of the audio file. Instead of cooking up some automated solution, editors have bookmark of this https://ffmpeg-online.vercel.app/ with all the ffmpeg settings correctly selected and they can do the final file themselves for both their preview and production.

Compare that to having multiple people with multiple platforms having to install and learn to use some gui app.

Re: Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)

#108

Post by sam_lowry_ »

tedk-42 wrote: post #102
sam_lowry_ wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am already well served by ghostscript, GIMP, Imagemagick, etc: Optimize PDF: #!/bin/bash INPUT="$1" OUTPUT="$(mktemp --suffix=.pdf)" gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dCompatibilityLevel=1.4 -dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook \ -dNOPAUSE -dQUIET -dBATCH -sOutputFile="$OUTPUT" "$INPUT" mv "$OUTPUT" "$INPUT" Merge PDF: #!/bin/sh gs -q -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE=pdfwrite \ -dCompatibilityLevel=1.3 -dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook \ -sOutputFile=merged.pdf…

You're being downvoted because not everyone has CLI access to a server and the required ghostscript binaries etc. Realistically, most 'normal users' have PDF needs like these links and we as tech people can safely give these sites to non-technical people and have confidence their data isn't being stolen on remote dodgy servers (think gas / electricity bills, invoices, bank statements etc which is a PII gold pot).

Server? what server? Ghostscript is available in virtually any Linux distro, on Mac with and without brew and even on Windows.

I have no confidence in any website, especially the one that claims to be local-only but can technically change on a whim of the developer once it starts getting enough traffic from users.

OTOH, I trust 30+ years old software sitting on on my hard drive not to phone home on every keystroke.

Re: Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)

#109

Post by sam_lowry_ »

kkfx wrote: post #106
sam_lowry_ wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am already well served by ghostscript, GIMP, Imagemagick, etc: Optimize PDF: #!/bin/bash INPUT="$1" OUTPUT="$(mktemp --suffix=.pdf)" gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dCompatibilityLevel=1.4 -dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook \ -dNOPAUSE -dQUIET -dBATCH -sOutputFile="$OUTPUT" "$INPUT" mv "$OUTPUT" "$INPUT" Merge PDF: #!/bin/sh gs -q -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE=pdfwrite \ -dCompatibilityLevel=1.3 -dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook \ -sOutputFile=merged.pdf…

To better compress my personal preference is pdftops -paper A4 -expand -level3 file.pdf # I'm from EU, so A4 is my common paper format ps2pdf14 -dEmbedAllFonts=true \ -dUseFlateCompression=true \ -dOptimize=true \ -dProcessColorModel=/DeviceRGB \ -r72 \ -dDownsampleGrayImages=true \ -dGrayImageResolution=150 \ -dAutoFilterGrayImages=false \ -dGrayImageDownsampleType=/Bicubic \ -dDownsampleMonoImages=true \ -dMonoImag…

If you do `-dEmbedAllFonts=true` then probably `-dSubsetFonts=true` would also be useful.

And for the rest, `-dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook` should already have most of the values that you set explicitely.

Re: Show HN: Pdfwithlove – PDF tools that run 100% locally (no uploads, no back end)

#110

Post by mlrtime »

flexagoon wrote: post #32
vunderba wrote: post #23

Seems like Clientside PDF editors are the new "hello world" app these days. From the last couple months on Show HN alone: Show HN: PDF Quick – Free PDF tools with 100% client-side processing https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46094734 Show HN: A privacy-first, client-side toolbox (PDF, Imgs, Dev) no server uploads https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46018221 Show HN: FileZen – Client-side PDF and Video tools using…

Half of them also have a very obviously vibecoded front-end that looks exactly the same

/r/selfhosted just added a new rule, vibe coded apps only on Friday because there were just too many.
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