PDF Inspector Tool
Analyze the internal structure of your PDF. View page dimensions, inspect metadata, list embedded fonts, and check security permission rules.
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Why Use Our PDF Inspector Tool?
Comprehensive Audit
Get a complete structural breakdown of your PDF document. Inspect page counts, dimensions, PDF spec version, and object streams instantly.
Metadata Inspection
View author, title, keywords, creation date, modification date, and creator applications embedded within the PDF properties dictionary.
Font Discovery
Extract and list all unique embedded and external fonts used in the document to ensure styling compatibility and licensing checks.
Security & DRM Rules
Check encryption status, owner/user passwords, print permissions, text extraction rules, and editing restrictions on the document.
When to Inspect PDF Layout and Security
Technical Document Audits
Analyze internal structures, object counts, and compression types of complex PDF files.
Font Compatibility Check
Verify if all document fonts are correctly embedded to prevent text rendering failures.
Security Permission Scan
Check document encryption status, user passwords, and print or copy restrictions.
Page Geometry Analysis
Inspect media boxes, crop boxes, and bleed dimensions for professional printing prep.
Embedded Media Detection
Identify embedded audio, video, attachments, and interactive form structures.
Compliance Auditing
Ensure PDF assets conform to PDF/A archive standards or specific portal requirements.
About PDF Inspector Tool
What is the PDF Inspector Tool?
The PDF Inspector tool provides an in-depth audit of any PDF document's internal properties, structure, and metadata. By parsing the PDF catalog, page tree, and object streams directly in your browser, the tool exposes details that typical file viewers hide, making it indispensable for digital pre-press, document security audits, and developer validation.
Understanding PDF Metadata vs. Structure
PDF metadata consists of standard keys (like Title, Author, and Subject) within the document information dictionary or XMP streams. Structural data, on the other hand, defines the physical layout of the document: the number of page objects, page dimensions in points, embedded font reference tables, and image resources. Our tool parses and visualizes both layers clearly.
The Importance of Font Embedding Audits
When sharing or printing PDFs, missing fonts can cause layout shifting or gibberish text representation. The PDF Inspector checks the page resource dictionary for embedded fonts, displaying their BaseFont names. This helps designers and prepress operators confirm whether all typography is embedded or if system fonts are required.
Page Units, Dimensions, and Rotations
PDF coordinates are measured in PostScript points (1/72 of an inch). This inspector calculates dimensions in points and renders them for easy interpretation. Additionally, it reads rotation properties (/Rotate) to explain how pages are oriented, helping you identify why a page might render upside down or cropped in some viewers.
Security Permissions & DRM Flags: PDF security uses encryption dictionaries to restrict access. By reading standard encryption flags, our tool tells you if the document is protected by a password and lists exactly what permissions are granted: high-resolution printing, copy/extract text, document modifications, or interactive form modifications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The PDF Inspector exposes details across five major areas: general file summary (size, pages, version), metadata dictionary (title, creator, dates), page properties (dimensions, rotation, orientation), font usage (list of font families), and detailed security permissions (DRM restrictions).
PDF coordinates are defined in PostScript points, where 72 points equal 1 inch. For example, a standard US Letter page is 612 x 792 points (8.5 x 11 inches), and an A4 page is 595 x 842 points (210 x 297 mm). The PDF Inspector calculates and displays both the points and the orientation of each page.
If a PDF is encrypted with a User Password (required to open), the tool will prompt you to enter the password to decrypt it client-side for inspection. If the PDF only has Owner Password security (restricting permissions), the tool will load it directly and list which actions are blocked.
If a PDF refers to fonts that are not embedded in the file, other devices might replace them with generic fallbacks (like Courier or Times New Roman), causing layout changes or text rendering errors. This tool lets you verify which fonts are referenced to ensure absolute visual consistency.
Processing happens 100% locally on your computer inside your web browser. No files are uploaded to any external server or cloud service. The analysis is done using JavaScript libraries (pdfjs-dist and pdf-lib) in-memory, ensuring complete privacy and security for your documents.
No. The PDF Inspector is a read-only tool. It parses the document structure to extract metadata, fonts, dimensions, and permissions, but it does not change, write, or re-save any part of your file. Your original PDF remains completely untouched.
Yes. The PDF Inspector is entirely free with no registration, email requirements, or usage limits. You can inspect as many files as you need without downloading any software or paying for subscriptions.