What's a True PDF?

evilmonkeyxyz · 05-15-12 at 01:38 PM

Alright, this may be a newbie question but i was wondering what a "true pdf" is and as opposed to what?
i have noticed that files marked/named with "true pdf" usually are much faster to open, quicker page-loads, and have smaller file sizes.
can whatever optimizes true pdfs be applied to normal pdfs in a batch process?

**j.clarkson** · 05-15-12 at 02:00 PM

In the simplest sense, anything that's not a "true pdf" is just a bunch of imaged bound together in a PDF form (you can typically tell because none of the text can be selected). "true pdf" contains the actual text and the layout description - that's why it is much faster.

They can't really be converted - optimized yes (image compression, OCR the text to make it selectable etc.), but I don't know of any good tool that could do that reliably in batch.

gibonik · 05-15-12 at 02:02 PM

True pdf refers to a pdf file built directly by converting the original file prepared in its native editor to pdf format. It is used mainly to distinguish original pdf files (with features such as search, select, low size,...) from scan pdf (e.g. photographed/scanned pages of magazines joined together to built a pdf file). Thus you find it mainly in magazines and similar.

evilmonkeyxyz · 05-15-12 at 02:14 PM

ah, thanks. too bad scanned ones can't be optimized like that. the true pdfs really are much faster and easier to navigate.

**Spacebunny** · 05-15-12 at 03:03 PM

From what I have seen.. on magazines
True means finished product.. as found in the retail stores
Non-true/p2p are magazines that are leaked prior to release, (a draft in the making)
some articles are not yet finished or proven/checked

05-15-12 at 02:00 PM	#2
j.clarkson Inquisitive mind Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: exiled to the USA Posts: 56	In the simplest sense, anything that's not a "true pdf" is just a bunch of imaged bound together in a PDF form (you can typically tell because none of the text can be selected). "true pdf" contains the actual text and the layout description - that's why it is much faster. They can't really be converted - optimized yes (image compression, OCR the text to make it selectable etc.), but I don't know of any good tool that could do that reliably in batch.

05-15-12 at 02:02 PM	#3
gibonik Newcomer Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 5	True pdf refers to a pdf file built directly by converting the original file prepared in its native editor to pdf format. It is used mainly to distinguish original pdf files (with features such as search, select, low size,...) from scan pdf (e.g. photographed/scanned pages of magazines joined together to built a pdf file). Thus you find it mainly in magazines and similar.

05-15-12 at 02:14 PM	#4
evilmonkeyxyz Newcomer Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 7	ah, thanks. too bad scanned ones can't be optimized like that. the true pdfs really are much faster and easier to navigate.

05-15-12 at 03:03 PM	#5
Spacebunny Novice Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 236	From what I have seen.. on magazines True means finished product.. as found in the retail stores Non-true/p2p are magazines that are leaked prior to release, (a draft in the making) some articles are not yet finished or proven/checked