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
- Windows:
- 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