Guides
Guides & articles
Practical how-tos for the PDF, image, AI, voice, and web tools on TryHary Tools.
How to merge PDF files cleanly (without redoing the job twice)
A practical workflow for combining PDFs in the right order, catching bad sources early, and verifying the download before you hit send.
Latest guides
Voice
Audio editing basics online: trim, clean, export
A simple approach to cutting mistakes, managing loudness, and exporting without turning a web editor into a fake DAW.
Web
Base64 encoding explained (and why it is not encryption)
Learn what Base64 is for, why strings get longer, how padding works, and why Base64 passwords are a dangerous myth.
AI
Better AI story prompts: constraints that improve drafts
Move from write a story to specific audience, tone, length, and hard limits—then edit the draft like a human writer.
Image
Compress images for the web without wrecking logos and type
Resize to display size first, choose formats wisely, and compress until pages feel fast—while keeping masters for later.
Compress a PDF without breaking links or wrecking charts
Shrink PDFs for portals and email while protecting critical pages, testing links, and choosing milder settings when detail matters.
Convert images to PDF for portals, homework, and packets
Turn phone photos and scans into a single PDF with sane page order, clearer orientation, and realistic expectations about searchable text.
Web
Create QR codes for links that actually scan in the real world
Size, contrast, quiet zones, and short payloads matter more than decorative styling when people scan under bad lighting.
Image
Crop and resize images the right way for avatars, banners, and listings
Composition first, pixels second: how to crop for aspect ratio and resize for platform specs without stretching faces and logos.
Web
Decode JWTs safely: inspect claims without leaking production secrets
Use JWT decoding for learning and staging debugging—never as an excuse to paste live privileged tokens or private keys into a webpage.
Edit PDF text online: what works, what doesn’t
Learn when in-place PDF text editing is realistic, how scans differ, and how browser editors handle overlays, undo, and drafts.
Web
Format and validate JSON before it breaks your API
Catch trailing commas, quote issues, and unreadable minified payloads with a calm JSON formatting workflow.
Web
Generate robots.txt and sitemaps that help crawlers (without fake SEO magic)
Use robots.txt for crawl hints and sitemaps for discovery—knowing neither guarantees rankings or replaces authentication.
How to split PDF pages without sending the wrong chapter
Use verified page numbers, extract only what recipients need, and spot-check every output before you delete the master file.
Guides
How TryHary handles file privacy (practical expectations)
What temporary processing, private documents, and shareable download URLs mean—without false never-stored promises.
Image
JPG vs PNG vs WebP: which image format should you use?
A clear comparison of everyday image formats—transparency, photos, screenshots, and browser support—without pretending one format wins everywhere.
Web
Minify HTML, CSS, and JS without breaking your page
Use minification as a delivery step, keep readable sources in git, and test—especially when compressing JavaScript by hand.
Guides
Scanned vs editable PDFs: how to tell and what to do next
A plain-language guide to text layers vs image pages, why edits fail on scans, and practical next steps for each type.
Web
Shorten URLs responsibly for posts, slides, and print
Use short links for clarity—not for hiding destinations or wrapping secret tokens that grant account access.
Voice
Text to speech best practices for clearer narration
Write for the ear: punctuation, acronyms, sampling voices, and editing scripts before you generate long audio.