What is a linearized PDF?

A linearized PDF (aka a fast web view PDF) is a type of PDF document that has been optimized for the web. Unlike regular PDFs that must be fully downloaded before viewing, a linearized PDF allows a web browser or PDF viewer to start displaying the first page almost immediately, even while the rest of the file is still downloading.

Linearized PDFs are common for eBooks, journal articles, and government reports.

When you need to make notes on a linearized PDF, you can usually download it so that you can open it in a PDF editor, such as QuillBot’s free online PDF editor. Or, put the download through a PDF converter and edit it as a Word document.