Pdftools SDK Shell Tool
Learn how to use the Pdftools SDK and the Toolbox add-on from the command line with the Pdftools SDK Shell Tool.
Prerequisites
The Pdftools SDK Shell Tool is available as:
- Self-contained .NET distribution.
- Framework-dependent .NET distribution.
Use the self-contained distribution if you do not have the .NET framework installed. The framework-dependent distribution of the Pdftools SDK Shell Tool requires you to install .NET 6.0 or higher.
Download
Download the latest version of the Pdftools SDK shell tool for the following platforms:
| Platform | Self-contained distribution | Framework-dependent distribution |
|---|---|---|
| linux-x64 | PdfToolsSDK_Shell-latest-linux-x64-self-contained.zip | PdfToolsSDK_Shell-latest-linux-x64.zip |
| osx-x64 | PdfToolsSDK_Shell-latest-osx-x64-self-contained.zip | PdfToolsSDK_Shell-latest-osx-x64.zip |
| osx-arm64 | PdfToolsSDK_Shell-latest-osx-arm64-self-contained.zip | PdfToolsSDK_Shell-latest-osx-arm64.zip |
| win-x64 | PdfToolsSDK_Shell-latest-win-x64-self-contained.zip | PdfToolsSDK_Shell-latest-win-x64.zip |
Separate binary files are available that support older Linux distributions using glibc2.12+. You can download these binary files from PdfToolsSDK_glibc2.12-latest.zip.
Features
As of this version, the Pdftools SDK Shell Tool supports the following features of the Pdftools SDK. Support for additional features will be added soon.
| Feature | Description | Support as of version |
|---|---|---|
| Image to PDF | Convert images to single PDF or PDF/A | 1.0.0 + |
| PDF to PDF/A | Validate PDF conformance; Convert documents to PDF/A | 1.2.0 + |
| Compression and optimization | Compress and optimize PDF documents for web, archiving, printing or file size | 1.0.0 + |
| Security | Sign, certify PDF documents; Validate signatures in PDF documents | 1.4.0+ |
| Rendering | Render PDF documents to images for fax, archive, or viewing | 1.1.0+ |
| Merging and splitting | Merge and split PDF documents to assemble new output documents | 1.1.0+ |
Usage
The general usage is
> pdf [sdk_options] <input> [input_options] <command> [: <command>] [<output> [output_options]]
Chaining commands
You can chain multiple commands using :. This way you can apply multiple operations without the need to store each result to an intermediate file.
Example:
> pdf input.jpg import : optimize-web out.pdf
Detailed help
For the full reference of commands and features of the Pdftools SDK Shell Tool use the built-in help by executing:
# For all commands and features
pdf help
# For specific commands
pdf help <command>
Use of license key
To use a license key and remove the watermarked results, insert the license key using the -lk parameter:
> pdf -lk "<your-license-key>" <inputPath> <command> <outputPath>
Substitute:
<your-license-key>with the value of your license key.<inputPath>with a path to the input file.<command>with a specific command.<outputPath>with a path to the output file.
For example:
> pdf -lk "<your-license-key>" input.jpg import : optimize-web out.pdf