Prepare a PDF before sharing it
Published · Updated 2 min read
A PDF often contains more than you see on screen: the author's name, the software used, dates, comments left on the pages, sometimes even attached files. Before sending a document to a client, an administration or a stranger, it is better to know what it carries with it.
What hides in a file
A letter exported from a word processor contains, for example:
- the title, the author, the subject and the keywords, such as "Document1.docx" and a user name;
- the software and the producer of the PDF, such as "Microsoft Word" and "Microsoft: Print To PDF";
- the creation and modification dates;
- a block of metadata in XML, which sometimes repeats the author;
- the comments placed on the pages;
- attachments, for example a file of internal notes.
Read before sharing
Read PDF metadata shows the title, the author, the subject, the keywords, the software, the producer, the number of pages and the dates. It also tells you whether the file contains an XML block, comments or attachments.
Clean
Clean PDF erases the title, the author, the subject, the keywords, the software and the dates, and removes the XML block and the attachments. The comments placed on the pages stay in the file: reread them in your reader before sending, one by one if necessary.
Lighten last
Compressing a PDF with the "Remove metadata" option also erases the fields, the dates and the XML block while lightening the images, but it keeps the attachments and the comments: only Clean PDF removes the attachments. Do the lightening at the end, so you do not have to redo the cleaning. The guide Send a PDF that is too heavy by email gives the weights to expect.
Check the result
- Read the file again with Read PDF metadata: no more title, author or software.
- Open it and go through the pages.
- Check the comments.
- Keep the original.
For which sendings
A CV, a quote, a report or an application sent to strangers: the author's name, the software, the dates, the comments and the attachments are easy to read. A cleaning takes a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a PDF contain besides what you see?
- A title, an author, a subject, keywords, the software, the dates, sometimes comments, attachments and a block of metadata in XML.
- Does the cleaning remove the comments?
- No, the comments placed on the pages stay in the file: reread them in your reader before sending.
- In which order should you clean and compress?
- Clean, then lighten last, so you do not redo the step.
- How do you check that the cleaning worked?
- Read the file again with Read PDF metadata: no more title, author or software.