Compress a folder of PDFs

CodexWith deft, skill installedPassedRead the skillUsed deft2026-11-07

Time

16s

New tokens

10.7k

Total input

71.9k

Output tokens

0.5k

Commands

4

Failed

1

Trace

1. I’ll check the available files and the `deft` instructions, then compress each PDF into `compressed` with its original filename.

2. cat .agents/skills/deft/SKILL.md 2>/dev/null || cat .codex/skills/deft/SKILL.md 2>/dev/null || true rg --files -g '*.pdf' -g '*.PDF' reports 2>/dev/null pwd
   output

   ---
   name: deft
   description: "Use deft instead of writing a script for file jobs: PDF merge/split/compress/watermark, image resize/convert/compress, video and audio trim/convert/compress, spreadsheets, Markdown to PDF/HTML, and YouTube downloads and subtitles."
   ---
   
   # deft
   
   One local command for file jobs. Prefer it over writing Python or shell scripts.
   
   Syntax: `deft <group> <command> [inputs] [-o output] [--options]`
   
   Groups:
   - `pdf`: Merge, split, compress, encrypt, forms, OCR, compare, convert
   - `image`: Resize, crop, convert, compress, filters, montage, OCR
   - `video`: Trim, crop, speed, convert, compress, GIF, frames (ffmpeg)
   - `audio`: Convert, trim, merge, fade, speed, tag, normalize (ffmpeg)
   - `doc`: Word/ODT/RTF: to text, Markdown, HTML, PDF; find and replace
   - `slides`: PowerPoint: extract text, Markdown outline, PDF handout
   - `data`: JSON/YAML/TOML/XML: convert, query with jq syntax, merge, diff
   - `sheet`: Excel/CSV/ODS tables: filter, sort, join, pivot, convert
   - `md`: Markdown to PDF, HTML, Word, EPUB; table of contents
   - `html`: HTML to Markdown, text, Word, PDF; screenshots
   - `epub`: E-books: info, to text, Markdown and PDF
   - `email`: EML files: headers, text, attachments
   - `contact`: VCF address books: to and from CSV
   - `calendar`: ICS calendars: to and from CSV
   - `gps`: GPX and KML tracks: convert, distance and time
   - `youtube`: Info, download, audio, subtitles, thumbnail (yt-dlp)
   - `file`: Any file: hash, duplicates, batch rename, base64, encoding
   - `qr`: Cre
   … 779 more characters

3. I’m using the `deft` skill for this PDF file job. I found three PDFs in `reports`; I’ll check the compression options and write the copies to `compressed`.

4. deft pdf compress --help
   output

   deft pdf compress - Make smaller: --level, --target-size 2MB
   
   Usage: deft pdf compress <pdf>... [-o <pdf|dir>] [options]
   In: pdf (each handled separately)   Out: pdf (default <name>.compressed.<ext>)
   Levels: lossless rewrites structure only; balanced re-encodes images
   at JPEG 75, 150 dpi; strong at JPEG 55, 100 dpi.
   
   Options:
     --level <lossless|balanced|strong>
         How hard to compress (default balanced)
     --target-size <bytes>        Try stronger settings until output <= this size
     --grayscale                  Convert images to grayscale
     --password <text>            Password of an encrypted input
   Common: -o --force --dry-run --json -j   (deft help common)
   
   Examples:
     deft pdf compress photos.pdf --level strong -o small.pdf
     deft pdf compress reports/*.pdf -o small/ --target-size 2MB
   
   Result fields: bytes_before, bytes_after, ratio, images_recompressed
   Errors: INPUT_ENCRYPTED, TARGET_UNREACHABLE

5. ls -la reports compressed 2>/dev/null; deft pdf compress reports/*.pdf -o compressed --level balanced (exit 2)
   output

   reports:
   total 1208
   drwxr-xr-x@ 5 user  staff     160 Nov  6 17:15 .
   drwxr-xr-x@ 4 user  staff     128 Nov  6 17:15 ..
   -rw-r--r--@ 1 user  staff  220237 Nov  5 21:11 f1040.pdf
   -rw-r--r--@ 1 user  staff  140815 Nov  5 21:11 fw9.pdf
   -rw-r--r--@ 1 user  staff  250636 Nov  5 21:11 scan.pdf
   error BAD_OPTION -o compressed: several inputs need a directory, e.g. -o out/

6. deft pdf compress reports/*.pdf -o compressed/ --level balanced
   output

   ok pdf.compress reports/f1040.pdf -> compressed/f1040.pdf  215KB -> 214KB (-1%)
   ok pdf.compress reports/fw9.pdf -> compressed/fw9.pdf  138KB -> 130KB (-5%)
   ok pdf.compress reports/scan.pdf -> compressed/scan.pdf  245KB -> 244KB (-0%)

7. Compressed all three PDFs into `compressed/` with their original filenames: - `f1040.pdf` - `fw9.pdf` - `scan.pdf` The balanced compression setting reduced each file’s size.

Output

compressed/f1040.pdf 213.7 KB · 2 pages

compressed/fw9.pdf 130.2 KB · 6 pages

compressed/scan.pdf 243.7 KB · 4 pages

CodexWith deft, skill as AGENTS.mdPassed2026-11-05

Time

12s

New tokens

10.4k

Total input

61.9k

Output tokens

0.3k

Commands

3

Failed

0

Trace

1. I’ll use the local `deft` PDF compressor, preserving each source filename and writing outputs under `compressed/`. I’ll first inspect the folder and command options so I can choose a lossless or sensible default compression.

2. pwd && rg --files reports && deft pdf --help
   output

   reports/scan.pdf
   reports/fw9.pdf
   reports/f1040.pdf
   deft pdf - commands (input -> output)
     info         pdf -> report      Pages, size, metadata, fonts, images
     compress     pdf -> pdf         Make a PDF smaller: --level, --target-size 2MB
     delete       pdf -> pdf         Remove pages: --pages 2,5-7
     from-images  image... -> pdf    One page per image, in the given order
     from-md      md -> pdf          Typeset a PDF with headings, tables, code, images
     merge        pdf... -> pdf      Join PDFs in the given order
     number       pdf -> pdf         Add page numbers: --format "{n} of {total}"
     rotate       pdf -> pdf         Turn pages clockwise: --angle 90, --pages
     select       pdf -> pdf         Keep and reorder pages: --pages 3,1-2
     split        pdf -> pdf...      One file per page, or --every N, --ranges 1-3,4-
     to-images    pdf -> png|jpg...  Render pages to images: --dpi, --pages
     to-text      pdf -> txt         Extract text (form feed between pages)
     watermark    pdf -> pdf         Stamp text or an image on pages: --text, --image
   More: deft pdf <command> --help

3. There are three PDFs in `reports/`. I’m checking the compressor’s default level and then will process all three into `compressed/` with the same basenames.

4. deft pdf compress --help
   output

   deft pdf compress - Make a PDF smaller: --level, --target-size 2MB
   
   Usage: deft pdf compress <pdf>... [-o <pdf|dir>] [options]
   In: pdf (each handled separately)   Out: pdf (default <name>.compressed.<ext>)
   Levels: lossless rewrites structure only; balanced re-encodes images
   at JPEG 75, 150 dpi; strong at JPEG 55, 100 dpi.
   
   Options:
     --level <lossless|balanced|strong>
         How hard to compress (default balanced)
     --target-size <bytes>        Try stronger settings until output <= this size
     --grayscale                  Convert images to grayscale
     --password <text>            Password of an encrypted input
   Common: -o --force --dry-run --json -j   (deft help common)
   
   Examples:
     deft pdf compress photos.pdf --level strong -o small.pdf
     deft pdf compress reports/*.pdf -o small/ --target-size 2MB
   
   Result fields: bytes_before, bytes_after, ratio, images_recompressed
   Errors: INPUT_ENCRYPTED, TARGET_UNREACHABLE

5. mkdir -p compressed && deft pdf compress reports/*.pdf -o compressed/ --level balanced
   output

   ok pdf.compress reports/f1040.pdf -> compressed/f1040.pdf  215KB -> 214KB (-1%)
   ok pdf.compress reports/fw9.pdf -> compressed/fw9.pdf  138KB -> 130KB (-5%)
   ok pdf.compress reports/scan.pdf -> compressed/scan.pdf  245KB -> 244KB (-0%)

6. Compressed all three PDFs with `deft`’s balanced setting. The files are in `compressed/` with their original names: `f1040.pdf`, `fw9.pdf`, and `scan.pdf`.

Output

Its files were not kept in this run. The last line of the trace is its own report.

Claude Opus 5.5With deft, skill installedPassedRead the skillUsed deft2026-11-07

Time

10s

New tokens

10.5k

Total input

60.0k

Output tokens

0.6k

Commands

0

Failed

0

Trace

Output

---
name: deft
description: "Use deft first for any simple, direct operation on local files, whatever the type: convert, read, extract, edit, compress, merge, split, compare or inspect. Try it before writing a script or one-liner. If unsure, run deft find; if it says no command does this, use another tool. Not for programming work: to read, write or change source code, skip it."
---

# deft

One local command for file jobs. Prefer it over writing Python or shell scripts.

Syntax: `deft <group> <command> [inputs] [-o output] [--options]`

Groups:
- `pdf`: Merge, split, compress, encrypt, forms, OCR, compare, convert
- `image`: Resize, crop, convert, compress, adjust, montage, OCR
- `video`: Trim, merge, convert, compress, subtitles, GIF, frames (ffmpeg)
- `audio`: Convert, trim, normalize, denoise, cut silence (ffmpeg)
- `doc`: Word/ODT/RTF: to text, Markdown, HTML, PDF; find and replace
- `slides`: PowerPoint: extract text, Markdown outline
- `sheet`: Excel/CSV/ODS tables: SQL query, pivot, merge, split, convert
- `json`: JSON: convert, format, merge, diff, validate
- `toml`: TOML: convert, format, merge, diff, validate
- `xml`: XML: convert, format, merge, diff, validate
- `yaml`: YAML: convert, format, merge, diff, validate
- `md`: Markdown to PDF, HTML, Word, EPUB; table of contents
- `html`: HTML to Markdown, text, Word and PDF
- `epub`: E-books: info, to text, Markdown and PDF
- `gps`: GPX and KML tracks: convert, distance and time
- `qr`: Create QR codes and barcodes; read QR codes

How to use it:
1. Run `deft <group>` to list commands, or `deft find "<what you want>"` to search. If it says `no command does this`, use another tool.
2. Run `deft <group> <command> --help` for options and examples.
3. `deft convert <in> -o <out.ext>` converts between formats by extension.
4. Results are one line starting with `ok`, `partial` or `error`; add `--json` to parse them. Errors include a `hint:` with the fix.

Inputs are never overwritten; pass `--force` or `--in-place` to allow it. Globs and directories work as inputs; several inputs run in parallel.

If `deft` is not installed, ask the user, then follow https://github.com/firstprayer/deft/blob/main/docs/INSTALL.md

compressed/f1040.pdf 213.7 KB · 2 pages

compressed/fw9.pdf 130.2 KB · 6 pages

compressed/scan.pdf 243.7 KB · 4 pages