| name | pdftk-server |
| description | Skill for using the command-line tool pdftk (PDFtk Server) for working with PDF files. Use when asked to merge PDFs, split PDFs, rotate pages, encrypt or decrypt PDFs, fill PDF forms, apply watermarks, stamp overlays, extract metadata, burst documents into pages, repair corrupted PDFs, attach or extract files, or perform any PDF manipulation from the command line. |
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
Prerequisites
- PDFtk Server must be installed on the system
- Windows:
winget install --id PDFLabs.PDFtk.Server
- macOS:
brew install pdftk-java
- Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):
sudo apt-get install pdftk
- Linux (Red Hat/Fedora):
sudo dnf install pdftk
- Access to a terminal or command prompt
- Verify installation by running
pdftk --version
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
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
pdftk command not found | Verify installation; check that pdftk is in your system PATH |
| Cannot decrypt PDF | Ensure you are providing the correct owner or user password via input_pw |
| Output file is empty or corrupt | Check input file integrity; try running pdftk input.pdf output repaired.pdf first |
| Form fields not visible after fill | Use the flatten flag to merge fields into the page content |
| Watermark not appearing | Ensure the input PDF has transparent regions; use stamp for opaque overlays |
| Permission denied errors | Check file permissions on input and output paths |
References
Bundled reference documents in the references/ folder:
