Manipulate PDF files

v2025.05

JPedal provides a PdfManipulator class to allow for easy manipulation, editing, and creation of PDF files.

Load and write documents

Create a new PDF Manipulator

final PdfManipulator pdf = new PdfManipulator();

Load a document

Documents may be loaded from a File or byte[]

pdf.loadDocument(new File("inputFile.pdf"));
pdf.loadDocument(pdfBytes);

Create a new, empty document

Creates a new document with a single empty page. You must provide the dimensions of the initial page. See the PaperSize Javadoc for common sizes.

pdf.newDocument(PaperSize.A4_LANDSCAPE);

Write a document

Documents may be written to a File or byte[]

pdf.writeDocument(new File("outputFile.pdf"));
final byte[] pdfBytes = pdf.writeDocument();

Close a document

You should close the document after you are finished to free resources

pdf.closeDocument();

Apply and reset manipulations

Apply a manipulation

Manipulations are added to a queue held by the PdfManipulator. They will be applied in the order they were added. Manipulations remain in the queue after apply() is called.

pdf.apply();

Reset manipulations

The PdfManipulator will retain its queue of manipulations so that you can apply identical edits to many documents without having to redo each manipulation. However, if you want to clear its queue to start with fresh edits, you may use reset().

pdf.reset();

Manipulations

Add a page

Insert one or multiple pages into the document, and the specified index. Pages indices start from 1. You must provide the dimensions of the initial page. See the PaperSize Javadoc for common sizes.

pdf.addPage(1, PaperSize.A4_LANDSCAPE);
pdf.addPage(new PageRanges("1-10"), PaperSize.LEGAL_PORTRAIT);

Remove a page

Remove one or multiple pages from the document. Page indices start from 1.

pdf.removePage(1);
pdf.removePage(new PageRanges("1-10"));

Get a page’s media box

Obtain the media box for a specified page. Pages indices start from 1.

final float[] mediabox = pdf.getPageMediaBox(1);

Get a page’s crop box

Obtain the crop box for a specified page. Pages indices start from 1.

final float[] cropbox = pdf.getPageCropBox(1);

Get the page count

Obtain the number of pages in the document.

final int pages = pdf.getPageCount();

Rescale a page

Resizes one or multiple pages. Pages indices start from 1.

pdf.scalePage(1, 0.5f, 0.5f);
pdf.scalePage(new PageRanges("1-10"), 2.0f, 1.0f);

Rescale a page’s content

Resizes one or multiple pages’ content, leaving the page dimensions the same. Pages indices start from 1. You may provide translate values to move the scaled page content. The PDF origin is bottom-left, so a translate of 10, 10 moves the content 10 units away from the bottom-left corner. See the ScalePageContent Javadoc for preset translations, such as page center, or right-hand side.

pdf.scalePageContent(1, 0.5f, 0.5f, 0.0f, 0.0f);
pdf.scalePageContent(new PageRanges("1-10"), 0.5f, 0.5f, ScalePageContent.RIGHT);

Add text

Adds text to one or multiple pages. Pages indices start from 1. You must use one of the PDF base fonts. See the BaseFont Javadoc for these values.

pdf.addText(1, "Hello World", 10, 10, BaseFont.HelveticaBold, 12, 1, 0.3f, 0.2f);

Isolate pages

Isolates pages in a document (remove all other pages). Pages indices start from 1.

pdf.isolatePage(new PageRanges("1-2"));