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PDF explorations | ==PDF explorations== | ||
taking an '''Autoethnography''' approach | taking an '''Autoethnography''' approach<br> | ||
(a hands on approach makes no sense, PDF is a '''portable <u>document format</u>''', not a programming language like PostScript) | |||
<blockquote> | |||
"In '''ethnography''', the researcher study cultural relational practices, common values and beliefs and shared experiences for the purpose of helping insiders and outsiders better understand the culture. By being a participant observer we take part in the cultural happening and can engage with them while drawing conclusions. Interviewing other members, observing and investigating spaces and observing artefacts like texts, movies and music are tools of research." -- [[User:AvitalB/thesis/research/autoethnography]] | |||
</blockquote> | |||
<blockquote> | |||
"'''Autoethnography''' is a research method that uses personal experience (“auto”) to describe and interpret (“graphy”) cultural texts, experiences, beliefs, and practices (“ethno”)" -- [[User:Alessia/Diary/xpubone]] | |||
</blockquote> | |||
How do our own experiences with PDFs relate to wider cultural, political, and social meanings and understandings? | |||
==Install yourself== | ==Install yourself== | ||
<div style="border: 10px groove yellow; border-radius: 25px 10px;padding: 2em 3em;"> | |||
Before we start, let's install some PDF manipulation tools: | Before we start, let's install some PDF manipulation tools: | ||
* pdftk: https://www.pdflabs.com/tools/pdftk-server/ | * '''pdftk''': https://www.pdflabs.com/tools/pdftk-server/ | ||
* pdfinfo/pdftotext/pdfimages/pdffonts: http://www.xpdfreader.com/about.html | ** Mac: https://www.pdflabs.com/tools/pdftk-the-pdf-toolkit/pdftk_server-2.02-mac_osx-10.11-setup.pkg (the pkg file from the pdftk website did not work) | ||
* pdfunite: <code>$ brew install poppler</code> (Mac), <code>> choco install poppler</code> (Windows), <code>sudo apt install poppler-utils</code> (Linux) | ** Windows: <code>> choco install pdftk</code> | ||
* '''pdfinfo'''/'''pdftotext'''/'''pdfimages'''/'''pdffonts''': http://www.xpdfreader.com/about.html | |||
* '''pdfunite''', is part of the poppler project: <code>$ brew install poppler</code> (Mac), <code>> choco install poppler</code> (Windows), <code>sudo apt install poppler-utils</code> (Linux) | |||
* (maybe pdf imposition tools) | |||
And let's also keep the Python documentation close: | |||
* activate Python in '''devdocs''': https://devdocs.io/ | |||
</div> | |||
==prompt #0: Possible PDFs== | |||
* To warm up our fingers this morning (even though it's not that cold this week), and re-activate memories of previews moments in which we wrote in Python... | |||
* Departing from... [https://hub.xpub.nl/cerealbox/~manetta/ahouseofdust.html Allison Knowles - A house of Dust] | |||
* Let's collectively bend this script and turn it into a PDF prompt generator: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/a-house-of-dust | |||
* Copy paste the code to a local python file, or... download it directly from the pad with curl: <code>$ curl https://pad.xpub.nl/p/a-house-of-dust/export/txt > a-pdf-of.py</code> | |||
* Run the code: <code>$ python a-pdf-of.py</code> | |||
==prompt #1== | ==prompt #1: *.pdf== | ||
* find how many pdfs are saved on your computer, we can use python for this | * find how many pdfs are saved on your computer, we can use python for this | ||
* get a list of filenames of all these pdfs | * get a list of filenames of all these pdfs | ||
* generate filename posters with PostScript and Python | * generate PDF filename pages/posters with PostScript and Python | ||
[[PDF_session/allmypdfs.py]] | |||
[[PDF_session/allmypdfsinpostscript.py]] | |||
==prompt #2== | ==prompt #2: My PDF== | ||
* pick one pdf from your computer | * pick one pdf from your computer | ||
* select one page, take one that represents the pdf somehow, or just one you like | * select one page, take one that represents the pdf somehow, or just one you like | ||
* extract this page from the pdf with pdftk | * extract this page from the pdf with <code>pdftk</code> | ||
* take 10 minutes to interview each other about this pdf: ask each other any kinds of questions about it! keep it short, 5 min each | * take 10 minutes to interview each other about this pdf: ask each other any kinds of questions about it! keep it short, 5 min each | ||
* make a pdf of the interview text in PostScript with Python | * make a pdf of the interview text in PostScript with Python | ||
==prompt #3== | ==prompt #3: Living (with) PDFs== | ||
* select 5 pdfs from your computer | * select 5 pdfs from your computer | ||
* use pdftotext and pdfimage and pdfinfo to extract material from these pdfs | * use <code>pdftotext</code> and <code>pdfimage</code> and <code>pdfinfo</code> to extract material from these pdfs | ||
* make a selection of the materials: make a new folder, copy images in that you want to use, and make plain text (txt) files with text you want to use | * make a selection of the materials: make a new folder, copy images in that you want to use, and make plain text (txt) files with text you want to use | ||
* make a new pdf with these materials using PostScript and Python | * make a new pdf with these materials using PostScript and Python | ||
==prompt #4== | ==prompt #4: PDF decoration== | ||
* search for a pdf of a book | * search for a pdf of a book | ||
* select one page from the book | * select one page from the book | ||
* make a visual pageborder in | * make a visual pageborder in PostScript .... | ||
* decorate your page and stamp your lovely pageborder onto your pdf with pdftk stamp | * decorate your page and stamp your lovely pageborder onto your pdf with <code>pdftk stamp</code> | ||
* (you can do the whole book too with pdftk multistamp) | * (you can do the whole book too with <code>pdftk multistamp</code>) | ||
==prompt #5== | ==prompt #5: PDF zines!== | ||
* | * [[imposition]] | ||
Latest revision as of 16:34, 28 January 2025
PDF explorations
taking an Autoethnography approach
(a hands on approach makes no sense, PDF is a portable document format, not a programming language like PostScript)
"In ethnography, the researcher study cultural relational practices, common values and beliefs and shared experiences for the purpose of helping insiders and outsiders better understand the culture. By being a participant observer we take part in the cultural happening and can engage with them while drawing conclusions. Interviewing other members, observing and investigating spaces and observing artefacts like texts, movies and music are tools of research." -- User:AvitalB/thesis/research/autoethnography
"Autoethnography is a research method that uses personal experience (“auto”) to describe and interpret (“graphy”) cultural texts, experiences, beliefs, and practices (“ethno”)" -- User:Alessia/Diary/xpubone
How do our own experiences with PDFs relate to wider cultural, political, and social meanings and understandings?
Install yourself
Before we start, let's install some PDF manipulation tools:
- pdftk: https://www.pdflabs.com/tools/pdftk-server/
- Mac: https://www.pdflabs.com/tools/pdftk-the-pdf-toolkit/pdftk_server-2.02-mac_osx-10.11-setup.pkg (the pkg file from the pdftk website did not work)
- Windows:
> choco install pdftk
- pdfinfo/pdftotext/pdfimages/pdffonts: http://www.xpdfreader.com/about.html
- pdfunite, is part of the poppler project:
$ brew install poppler(Mac),> choco install poppler(Windows),sudo apt install poppler-utils(Linux) - (maybe pdf imposition tools)
And let's also keep the Python documentation close:
- activate Python in devdocs: https://devdocs.io/
prompt #0: Possible PDFs
- To warm up our fingers this morning (even though it's not that cold this week), and re-activate memories of previews moments in which we wrote in Python...
- Departing from... Allison Knowles - A house of Dust
- Let's collectively bend this script and turn it into a PDF prompt generator: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/a-house-of-dust
- Copy paste the code to a local python file, or... download it directly from the pad with curl:
$ curl https://pad.xpub.nl/p/a-house-of-dust/export/txt > a-pdf-of.py - Run the code:
$ python a-pdf-of.py
prompt #1: *.pdf
- find how many pdfs are saved on your computer, we can use python for this
- get a list of filenames of all these pdfs
- generate PDF filename pages/posters with PostScript and Python
PDF_session/allmypdfsinpostscript.py
prompt #2: My PDF
- pick one pdf from your computer
- select one page, take one that represents the pdf somehow, or just one you like
- extract this page from the pdf with
pdftk - take 10 minutes to interview each other about this pdf: ask each other any kinds of questions about it! keep it short, 5 min each
- make a pdf of the interview text in PostScript with Python
prompt #3: Living (with) PDFs
- select 5 pdfs from your computer
- use
pdftotextandpdfimageandpdfinfoto extract material from these pdfs - make a selection of the materials: make a new folder, copy images in that you want to use, and make plain text (txt) files with text you want to use
- make a new pdf with these materials using PostScript and Python
prompt #4: PDF decoration
- search for a pdf of a book
- select one page from the book
- make a visual pageborder in PostScript ....
- decorate your page and stamp your lovely pageborder onto your pdf with
pdftk stamp - (you can do the whole book too with
pdftk multistamp)
prompt #5: PDF zines!
Upload what you made to cerealbox here: /var/www/html/SI26/PDF/ so it appears at https://hub.xpub.nl/cerealbox/SI26/PDF/
We will pdfunite this into one PDF again!
(and compress it... because it will be large probably)