pdftk-server

by github

Command-line PDF manipulation covering merging, splitting, encryption, form filling, watermarking, and metadata extraction. Supports 12+ operations including merge, split, rotate, encrypt/decrypt, burst, stamp, watermark, and repair Fill PDF forms from FDF/XFDF data with optional flattening to lock filled fields Extract and manipulate metadata, bookmarks, and embedded files; collate separately scanned pages Cross-platform installation via package managers (Windows, macOS, Linux) with... npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill pdftk-server Download ZIPGitHub36.2k

PDFtk Server

PDFtk Server is a command-line tool for working with PDF documents. It can merge, split, rotate, encrypt, decrypt, watermark, stamp, fill forms, extract metadata, and manipulate PDFs in a variety of ways.

When to Use This Skill

• Merging or joining multiple PDF files into one

• Splitting or bursting a PDF into individual pages

• Rotating PDF pages

• Encrypting or decrypting PDF files

• Filling PDF form fields from FDF/XFDF data

• Applying background watermarks or foreground stamps

• Extracting PDF metadata, bookmarks, or form field information

• Repairing corrupted PDF files

• Attaching or extracting files embedded in PDFs

• Removing specific pages from a PDF

• Collating separately scanned even/odd pages

• Compressing or decompressing PDF page streams

Step-by-Step Workflows

Merge Multiple PDFs

pdftk file1.pdf file2.pdf cat output merged.pdf

Using handles for more control:

pdftk A=file1.pdf B=file2.pdf cat A B output merged.pdf

Split a PDF into Individual Pages

pdftk input.pdf burst

Extract Specific Pages

Extract pages 1-5 and 10-15:

pdftk input.pdf cat 1-5 10-15 output extracted.pdf

Remove Specific Pages

Remove page 13:

pdftk input.pdf cat 1-12 14-end output output.pdf

Rotate Pages

Rotate all pages 90 degrees clockwise:

pdftk input.pdf cat 1-endeast output rotated.pdf

Encrypt a PDF

Set an owner password and a user password with 128-bit encryption (default):

pdftk input.pdf output secured.pdf owner_pw mypassword user_pw userpass

Decrypt a PDF

Remove encryption using the known password:

pdftk secured.pdf input_pw mypassword output unsecured.pdf

Fill a PDF Form

Populate form fields from an FDF file and flatten to prevent further edits:

pdftk form.pdf fill_form data.fdf output filled.pdf flatten

Apply a Background Watermark

Place a single-page PDF behind every page of the input (input should have transparency):

pdftk input.pdf background watermark.pdf output watermarked.pdf

Stamp an Overlay

Place a single-page PDF on top of every page of the input:

pdftk input.pdf stamp overlay.pdf output stamped.pdf

Extract Metadata

Export bookmarks, page metrics, and document information:

pdftk input.pdf dump_data output metadata.txt

Repair a Corrupted PDF

Pass a broken PDF through pdftk to attempt automatic repair:

pdftk broken.pdf output fixed.pdf

Collate Scanned Pages

Interleave separately scanned even and odd pages:

pdftk A=even.pdf B=odd.pdf shuffle A B output collated.pdf

References

Bundled reference documents in the references/ folder:

• pdftk-man-page.md - Complete manual reference with all operations, options, and syntax

• pdftk-cli-examples.md - Practical command-line examples for common tasks

• download.md - Installation and download instructions for all platforms

• pdftk-server-license.md - PDFtk Server licensing information

• third-party-materials.md - Third-party library licenses