pdf-pro

1. Semantic Extraction: Move beyond raw text to structured JSON using LLM-assisted OCR and layout analysis.
2. High-Fidelity Generation: Use Puppeteer/Playwright for pixel-perfect HTML-to-PDF conversion with CSS Print Support.
3. PDF 2.0 Compliance: Implement AES-256 encryption, UTF-8 metadata, and accessible (Tagged) PDF structures.
4. Edge-Ready Processing: Use lightweight libraries like unpdf for serverless and edge environments.

---

1. Bun-Native & JS Libraries (Primary)

• pdf-lib: Byte-level modification, merging, splitting, and form filling.
• unpdf: Ultra-lightweight extraction for Edge/Serverless.
• Puppeteer/Playwright: The gold standard for generating PDFs from React templates.
• Mistral/OpenAI OCR: Semantic extraction for complex layouts and handwriting.

2. Forensic Utilities (Legacy/Advanced)

• qpdf: CLI tool for structural repairs and decryption.
• poppler-utils: Fast C-based text and image extraction.

---

1. High-Fidelity Generation (Next.js 16.2)

Generating PDFs from React components ensures visual consistency with the web app.

```tsx

// app/api/generate-pdf/route.ts

import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';

export async function POST(req: Request) {

const { htmlContent } = await req.json();

const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: true });

const page = await browser.newPage();

await page.setContent(htmlContent, { waitUntil: 'networkidle0' });

const pdfBuffer = await page.pdf({

format: 'A4',

printBackground: true,

margin: { top: '20px', bottom: '20px' }

});

await browser.close();

return new Response(pdfBuffer, {

headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/pdf' }

});

}

```

2. AI-Driven Semantic Extraction

Using LLMs to turn unstructured PDF text into validated Zod schemas.

```typescript

import { unpdf } from 'unpdf';

import { generateObject } from 'ai'; // AI SDK 2026

async function extractInvoice(buffer: Buffer) {

const { text } = await unpdf.extractText(buffer);

const { object } = await generateObject({

model: myModel,

schema: invoiceSchema,

prompt: Extract structured data from this PDF text: ${text}

});

return object;

}

```

---

AES-256 Encryption

PDF 2.0 deprecates weak algorithms. Use qpdf or modern JS wrappers for secure locking.

```bash

# Secure a PDF with 2026 standards

qpdf --encrypt user-pass owner-pass 256 -- input.pdf secured.pdf

```

Digital Signatures (PAdES)

Integrate with OIDC providers or Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) for legally binding signatures.

---

1. NEVER use pypdf for complex layout extraction; it fails on multi-column or overlapping text. Use pdfplumber or AI OCR.
2. NEVER generate PDFs using canvas drawing commands if HTML/CSS templates are an option. Maintenance is a nightmare.
3. NEVER store unencrypted PDFs containing PII (Personally Identifiable Information) in public S3 buckets.
4. NEVER rely on window.print() for automated server-side generation. It is non-deterministic.

---

| Issue | Likely Cause | 2026 Corrective Action |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Missing Fonts | System fonts not in container | Use Puppeteer with embedded Google Fonts or WOFF2. |

| Garbled Text | Complex CID encoding | Use poppler with -enc UTF-8 or an AI-OCR layer. |

| Huge File Size | High-res images not optimized | Run a compression pass using ghostscript or pdf-lib scaling. |

| Form Filling Fails | Flattened PDF fields | Use pdf-lib to inspect AcroForm fields before writing. |

---

• [AI Extraction Patterns](./references/1-ai-extraction-patterns.md): Mastering semantic document understanding.
• [High-Fidelity Generation](./references/2-high-fidelity-generation.md): HTML-to-PDF at scale.
• [Legacy Utilities](./references/3-legacy-python-utilities.md): When to reach for Python/CLI tools.

---

1. Requirement Check: Is the goal Creation, Extraction, or Modification?
2. Tool Selection:

- Creation -> Puppeteer.

- Extraction -> AI SDK + unpdf.

- Modification -> pdf-lib.

1. Environment Check: Is this running in an Edge Function? (If yes, avoid Puppeteer).
2. Implementation: Build with strict TypeScript typing.
3. Audit: Verify PDF 2.0 metadata and accessibility (A11y) tags.

---

• Extraction Accuracy: > 98% (Measured against ground truth JSON).
• Generation Speed: < 2s for a 10-page document.
• Security Audit: Zero weak crypto algorithms (Verified via qpdf).

---

• By: Gemini Elite Conductor
• Date: January 22, 2026
• Version: 1.1.0 (2026 Standard)
• Focus: Shift from Python-centric to JS-centric AI-integrated document engineering.

---

End of PDF Pro Standard (v1.1.0)