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Overview

Ghostscript is required to compress PDF files in Compresto. Developed by Artifex Software, Inc., Ghostscript is a leading PDF rendering and conversion tool.
If you have Homebrew installed, Compresto will automatically attempt to install Ghostscript when you first try to compress a PDF.

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Quick Install (Homebrew Users)

If you have Homebrew installed, simply click the Install Ghostscript via Homebrew button in the app. install_ghostscript Compresto will run brew install ghostscript and automatically configure the path for you.

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Manual Installation

If you don’t have Homebrew or prefer manual installation:
1

Install Homebrew

If you don’t have Homebrew, install it from brew.sh
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
2

Install Ghostscript

brew install ghostscript
3

Find the path

which gs
Expected output:
  • Apple Silicon Mac: /opt/homebrew/bin/gs
  • Intel Mac: /usr/local/bin/gs

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Configure Path in Compresto

After installation, set the Ghostscript path in Compresto:
1

Open Settings

Go to Settings > PDF Compression
2

Enter the path

Copy the output from which gs and paste it into the Ghostscript path fieldghostscript path
3

Click Update

Press the Update button to save the path

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Common Paths

Installation MethodMac TypePath
HomebrewApple Silicon/opt/homebrew/bin/gs
HomebrewIntel/usr/local/bin/gs
MacPortsAny/opt/local/bin/gs

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Troubleshooting

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”Ghostscript is not installed” error

This means the Ghostscript path is not configured. Follow the steps above to install and configure Ghostscript.

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Path not working

  1. Open Terminal and run which gs to verify the correct path
  2. Make sure the path ends with /gs (not /ghostscript)
  3. Ensure Ghostscript was installed successfully by running gs --version

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Homebrew button not appearing

The Install Ghostscript via Homebrew button only appears if Homebrew is detected on your system. If you don’t see it, install Homebrew first or use MacPorts.

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Disclaimer

Compresto does not own or distribute Ghostscript. Ghostscript is installed separately on your device and is used by Compresto solely for PDF compression.