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pdftk-server

github/awesome-copilot

Command-line PDF manipulation: merge, split, encrypt, fill forms, watermark, and more.

What is pdftk-server?

PDFtk Server is a command-line tool for comprehensive PDF document manipulation. Use it when you need to merge, split, rotate, encrypt, decrypt, fill forms, apply watermarks, extract metadata, or repair PDFs.

Merge or join multiple PDF files into one document
Split or burst PDFs into individual pages
Rotate PDF pages in 90-degree increments
Encrypt and decrypt PDFs with password protection
Fill PDF form fields from FDF/XFDF data and flatten results
Apply background watermarks or foreground stamp overlays

How to install pdftk-server

npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill pdftk-server

Prerequisites

PDFtk Server installed (Windows: winget install PDFLabs.PDFtk.Server; macOS: brew install pdftk-java; Linux: apt-get or dnf install pdftk)
Access to a terminal or command prompt
Verify installation by running pdftk --version

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How to use pdftk-server

1.Verify pdftk is installed and accessible in your PATH by running `pdftk --version`
2.Prepare your input PDF file(s) and any supporting files (FDF data, watermarks, overlays)
3.Construct the appropriate pdftk command for your task (merge, split, encrypt, fill, etc.)
4.Execute the command in your terminal, specifying input file(s) and output file name
5.Verify the output file was created and contains the expected result
6.For complex workflows, chain multiple pdftk commands or integrate into scripts

Use cases

Good for

Merge scanned documents or reports from multiple sources into a single file
Burst a multi-page PDF into individual pages for processing or distribution
Encrypt sensitive PDFs with owner and user passwords before sharing
Fill out PDF forms programmatically using data from external sources
Apply company watermarks or confidentiality stamps to documents

Who it's for

Document automation engineers
System administrators managing batch PDF workflows
Developers building PDF processing pipelines
Business analysts automating form processing
Anyone needing command-line PDF manipulation without GUI tools

pdftk-server FAQ

What is the difference between watermark and stamp?

Watermark places a PDF behind the input pages (typically for background effects), while stamp places a PDF on top of the input pages (for overlays). Use watermark for subtle backgrounds and stamp for visible overlays.

How do I decrypt a PDF if I don't know the password?

PDFtk cannot decrypt a PDF without the correct password. If you have the owner password, use `input_pw` flag. If the PDF is password-protected and you lack credentials, you will need to contact the document owner.

Can I fill PDF forms without flattening them?

Yes. Omit the `flatten` flag to keep form fields editable after filling. Use `flatten` only if you want to merge the filled data into the page content and lock the form.

What should I do if pdftk produces an empty or corrupt output file?

First, verify the input PDF is not already corrupted by running `pdftk input.pdf output repaired.pdf`. Check file permissions on both input and output paths. Ensure sufficient disk space is available.

Is PDFtk Server free to use?

PDFtk Server is available under a proprietary license. Check the bundled license documentation (pdftk-server-license.md) for specific terms and any restrictions on your intended use.

Full instructions (SKILL.md)

Source of truth, from github/awesome-copilot.

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:

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

Surgical code refactoring to improve maintainability without changing behavior.

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