# Linearize a PDF for fast web view in C#

> Write linearized PDFs in .NET so viewers show the first page before the whole file has downloaded, with every output verified. MIT licensed, pure C#.

Available since 1.1.

Lay a PDF out first page first, so a browser shows it while the rest is still downloading.

## Short answer

Set `Linearize = true` in `PdfOptimizerOptions` and optimize the file. The output is linearized as
ISO 32000-1 Annex F describes, with hint tables, and verified against the source like any other
rewrite. `Statistics.Linearized` tells you whether it was.

```csharp title="recipe-linearize-pdf.cs"
#:package PdfNetStack@1.2.0
using PdfNetStack;

var options = new PdfOptimizerOptions { Linearize = true };
PdfOptimizationResult result = await PdfOptimizer.OptimizeFileAsync("report.pdf", "report.web.pdf", options);
Console.WriteLine($"{result.Disposition}, linearized: {result.Statistics.Linearized}");
Console.WriteLine(result.Reason);
```

On the command line: `pdfnetstack optimize report.pdf report.web.pdf --linearize`.

## Notes

- A linearized file has no object streams, so it can be larger than the input. A linearized
  rewrite of a file that is not linearized yet is kept even then.
- The other passes still run: unused resources go, content streams are compacted and duplicates
  merge.
- A page tree that cannot be laid out page by page is written as usual, and the result's reason
  says why.

## Related

- [Compress PDF](https://www.jadev-corp.com/guides/compress-pdf/#fast-web-view)
- [Command line](https://www.jadev-corp.com/cli/)
- API: [PdfOptimizerOptions](https://www.jadev-corp.com/api/pdfnetstack/pdfoptimizeroptions/), [OptimizationStatistics](https://www.jadev-corp.com/api/pdfnetstack/optimizationstatistics/)

Source: https://www.jadev-corp.com/pdfnetstack/recipes/linearize-pdf/