ReducedPDF 🗃️

A user-friendly GUI tool for compressing PDF files effortlessly.

ReducedPDF is a Python-based application that simplifies PDF compression using Ghostscript. It’s designed for users who prefer a graphical interface over ghostscript command-line tools, making it easy to reduce PDF file sizes without technical hassle. Ideal for anyone seeking a simple, no-fuss solution.

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✨ Features

• Intuitive GUI: No command-line knowledge required—just point, click, and compress.
• Efficient Compression: Leverages Ghostscript for reliable, high-quality results with multiple compression levels (screen, ebook, printer, prepress).
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works seamlessly on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
• Automatic File Naming: Generates unique output file names to avoid overwriting originals.
• Size Reduction Feedback: Displays original and compressed sizes, along with the percentage reduction, after compression.
• Error Handling: User-friendly messages for missing files or dependencies.

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🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

ReducedPDF requires the following dependencies, which may need to be installed depending on your system:

• Python 3.x: Download and install from python.org if not already present. Ensure Tkinter (Python's GUI library) is included (usually bundled with standard Python installations, but may require additional setup on Linux).
• Ghostscript: Required for PDF compression. Download from ghostscript.com for Windows, or install via your package manager on Linux (e.g., apt, dnf, pacman) or macOS (e.g., brew). Ensure the gs command is in your system PATH.
• Tkinter (Linux-specific): On Linux, you may need to install Tkinter separately using your package manager (e.g., python3-tk on Debian/Ubuntu, python3-tkinter on Fedora, or tk on Arch Linux).

Verify installations:

• Python: python3 --version or python --version
• Ghostscript: gs --version
• Tkinter: python -c "import tkinter; print('Tkinter is installed')"

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Installation

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/PixelTux/reducedPDF-python.git

2. Navigate to the Project Folder:

   cd reducedPDF-python

3. Run the Application:

   python reducedPDF.py  # Or python3 on some systems

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📸 Interface Preview

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📌 Usage

1. Launch the application using the command above.
2. Click "Browse" to select a PDF file.
3. Choose a compression level:
   • Screen: Lowest quality, smallest file size (optimized for web viewing).
   • Ebook: Balanced quality for e-readers.
   • Printer: Good for printing.
   • Prepress: Highest quality, larger files.
4. Click "Compress". The compressed file will be saved in the same folder as the original, with a name like <my_file_name>_ebook_comp.pdf (appended with the compression level and a number if duplicates exist).
5. A success message will show the original size, compressed size, reduction percentage, and save location.

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🔧 Troubleshooting

• Ghostscript Not Found: Ensure gs --version works in your terminal/command prompt. If not, reinstall Ghostscript and verify it’s in your system PATH.
• Tkinter Import Error: Confirm Tkinter is installed. On Linux, install the relevant package (e.g., python3-tk or python3-tkinter). On Windows/macOS, reinstall Python from python.org with Tkinter support enabled.
• Compression Fails: Check if the PDF is corrupted or password-protected (ReducedPDF doesn't support encrypted files).
• For other issues, open a GitHub issue with details about your OS and error message.

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to:

• Open an issue for bugs, features, or suggestions.
• Submit a pull request with improvements (e.g., new features, bug fixes, or better cross-platform support).

Please follow standard Python coding conventions and test on your platform.

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📜 License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. See the LICENSE file for details.