PDF editing on linux
PDF editing in linux is still somehow tricky nowadays. This post aims at putting together the currently available resources for manipulating (editing, highlighting, commenting, splitting and merging) PDF documents.
We are all looking forward at GNUpdf project completing its major tasks in order to release a full featured GNU Juggler which will be a full-fledged PDF viewer and editor making use of the GNU PDF Library. If you want to push this project forward you may consider donating to this FSF cause.
Graphical applications
Okular [the best]
Okular is the default document viewer for KDE4 and indeed deserves this!
Originaly written by Piotr Szymanski and currently mantained by Bruno Toscano, this is actually the best multi document reader I’ve ever come across.
It is based on QT4 libraries and uses a bunch of additional libraries for accessing the various file formats. It can open PDF, PS, Tiff, CHM, DjVu, Images, DVI, XPS, ODT, Fiction Book, Comic Book, Plucker, EPub and Fax documents.
With PDFs other than displaying them (dozens of readers exist on linux) it enables you to perform a series of annotations on your documents:
- add simple notes
- add inline notes
- highlight in green or yellow
- underline in black
- draw straight yellow lines
- draw blue poligons
- use the stamp tool
- use the cyan ellipse tool
To convert any office document into PDF format you can simply use OpenOffice builtin exporting feature.
Here is a detailed guide to the various options that enable you to tweak your PDF (e.g. PDF/A standard compliance).
OpenOffice SUN PDF Import plugin
Developers at Sun Microsystems and OpenOffice community are woriking on a PDF import plugin for OpenOffice 3. The PDF Import Extension allows modifying existing PDF files for which the original source files do not exist anymore. PDF documents are imported in Draw and Impress to preserve the layout and to allow basic editing. It is the perfect solution for changing dates, numbers or small portions of text.
The PDF Import extension will also enable the PDF export into a hybrid PDF file, which is a PDF with the embedded source file as ODF. Hybrid PDF files will be opened in StarOffice as an ODF file without any layout differences, while users without StarOffice can open the PDF part of the hybrid file.
You can download the extension clicking the link above and doubleclicking on the downloaded file. OpenOffice 3, which must already be installed, will then prompt you to install the plugin.
Documentation is available here.
PDFeditor
According to me this software still needs much much of attention from its developers since is highly unstable in its features. I warmly advise against using it since it will give you only headaches.
I really hope it will mature soon into an actually usable tool though.
Terminal based applications
jPdf Tweak - Swiss Army Knife for PDF files
jPDF Tweak is a Java Swing application that can combine, split, rotate, reorder, watermark, encrypt, sign, and otherwise tweak PDF files.
You can use it to make printable booklets from your PDFs, to add PDF bookmarks, effects (page transitions), to combine multiple PDF files, to watermark them, to rotate pages that do not fit, to attach files to your PDF, to encrypt and sign your PDFs, to change metadata (like author or keywords), and much more.
You can refer to its manual for instructions.
AccessPDF - Pdftk [the best command line]
pdftk is another tool that can be really handy for manipulating PDF files.
A very good manual with several usage examples is available here.
Merge PDF Documents, Split PDF Pages into a New Document, Rotate PDF Pages or Documents, Decrypt Input as Necessary (Password Required), Encrypt Output as Desired, Fill PDF Forms with FDF Data or XFDF Data and/or Flatten Forms, Apply a Background Watermark or a Foreground Stamp, Report on PDF Metrics such as Metadata, Bookmarks, and Page Labels, Update PDF Metadata, Attach Files to PDF Pages or the PDF Document, Unpack PDF Attachments, Burst a PDF Document into Single Pages, Uncompress and Re-Compress Page Streams, Repair Corrupted PDF (Where Possible).
Merge Two or More PDFs into a New Document:
pdftk 1.pdf 2.pdf 3.pdf cat output 123.pdf
Merge Select Pages from Multiple PDFs into a New Document
pdftk A=one.pdf B=two.pdf cat A1-7 B1-5 A8 output combined.pdf
Rotate the First Page of a PDF to 90 Degrees Clockwise
pdftk in.pdf cat 1E 2-end output out.pdf
Rotate an Entire PDF Document’s Pages to 180 Degrees
pdftk in.pdf cat 1-endS output out.pdf
Encrypt a PDF using 128-Bit Strength (the Default) and Withhold All Permissions (the Default)
pdftk mydoc.pdf output mydoc.128.pdf owner_pw foopass
Same as Above, Except a Password is Required to Open the PDF
pdftk mydoc.pdf output mydoc.128.pdf owner_pw foo user_pw baz
Same as Above, Except Printing is Allowed (after the PDF is Open)
pdftk mydoc.pdf output mydoc.128.pdf owner_pw foo user_pw baz allow printing
Uncompress PDF Page Streams for Editing the PDF Code in a Text Editor
pdftk mydoc.pdf output mydoc.clear.pdf uncompress
Repair a PDF’s Corrupted XREF Table and Stream Lengths (If Possible)
pdftk broken.pdf output fixed.pdf
pdf2ps
Merging two PDF documents can be also done through conversion into PS (postscript) as follows:
pdf2ps file1.pdf file1.ps
pdf2ps file2.pdf file2.ps
cat file1.ps file2.ps > file12.ps
ps2pdf file12.ps file12.pdf
Propietary solutions
Qoppa PDF Studio is an easy to use, yet powerful PDF editor tool that works on Linux, Mac and Windows. It allows users to review and annotate PDF documents, scan-to-pdf, fill PDF forms, change security, highlight text and more…
This is not free software, nor Open Source software. However I believe they deserve a mention for having taken the challenge to code in JAVA and provide their products with cross platform compatibility.
This is indeed a smart choice for professional users which are willing to save money from expensive proprietary licenses for mediocre software (Windows, MS office, IExplorer…) but sill need professional quality features. Unfortunately nowadays there is no good graphical PDF editing software in linux, guys at Qoppa filled this gap. I may not agree with their choice to write closed source software, but still I do welcome their effort.
FoxitReader [with WINE]
FoxitReader is a handy program. It’s free (as in free beer) and available also native for Linux. The linux version, however, provides nothing more than the other dozens open source linux PDF readers.
Here I’m talking about the Windows version run on linux with WINE compatibility layer. It’s freeware software, but not free software nor open source, installs perfectly under WINE and enables you to use highlighting and commenting PDFs. The linux version is another plain reader nobody has ever felt the need of.
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[...] PDF editing on linux [...]
[...] PDF editing on linux [...]
PDF Studio is a very complete PDF editor that works under Linux. We’re not mentioned on this page of course, seems impossible to get recognized in the Linux community when you’re not open source. However, if you’re looking for a more professional tool and don’t mind paying a bit for the developers working on this tool, make sure to check us out.
Nice summary of free Linux pdf apps..
It looks like Qoppa and PDF Studio finds themselves in the same position as a Lamborghini salesman in Ethiopia. When theres this much opensource stuff available, which can be tweaked to how the user desires (instead of the developers), closed-source pay-for-use software can hopefully die a slow painful death.
Well David, actually Qoppa devs simply code in JAVA, thus it takes a really minimal effort to run the program on different platforms, Linux included. They have simply made a wise choice when started coding!
I’ve used Qoppa PDF Studio for over a year. I use it to primarily to highlight and add notes. I’d like to see an open source solution, but so far, it is by far the most professional tool out there for working on PDFs in Linux.
David, you are right about it is senseless to use paid-n-proprietary soft while in FOSS community, but commercial software support is GOOD for Linux systems, helping them to promote.