PDF Rasterize

A Python-based tool to split a PDF by its bookmarks, rasterize the pages of the split files into high-quality images, and then merge them back into a new PDF. This process effectively flattens complex vector graphics into images, which can reduce file size and improve compatibility.

The project provides both a command-line interface (CLI) and a graphical user interface (GUI).

Features

• Splitting: Splits a master PDF into multiple smaller PDFs based on its bookmark hierarchy.
• Rasterizing: Converts the pages of the split PDFs into high-resolution images using Ghostscript and ImageMagick.
• Merging: Combines the rasterized PDFs back into a single, final PDF.
• Bookmark Recreation: Preserves the original bookmark structure in the final merged PDF.
• GUI & CLI: Can be run through an easy-to-use graphical interface (built with PyQt6) or as a command-line script.
• Parallel Processing: Uses multiple CPU cores to speed up the rasterization process.
• Flexible Configuration: Allows customization of tool paths, resolution, and other settings.

Prerequisites

Before you can run this project, you must have the following software installed on your system:

1. Python 3.8+: The project is written in Python.
2. Ghostscript: Used for converting PDF pages to PNG images.
3. ImageMagick: Used for combining the PNG images back into a PDF.

Ensure that the executables for gs (Ghostscript) and magick (ImageMagick) are available in your system's PATH, or specify their locations in the config.json file.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/kush-chou/PDF_Rasterize.git
   cd PDF_Rasterize

2. Install Python dependencies: The project's dependencies are listed in pyproject.toml. The main dependency is pypdf. The GUI also requires PyQt6. You can install them using pip:

   pip install pypdf PyQt6

Usage

The project can be used via the GUI or the CLI.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

To run the GUI, execute the pdf_gui.py script:

python pdf_gui.py

The GUI provides two main tabs:

• Split & Rasterize: Select an input PDF and an output folder. Adjust settings like DPI and start the process.
• Merge PDFs: Select a directory containing previously rasterized PDFs to merge them into a final document.

Command-Line Interface (CLI)

The core logic is available through pdf_split_rasterize.py.

To Split and Rasterize:

python pdf_split_rasterize.py --input /path/to/your/document.pdf --output /path/to/output_folder --resolution 300

Key Arguments:

• --input: The source PDF file.
• --output: The directory where the output will be saved.
• --resolution or -r: The DPI for rasterization (default: 300).
• --keep-originals: Prevents the deletion of the intermediate split PDF files.
• --workers or -w: Number of parallel processes to use for rasterization.
• --flatten-output: Moves all generated files into a single flat directory.

To Merge:

python pdf_split_rasterize.py --merge /path/to/output_folder

Key Arguments:

• --merge: The directory containing the *_rasterized.pdf files to be merged.
• --merge-output: Specify a custom path for the final merged PDF.
• --no-recreate-bookmarks: Disables the automatic recreation of bookmarks from the original structure.

Configuration

You can configure the paths to the Ghostscript and ImageMagick executables by editing the config.json file:

{
    "gs_path": "gs",
    "magick_path": "magick"
}

If the executables are in your system's PATH, the default values should work. Otherwise, provide the full absolute path to gs and magick. The GUI also provides a settings window to configure these paths.