Clearing up a blurry PDF document

Probably nothing, but it'll depend on how it was made. PDFs can be made from pretty much any kind of original file so not much you can do unless you have access to the original files.

If it was made from a low-resolution image file, the only way to sharpen it up would be to get a high-resolution version of the image and make a new PDF using that. If it was made from a large PDF that was saved as a reduced file-size PDF (i.e. lower quality file), you'll need to get the original PDF. 

If it was made, as one of my colleagues does, by taking a really shitty photo of a document on their phone, pasting that into a Word document, then converting the Word document to a 10 MB pdf, it will be easier to find a new job than to explain why they need to learn some basic shit about creating useful documents.

What is the document? What content? Text/graphics/photos/editorial/advert? Is the PDF simply a wrapper for an image (ie photo of a document, or flat image export of an otherwise editable document)?

How you approach it will depend on these factors. Sometimes it's easier to simply type the text up (or convert text within an image to plain text via Google etc) and remake the thing. Other times into Photoshop it goes, apply filters, clean elements up by hand, etc.

If remaking using text converted from an image of text, proof read it as Google doesn't always get it right. Depending on layout it might need multiple takes using sub images. Whatfontis.com can be useful for identifying fonts used from an image of text. Hi-res versions of stock photos sometimes can be found using reverse image search (drag image onto Google images search) - just make sure it doesn't have watermarks plastered all over it!

If it's an image based file, the text can potentially be sharpened using an unsharp mask filter or similar, and/or you can use OCR to turn it into real text (as opposed to a picture of text) then change the font. 

Nobody can really answer without seeing some screenshots of how bad it is though.

It's probably fine on his original Word document but I bet he's got his PDF creation setting to smallest file size and he's not actually checked the PDF he created (which will be as rough as hell and pixelated!).

Cheers for the replies

The document is in text, its basically a car dealer's print out showing a recall on my car has been done stating the date, parts used etc...

This is the only proof I have of the recall having been done, as the car maker/dealership don't upload recall documents to their customer's online accounts like they do with service history (it seems paper copies and service books are a thing of the past)

If it looks rough on your side but fine on theirs take a screenshot of what you see & send it back to them to show them how bad it is

I think that the government's MOT checker will have been updated by the manufacturer. Try that https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

If the car doesn't show then it's fixed 

If not any main dealer should be able to send you the info, hopefully on a decent copy

There is an ombudsman service that works off the VIN number too

Ilovepdf.com

Convert to word.  

Then re pdf it?

Word can convert PDFs - if created by Word in the first place.

Just open with File Explorer.

Posted by: timba

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I think that the government's MOT checker will have been updated by the manufacturer. Try that

Already checked on there and checked with other owners who have had the same issue getting written proof, as you said the recall does not appear on there if its been done, I wanted written proof (i.e. paper copy) that its been done and what parts they fitted/replaced so I can add it to the car's history file, plus the date of the recall being done is very important as there was a revision to the recall just 3 months after the recall was issued, so I wanted to know if mine was done pre or post the revision which I now know (post revision)

3 main dealers and the car company's main HQ have been pretty useless in obtaining written proof of the work having been done, basically fobbing me off to each one in turn, a 4th dealer finally gave me the fuzzy copy which I now have but that took 2 months for them to give it to me and they were not the most helpful as they didn't supply the car or do the recall work 

Ill check out ilovepdf.com and see if I can do something with word

Cheers

For this purpose, if it's legible, why not just leave it at that? At least if it's an image showing a photo of a print out, it will appear more authentic and not just like you've typed it up in word yesterday. 2C.

Posted by: escrs

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The document is in text, its basically a car dealer's print out showing a recall on my car

It sounds like it's an image of a print-out, not actually a text file. People often do this by taking a photo on their phone and converting it to PDF. A proper document scanner will do a much better job (and run character recognition as well). The other mistake people make is to save it as too small a file size - that's achieved by reducing the resolution and/or bumping up the compression of the image. That will give you a blurry, low-quality image.

Posted by: sirromj

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For this purpose, if it's legible, why not just leave it at that? At least if it's an image showing a photo of a print out, it will appear more authentic and not just like you've typed it up in word yesterday. 2C.

Agreed. No one is going to bat an eyelid if its a hot mess aslong as its legible, its only a bit of paper to say something was done. Can't be any worse than a carbon copy thats been kicked about the workshop for a couple lf days then stuffed in a lever arch. And faxed across.