Clean a PDF before sharing
Remove blank pages and annotations, sanitize, then compress the PDF before download.
What does this template do?
Remove blank pages and annotations, sanitize, then compress the PDF before download.
This template strips a PDF of what should not travel with it: blank pages, comments and highlights, metadata, scripts and attachments, then reduces its size. It suits sending a clean version of a reviewed or annotated document.
Pipeline steps
This template automatically chains 6 steps in the Workspace. You can review every setting before running it.
- 1Import a PDF
- 2Remove blank pages
- 3Remove annotations
- 4Sanitise the PDF
- 5Compress a PDF
- 6Download the PDF
Why the steps come in this order
Blank pages are removed first so empty pages are not processed for nothing. Annotations are removed before sanitising, and compression comes last, on the final document.
When should you use this template?
- Send a client a document annotated internally, without the comments.
- Clean a PDF from a scanner that adds blank pages between sheets.
- Lighten a document before uploading it to a platform with a size limit.
Local processing in your browser
When the selected modules support local processing, your files stay on your device while the Pipeline runs.
Settings to check
- Blank pages: a page is removed when almost no pixel is marked (at most 0.15% ink).
- Sanitising: metadata, JavaScript and attachments removed by default.
- Compression: “Balanced” by default, which turns pages into images of about 83 dpi; choose “Lossless” to keep the text selectable.
Example
- Before
- 14-page contract with 3 blank pages, 22 comments and the author in its properties.
- After
- 11-page contract without comments or metadata, lighter.
Limits to know
- A nearly empty page that carries a page number or a faint mark is kept.
- Removing annotations also removes useful highlights: keep an annotated copy.
- With balanced compression, the text can no longer be searched.