How to Create a Web Application for an Interactive PDF Compressor

In this post, we’ll demonstrate how to use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create a fully functional web application that uses the PDFLib.js library to process PDFs. For optimal privacy and speed, this tool lets users upload PDF files, modify compression parameters, and download the compressed file all within the browser. While preserving the code for reference, we will dissect the main elements, design, and reasoning of this application below.

Overview of the Project

This project’s objective is to develop an intuitive PDF compressor that:

• Drag-and-drop file uploads are supported.
• provides advanced options like font compression and metadata removal, as well as adjustable compression settings like compression level and image quality.
• shows a progress bar while compression is taking place.
• displays a size comparison between the compressed and original files.
• protects privacy by using PDFLib.js to process files client-side.
• features a clean interface, tooltips, and notifications in a responsive, contemporary design.