Skills ZICQ category：Documents pdftk-server

Pdftk Server

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.

9978 installs

Official URL：skills.sh

What this skill does

Intro in this page language first. The official description stays in its original wording; we do not rewrite SKILL.md.

What it does

Skill for using the command-line tool pdftk (PDFtk Server) for working with PDF files

When to use it

This Skill

How agents load it

Per Agent Skills progressive disclosure: name and description load at startup (~100 tokens); the full SKILL.md body loads when the skill activates; scripts/, references/, and assets/ load only as needed. This file's sections: PDFtk Server; When to Use This Skill; Prerequisites; Step-by-Step Workflows; Merge Multiple PDFs; Split a PDF into Individual Pages. It includes spec-recommended sections: step-by-step instructions.

File analysis

File analysis: besides SKILL.md, the body references references/pdftk-man-page.md, references/pdftk-cli-examples.md, references/download.md, references/pdftk-server-license.md, references/third-party-materials.md. Those resources load on demand.

PDFtk ServerWhen to Use This SkillPrerequisitesStep-by-Step WorkflowsMerge Multiple PDFsSplit a PDF into Individual PagesExtract Specific PagesRemove Specific PagesRotate PagesEncrypt a PDFDecrypt a PDFFill a PDF Form

Source category：skills.sh agent-skill

Sources & links

Market sources：skills.sh

Full package on GitHub

OSS Skill ranking

SKILL.md & Agent activation

Official spec ↗

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.

DiscoverThe client exposes names and descriptions to the agent.
ActivateYour request or the task context selects the skill and loads its instructions.
Load resourcesReferenced scripts, documentation and assets are used when needed.

Files referenced by the instructions · 5

references/pdftk-man-page.md
references/pdftk-cli-examples.md
references/download.md
references/pdftk-server-license.md
references/third-party-materials.md

These paths are extracted from the text. Check the upstream package to verify the files exist.

Invocation syntax and available tools depend on your Agent client. Client integration guide ↗

Install this skill

Skills CLI ↗

Choose the target agent and installation scope, keep referenced package files, then verify the skill appears in the client's catalog.

This skill references supporting files. Retrieve the complete directory from the source; copying SKILL.md alone may leave missing dependencies.

Ask your Agent to install

Copy these instructions to a compatible agent and confirm the target directory matches your client.

Install the agent skill "pdftk-server" into my project. The full SKILL.md and official description are at https://zicq.com/en/skills/skl-d6275fd0f1c23d4a-Pdftk-Server.html
Save it as .cursor/skills/pdftk-server/SKILL.md or .claude/skills/pdftk-server/SKILL.md and keep the frontmatter name and description exactly as-is.
This skill also ships scripts/, references/, or assets/ — fetch the whole folder from https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot instead of creating only a SKILL.md.

Full package on GitHub ↗

Install from the terminal · Skills CLI

Requires Node.js and npx. First inspect the repository's skill list to confirm the name.

npx skills add 'https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot' --list

Target agent Installation scope

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

The CLI lets you choose the agent interactively. The default scope is the project; use -g for user scope. Confirm package availability with the discovery command, then use npx skills list to inspect installed skills.

SKILL.md source Copy freely; the source file is unchanged

---
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

```bash
pdftk file1.pdf file2.pdf cat output merged.pdf
```

Using handles for more control:

```bash
pdftk A=file1.pdf B=file2.pdf cat A B output merged.pdf
```

### Split a PDF into Individual Pages

```bash
pdftk input.pdf burst
```

### Extract Specific Pages

Extract pages 1-5 and 10-15:

```bash
pdftk input.pdf cat 1-5 10-15 output extracted.pdf
```

### Remove Specific Pages

Remove page 13:

```bash
pdftk input.pdf cat 1-12 14-end output output.pdf
```

### Rotate Pages

Rotate all pages 90 degrees clockwise:

```bash
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):

```bash
pdftk input.pdf output secured.pdf owner_pw mypassword user_pw userpass
```

### Decrypt a PDF

Remove encryption using the known password:

```bash
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:

```bash
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):

```bash
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:

```bash
pdftk input.pdf stamp overlay.pdf output stamped.pdf
```

### Extract Metadata

Export bookmarks, page metrics, and document information:

```bash
pdftk input.pdf dump_data output metadata.txt
```

### Repair a Corrupted PDF

Pass a broken PDF through pdftk to attempt automatic repair:

```bash
pdftk broken.pdf output fixed.pdf
```

### Collate Scanned Pages

Interleave separately scanned even and odd pages:

```bash
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](references/pdftk-man-page.md) - Complete manual reference with all operations, options, and syntax
- [pdftk-cli-examples.md](references/pdftk-cli-examples.md) - Practical command-line examples for common tasks
- [download.md](references/download.md) - Installation and download instructions for all platforms
- [pdftk-server-license.md](references/pdftk-server-license.md) - PDFtk Server licensing information
- [third-party-materials.md](references/third-party-materials.md) - Third-party library licenses

Readable layout

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

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

Related skills

Documents

Pdftk Server

What this skill does

What it does

When to use it

How agents load it

File analysis

SKILL.md & Agent activation

Install this skill

PDFtk Server

When to Use This Skill

Prerequisites

Step-by-Step Workflows

Merge Multiple PDFs

Split a PDF into Individual Pages

Extract Specific Pages

Remove Specific Pages

Rotate Pages

Encrypt a PDF

Decrypt a PDF

Fill a PDF Form

Apply a Background Watermark

Stamp an Overlay

Extract Metadata

Repair a Corrupted PDF

Collate Scanned Pages

Troubleshooting

References

Related skills

Ontology

Nano Pdf

Word / DOCX

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