Long Save Times with Large PDF Files in APDFL: Troubleshooting Guide

The Details

PDF processing libraries may encounter performance issues when saving large PDF files. One such case involved a PDF document containing approximately 7,000 pages and a size of 50MB. After applying a stamping operation, where text was added to the bottom of each page using the Adobe PDF Library (APDFL) for .NET, the save operation took an excessively long time—around 10 minutes.

The user speculated that either the page count or the file size could be contributing to the delay, especially in contrast to another file that was 1.3GB with only 1,000 pages, which saved without any issues.

Input File Behavior

The characteristics of the problematic PDF document were noteworthy. Given the document's size and page count, it was likely that the complexity of the content—such as images, embedded fonts, or annotations—could also contribute to the long save times. Large and complex documents require more processing power and time to save than simpler ones, leading to slow performance.

Users facing similar issues should consider the following factors when dealing with PDF files:

Document Complexity: High-resolution images, numerous annotations, and embedded multimedia can increase the file size and processing time.
File Size: Larger files generally take longer to save, especially if they contain a significant amount of data.
Library Version: Using an outdated version of the library may include unoptimized code that could slow down processing times.
Environment: The performance may also depend on the operating environment, such as whether the operation is executed locally or in a cloud-based setup.

Resolution Summary

The support team recommended updating to the latest version of the Adobe PDF Library (APDFL). Upon testing with the latest version, the user found that significant improvements were achieved.

Additionally, the support team provided troubleshooting steps to further enhance performance:

Avoid linearization by removing the "PDSaveLinearized" flag when saving the file. This can help streamline the saving process.
If issues persist, try using the "SaveFlags.Incremental" instead of "SaveFlags.Full" to perform an incremental save. This allows the library to only write changes rather than rewriting the entire document.
Always ensure that the library is being used in a 64-bit environment, as this can also impact performance significantly.

After implementing these recommendations, the user confirmed that the changes made a noticeable difference in performance, with the extended save times significantly reduced.

How to Get Additional Help If Needed

Contact the support team via email at tech_support@datalogics.com. Provide as much detail as possible about your issue, including the library version, platform, and example files if applicable.
Visit the official documentation at https://docs.datalogics.com. The documentation provides extensive resources, including examples, API references, and troubleshooting tips.
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