Technical FAQs

Question

How can I get a document’s dimensions with PrizmDoc?

Answer

There are two methods you can use to do this with PrizmDoc:

The first method is using the requestPageAttributes() method from ViewerControl. This method allows you to get the width and height of a page in the document in pixels. Below is sample code on how to use requestPageAttributes() to get the attributes of page 1 of a document:

viewerControl.requestPageAttributes(1).then(function(attributes) {
    var pageWidth = attributes.width;
    var pageHeight = attributes.height;
});

The second method is done by making a GET request to the PrizmDoc server to get metadata for a page of the source document in a viewing session. The request is: 

GET /PCCIS/V1/Page/q/{{PageNumber}}/Attributes?DocumentID=u{{viewingSessionId}}&ContentType={{ContentType}}

The content type needs to be set to “png” for raster content and “svgb” for SVG content. The request returns the data in a JSON object containing the image’s width and height. The units for the width and height are in pixels when the contentType is set to “png” and unspecified units when the content type is set to “svgb”.

The request also returns the horizontal and vertical resolution of raster content when the content type is set to “png”. This information is similar to pixels per inch, but the units are unspecified, so if you wanted to calculate the size of the document you can calculate it by width divided by horizontal resolution or height divided by vertical resolution. The resolution is hard-coded to 90 when contentType is set to “svgb”.

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On August 3, 2021, Accusoft announced the release of the paid Professional version of Accusoft PDF Viewer. Initially released in March of 2021, the Standard version of Accusoft PDF Viewer is a free-to-use, lightweight JavaScript PDF library featuring a responsive UI for out-of-the-box mobile support. The new Professional version adds enhanced PDF tools and document functionality without introducing any complex server dependencies that could impact application security or performance.

“We’ve received tremendous feedback so far regarding the Standard version of Accusoft PDF Viewer,” says Jack Berlin, CEO of Accusoft. “With the release of the paid Professional version, customers now have a clear upgrade path that allows them to add new features without having to rethink their application architecture.”

Key Accusoft PDF Viewer Professional features include:

  • Multiple Annotation Types
  • Customizable UI
  • White Labeling
  • Electronic Signature

As an entirely client-side integration, Accusoft PDF Viewer can be incorporated into any web application with just a few lines of code. The paid Professional version features the same intuitive UI controls that provide an optimized viewing experience across all screen types, making it ideal for web apps that need to run on both desktop and mobile devices.

“We did a lot of research to determine which features are most important to developers,” says Mark Hansen, Product Manager at Accusoft. “The ability to markup and electronically sign documents without having to rely on external servers or backend processing is going to be a gamechanger for a lot of applications.”

To learn more about the latest Accusoft PDF Viewer features, please visit our website.

About Accusoft: 

Founded in 1991, Accusoft is a software development company specializing in content processing, conversion, and automation solutions. From out-of-the-box and configurable applications to APIs built for developers, Accusoft software enables users to solve their most complex workflow challenges and gain insights from content in any format, on any device. Backed by 40 patents, the company’s flagship products, including OnTask, PrizmDoc™ Viewer, and ImageGear, are designed to improve productivity, provide actionable data, and deliver results that matter. The Accusoft team is dedicated to continuous innovation through customer-centric product development, new version release, and a passion for understanding industry trends that drive consumer demand. Visit us at www.accusoft.com.

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Question

I would like to remove the mark selection handles from the marks (annotations and redactions) in the viewer so that my users can’t resize marks, but so they can still move the marks around. How can I do this?

Answer

The easiest way to achieve the functionality you’re looking for would be to simply change the CSS for the mark handles to set their display to none !important. The CSS for the mark handles can be found in viewercontrol.css. See the following code for an example:

/* mark selection handles */
.pccMarkHandleTopLeft,
.pccMarkHandleTopCenter,
.pccMarkHandleTopRight,
.pccMarkHandleMidLeft,
.pccMarkHandleMidRight,
.pccMarkHandleBottomLeft,
.pccMarkHandleBottomCenter,
.pccMarkHandleBottomRight,
.pccMarkHandlePoint,
.pccMarkHandleTextSelectionStart,
.pccMarkHandleTextSelectionEnd {
    position: absolute;
    width: 40px;
    height: 40px;
    display: none !important;
    background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw...);
}

@media screen and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), 
       screen and (min-resolution: 2dppx),
       screen and (min-resolution: 192dpi) {
    .pccMarkHandleTopLeft, 
    .pccMarkHandleTopCenter, 
    .pccMarkHandleTopRight, 
    .pccMarkHandleMidLeft, 
    .pccMarkHandleMidRight, 
    .pccMarkHandleBottomLeft, 
    .pccMarkHandleBottomCenter, 
    .pccMarkHandleBottomRight, 
    .pccMarkHandlePoint, 
    .pccMarkHandleTextSelectionStart, 
    .pccMarkHandleTextSelectionEnd {
        -webkit-background-size: 40px 40px;
                background-size: 40px;
        display: none !important;
        background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw...);
    }
}

You will want to set the !important flag so that the functions inside viewercontrol don’t set the display back to block.

One thing you may want to do is separate out pccMarkHandleTextSelectionStart and pccMarkHandleTextSelectionEnd to not include display: none. This way, the text selection annotations are able to be edited, since they are reliant on the handles for "movement" because they select a portion of the text signified by the handles. 

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On March 10, 2021, Accusoft announced the arrival of the free-to-use Accusoft PDF Viewer, the latest addition to its family of PDF solutions. An entirely client-side integration with no complicated server dependencies, this lightweight JavaScript PDF viewer also features a responsive UI for out-of-the-box mobile support.

“We’re excited to offer this free version of the Accusoft PDF Viewer to developers,” says Jack Berlin, CEO of Accusoft. “Our team worked hard to build a viewer that’s a step above what you can get from open source offerings. We think it’s going to solve a lot of the problems developers typically encounter with existing PDF libraries.”

Accusoft PDF Viewer integrates into an application quickly and easily with just a few snippets of code. It runs entirely within the browser to deliver an optimized viewing experience across all devices. The intuitive UI controls allow users to zoom, pan, jump to page, navigate thumbnails, and pinch-to-zoom on mobile screens with ease. And thanks to lightning fast full-text search, locating essential information is easier than ever.

“Accusoft PDF Viewer is great for developers because it allows them to maintain complete control over documents without having to set up any cumbersome server infrastructure,” says Mark Hansen, Product Manager. “Having a responsive UI that adapts to mobile displays will also increase their flexibility tremendously.”

The free version of Accusoft PDF Viewer allows developers to quickly add powerful viewing capabilities to their web applications. We’re currently working on additional features (such as annotation and eSignature) that will be included in an upgraded paid version.

To learn more about Accusoft PDF Viewer or download it for a first-hand look, please visit our website.

About Accusoft:
Founded in 1991, Accusoft is a software development company specializing in content processing, conversion, and automation solutions. From out-of-the-box and configurable applications to APIs built for developers, Accusoft software enables users to solve their most complex workflow challenges and gain insights from content in any format, on any device. Backed by 40 patents, the company’s flagship products, including OnTask, PrizmDoc™ Viewer, and ImageGear, are designed to improve productivity, provide actionable data, and deliver results that matter. The Accusoft team is dedicated to continuous innovation through customer-centric product development, new version release, and a passion for understanding industry trends that drive consumer demand. Visit us at www.accusoft.com.

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Sept. 7, 2022 – TAMPA, Fla. — Accusoft, a software development company specializing in content processing, conversion, and automation solutions, and Snowbound, a leader in document viewing and conversion SDK solutions, announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Accusoft will acquire Snowbound. In the largest acquisition in its 30-year history, the transaction will significantly expand Accusoft’s presence and product portfolio.

Snowbound’s VirtualViewer® technology, supported by its powerful RasterMaster® SDK, supports numerous formats including PDF, MS Office, AFP, DWG, TIFF, email, video, audio files, and more within one universal interface. Its REST API and RESTful content handler provide a more flexible development and deployment capability enabling it to be easily integrated into most applications. In addition, the company offers connectors for IBM FileNet, Alfresco, and Pega. This acquisition will enable Accusoft to expand into new viewing and collaboration technologies offering customers a more robust web-based document viewing experience. 

“Today, we celebrate the joining of two companies who have both driven significant innovation for web-based viewing, conversion, and imaging SDK technologies. I have always had the utmost respect for Snowbound’s leadership team and their employees as we have competed against one another for sales opportunities over the decades.  I am honored to bring Snowbound into the Accusoft family,” said Jack Berlin, CEO of Accusoft.

“We were incredibly selective as we looked for the right acquisition partner. We were deliberate in selecting an organization with a leadership team and product portfolio that would be compatible with our own, and that would continue to grow, develop and nurture what we have built at Snowbound. We have proudly driven 26 years of innovation in the way that companies securely share, collaborate, and process documents and images.  With the acquisition, our technology will expand RasterMaster®’s and VirtualViewer®’s Java-based feature set and allow continued empowerment to customers as they navigate the ever-changing world of digital transformation and the complexities of document management,” Simon Wieczner, CEO Snowbound.

While the acquisition is complete, Accusoft will wait until January 2023 to take full operational control of Snowbound. In the meantime, the two leadership teams will partner to close out a strong 2022 and transition the team and its assets.

For more information about Accusoft, please visit https://www.accusoft.com/.

About Accusoft: 

Founded in 1991, Accusoft is a software development company specializing in content processing, conversion, and automation solutions. From out-of-the-box and configurable applications to APIs built for developers, Accusoft software enables users to solve their most complex workflow challenges and gain insights from content in any format, on any device. Backed by 40 patents, the company’s flagship products, including OnTask, PrizmDoc™ Viewer, and ImageGear, are designed to improve productivity, provide actionable data, and deliver results that matter. The Accusoft team is dedicated to continuous innovation through customer-centric product development, new version release, and a passion for understanding industry trends that drive consumer demand. Visit us at www.accusoft.com.

About Snowbound

For over two decades, Snowbound Software has been the independent leader in document viewing and conversion technology. It plays an integral role in enhancing and speeding company workflows for the Fortune 2000, including insurance claims processing, financial transactions, and more. Snowbound excels in providing customers with powerful solutions for capturing, viewing, processing, and archiving hundreds of different document and image types. Thanks to its pure Java technology and multi-environment support, Snowbound’s products operate across all popular platforms and can be integrated into new or existing enterprise content management systems. Nine of the 10 largest banks in the United States (seven of 10 in the world), as well as some of the biggest healthcare providers, government agencies, and insurance companies rely on Snowbound for their mission-critical needs. For more information, contact us at 617-607-2010 or info@snowbound.com, or visit www.snowbound.com

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Introduction

A large government agency with millions of employees needed to manage personnel records and payment information while also making documents and images easily accessible for all users. Each document trail spanned the duration of the employee’s time with the agency, resulting in a repository containing hundreds of millions of documents. The existing system used a combination of custom-developed, Windows-based image viewers that were cumbersome, difficult to maintain, and presented security risks. 

Overview

As the system struggled to keep up with demand, employees became increasingly frustrated with the system. Rather than viewing documents within the system, they began using workarounds like printing out files or saving them to another device, both of which presented serious security risks since the records contained personally identifiable information. The agency needed a solution that could manage hundreds of millions of documents while still providing users with simple, secure, and quick access to personnel records and payment information. 

Although the document repository’s legacy viewing solution was no longer able to meet the agency’s needs, developing a new document viewer was prohibitively expensive and required expertise its IT team did not possess. Rather than building a solution from scratch, it made more sense to evaluate viewing integrations available on the market. The agency set out to find a viewer that could support multiple document types, including TIFF and PDF/A, for both viewing and archival purposes. Whatever solution the IT team chose to adopt would have to integrate smoothly into the existing legacy system to avoid a costly and time-consuming overhaul. 

Challenges

After evaluating several options, the agency turned to Accusoft’s PrizmDoc® for Java, formerly VirtualViewer®. As a Java-based viewer that uses HTML5 to render files for viewing, PrizmDoc® for Java would allow the document repository to access files quickly and easily. PrizmDoc® for Java’s extensive file format support allowed the agency to render PDF, Word, Excel, AFP, DWG, TIFF, and more in one universal viewer. The integration’s built-in library eliminated the need for a third-party application or additional license, further simplifying the agency’s document management processes. 

Another key priority was giving employees the ability to access documents from multiple devices. In the past, the system’s legacy viewer only allowed them to open and view documents on a desktop with the right software installed. To streamline the employee experience, the agency required a viewer that could be accessed from any device that supports a web browser, including tablets and smartphones. PrizmDoc® for Java’s true cross-platform support and complete mobility provided the flexibility the agency needed to access documents from anywhere, at any time. The integration’s HTML5 technology and Java-based viewing allowed users to view and manipulate files within the browser, eliminating the need for an external application. 

PrizmDoc® for Java’s quick installation and integration process made it the ideal solution for the agency. Installing PrizmDoc® for Java’s document viewer took less than 10 minutes for proof of concept (POC) testing on any desktop, laptop, or virtual machine. The integration also provided APIs and developer tools to make integrating and leveraging the technology simple and easy, including RESTful content handlers that allowed for a more flexible development and deployment process.

Results

PrizmDoc® for Java’s high-speed viewing for large files allowed document rendering and processing to be split between the server and browser, delivering an extremely high-speed response. The integration’s advanced features, including annotation, redaction, splitting, merging, and more, provided far more functionality than was possible under the legacy viewer. PrizmDoc® for Java’s robust thumbnail panels also simplified working on large documents using full-panel thumbnail displays, as well as the option to adjust thumbnail size. 

By implementing PrizmDoc® for Java, the government agency was able to provide more streamlined access to personnel and payroll records, saving employees and HR personnel time and money while eliminating security and management issues associated with the previous viewing solution. Millions of users are now able to view critical information related to their records via any device that has access to a web browser. PrizmDoc® for Java’s robust document support and easy-to-use interface made it an essential tool for the agency’s document management and collaboration processes. The agency was able to continue using their existing repository system while also gaining the benefits of a modern, user-friendly document viewer.

About Accusoft

Founded in 1991, Accusoft is a software development company specializing in content processing, conversion, and automation solutions. From out-of-the-box and configurable applications to APIs built for developers, Accusoft software enables users to solve their most complex workflow challenges and gain insights from content in any format, on any device. Backed by 40 patents, the company’s flagship products, including Docubee, PrizmDoc Viewer, and ImageGear, are designed to improve productivity, provide actionable data, and deliver results that matter. The Accusoft team is dedicated to continuous innovation through customer-centric product development, new version release, and a passion for understanding industry trends that drive consumer demand. Visit us at www.accusoft.com.  

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On June 25, 2021, Accusoft announced the latest update to PrizmDoc Viewer, its industry-leading HTML5 document viewing and image processing integration. The version 13.17 update improves a number of existing features and adds key functionality, allowing developers to offer even more versatility within their applications.

“Staying still is never an option,” says Mark Fears, Director of Product Management at Accusoft. “We’re always exploring ways to improve our existing products to help software developers do more for their customers. This update incorporates a lot of feedback we’ve received from our partners.”

In addition to improving rendering fidelity and redaction functionality, version 13.17 also makes significant improvements to PrizmDoc Viewer’s Content Conversion Service (CCS):

  • Convert Markup Changes in Microsoft Word: When converting DOCX files into another file format with CCS, you can now choose to convert accepted or rejected markup changes along with the document text.
  • Convert Speaker Notes in Microsoft PowerPoint: When converting PPTX files into another format using CCS, you can elect to convert the slides only or include any speaker notes in the new document.

Incorporated into thousands of applications worldwide to deliver responsive file viewing and conversion, PrizmDoc Viewer supports multiple proprietary and open file formats. Its powerful REST APIs allow developers to integrate the annotation, redaction, and document comparison features today’s businesses are looking for into their software.

To learn more about Accusoft’s PrizmDoc Viewer or download a trial for a first-hand look, please visit our website.

About Accusoft: 

Founded in 1991, Accusoft is a software development company specializing in content processing, conversion, and automation solutions. From out-of-the-box and configurable applications to APIs built for developers, Accusoft software enables users to solve their most complex workflow challenges and gain insights from content in any format, on any device. Backed by 40 patents, the company’s flagship products, including OnTask, PrizmDoc™ Viewer, and ImageGear, are designed to improve productivity, provide actionable data, and deliver results that matter. The Accusoft team is dedicated to continuous innovation through customer-centric product development, new version release, and a passion for understanding industry trends that drive consumer demand. Visit us at www.accusoft.com.

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In part one of our series on how APIs are empowering a new generation of LegalTech solutions, we looked at some of the technology obstacles facing today’s legal organizations. We also covered the basic principles of how API integration works and how it can bridge the gap between legacy systems and new applications. In part two, we’ll be taking a closer look at some specific API integration use cases and explain why they’re an essential part of a successful firm’s LegalTech toolkit.

4 Benefits of APIs for Legal Teams

Before going into more detail about how LegalTech API integration works, it’s worth highlighting the broad benefits APIs can deliver to a law firm. 

1. Streamlined Workflows

The average legal department relies on more than one software solution to meet their business needs. While larger firms that provide a broad range of legal services typically require more specialized platforms, even smaller legal teams deploy different software applications to address different business needs.

Thanks to API functionality, these diverse LegalTech solutions can be integrated into a single, platform-agnostic portal that eliminates the workflow disruption caused by constantly switching back and forth between programs. 

2. Remote Functionality

API integrations also make it possible for lawyers to access an assortment of LegalTech tools from any location, even if they can’t physically be at their offices. This capability is more important than ever as the legal profession continues to grapple with the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic. 

Many lawyers are still working from home and communicating with their clients and colleagues remotely. In some states, virtual court proceedings might remain in use even after the pandemic. If law practices aren’t able to function effectively in a remote context, they will struggle to deliver quality legal services to their clients.

3. Competitive Advantage

Managing multiple technology resources and facilitating remote collaboration isn’t just about making work easier for legal teams. Streamlining workflows results in greater efficiency, which means lawyers can spend more time doing high-value work for their clients rather than sorting out technical issues or tracking down hard-to-find documents and files. 

It also translates into reduced costs, since key administrative functions can be automated and carried out both faster and more accurately. Law firms that invest in technology integration can deliver better services to their clients at lower costs than their competition while still retaining the flexibility to adapt to future disruptions.

4. Enhanced Security

By its very nature, the legal industry ends up handling a great deal of sensitive information. Financial records, contracts, protected health data, and private correspondence are frequently relevant to legal proceedings of all kinds. There’s also the matter of attorney-client privilege, which greatly restricts what information can be shared outside the firm. 

Without a way to securely manage files and documents, law firms leave themselves exposed to significant liability. Thanks to API integrations, attorneys can use their existing LegalTech solutions to access, share, and edit essential files safely and securely. 

PrizmDoc Viewer: LegalTech API Integration in Practice

For a better understanding of how API integration can enhance the performance of LegalTech applications, it’s instructive to look at some specific examples. Accusoft’s PrizmDoc Viewer uses a powerful collection of REST APIs to provide HTML5 document viewing functionality through a single interface. It not only allows LegalTech developers to quickly and easily integrate document viewing capabilities into their applications, but it also delivers several additional features that are particularly relevant to the legal industry’s eDiscovery process. 

Document Conversion

The digitization of the discovery process has made it easier for legal organizations to share documents and back up important data. Unfortunately, it’s also created a huge glut of electronically stored information (ESI) in a variety of formats. In addition to the large number of commonly used file formats (such as DOCX, PDF, and JPEG), firms must also deal with a variety of proprietary file formats and case-specific formats (like DICOM for healthcare clients). PrizmDoc Viewer uses an array of APIs to convert more than 100 file formats for easy presentation within a browser-based HTML5 viewer. It can also convert image-based documents into searchable PDFs or editable text files with a built-in OCR engine. Thanks to this integration, attorneys can quickly share and view documents internally or with clients and the court without having to download and install specialized applications.

Annotation

The ability to annotate and markup documents is essential for any collaborative legal process. Although many platforms make it easy to insert comments and edits into documents, these programs often don’t support more than a handful of file types and alter the original file when making annotations. PrizmDoc Viewer’s annotation functionality supports over 100 file types and allows multiple users to make layered edits that can be easily shown or hidden. More importantly, all markups exist on top of the original document, preserving the integrity of the original file to comply with state and federal preservation of data requirements. When the time comes to present documents, annotations can be burned into the file if necessary. 

Redaction

Sharing documents is always a sensitive process in the legal profession. Information may be protected by attorney-client privilege, disclosure agreements, contractual obligations, or government regulations. LegalTech applications need to be able to redact sensitive data when sharing documents with outside parties. PrizmDoc Viewer’s REST API allows users to manually redact individual sections, use search features to redact specific terms, or even programmatically redact data for pre-determined reasons (such as account numbers or Social Security numbers). Redacted content is not only hidden from view, but no longer shows up in search results and cannot be copied or highlighted.

Security

As mentioned previously, security should be a key consideration for any LegalTech solution. Firms need to strictly control who has access to data and confidential documents, whether that consists of sensitive client information or internal litigation strategies. PrizmDoc Viewer provides a few key features to help LegalTech applications maintain high levels of security.

  • DRM: Digital rights management (DRM) controls can manage who has access to documents and what functions they can use (such as printing, downloading, or viewing). This makes it easy to restrict how files are shared and track any document leaks back to their source to hold the responsible parties accountable.
  • Watermarking: PrizmDoc Viewer can hard code identifying information into documents to prove ownership and prevent the unauthorized reproduction of documentation.
  • Encryption: With so many people working remotely from potentially unsecured Internet connections, file encryption is absolutely essential for any LegalTech application. PrizmDoc Viewer uses 256-bit AES content encryption to ensure that documents remain secure throughout the collaboration process.

Transform Your LegalTech Strategy with API Integration

As we covered in part one, many legal organizations cling to outdated processes and technology due to familiarity and deeply-ingrained status quo bias. But familiar doesn’t always mean functional. Over reliance on manual processes exposes firms to increased human error and a range of potential data security risks, to say nothing of undercutting productivity. Advanced APIs offer a new tactical toolkit, a way to select best-fit code that solves specific issues and helps legal firms improve operational outcomes. Learn more about how Accusoft’s PrizmDoc Viewer can unlock the full potential of your LegalTech applications today.

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