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Analyze PDF Structure

Deep dive into PDF internals and metadata.

A PDF is complex file format containing a tree of objects, dictionaries, streams, and cross-reference tables. Analyzing a PDF's internal structure is essential for debugging, forensics, or understanding why a file is corrupted.

Inspecting Metadata

Every PDF contains metadata: Title, Author, Creator, CreationDate, and ModDate.

  • Privacy Warning: Metadata often reveals the software used (e.g., "Microsoft Word 2016") or the full path of the original file on the author's computer. Analyzing this can reveal provenance.

Internal Structure

  • Fonts: Check which fonts are embedded vs. referenced.
  • Images: Inspect image compression methods (JPEG, Flate) and resolution.
  • Security: Verify encryption levels (AES-128, AES-256) and permission flags.

Article Authored By

CDN

The PDFCanada.ca Engineering Team

Senior PDF & Security Specialists

Toronto, Canada
"PDFCanada.ca was established in 2024 to disrupt the exploitative 'upload-and-harvest' model of modern PDF tools. Our engineering team, based in Ontario, specializes in high-performance WebAssembly (WASM) implementations that bring server-grade PDF manipulation directly to the user's browser, ensuring absolute data sovereignty."
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