pdfToolbox

pdfToolbox

PDF processing

Quality control

pdfToolbox offers powerful, dynamic and easy-to-integrate PDF processing. From quick visual inspection and fixing to fully unattended processing of thousands of files. It’s a best-of-class PDF engine that handles anything from simple quality control (preflight) over rendering, to fully automated PDF corrections. Using rock-solid Adobe technology, pdfToolbox provides checking and fixing of even very complex problems, color management, impositioning, conversion to and from PDF and more.

pdfToolbox technology is used by small companies, large publishers and print providers as well as OEMs that integrate the technology in their own solution.

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Conversions from and to PDF

pdfToolbox has conversions built-in from various popular image formats such as PNG, TIFF, HEIC, PSD, and JPEG, and it can even convert many Office documents to production-ready PDF files. On the other end, pdfToolbox supports outputting PDF files as images (JPEG, PNG and TIFF), and it allows creating a rendered version of the PDF (still a PDF, but with each page rendered into an image).

For print-and-cut workflows, pdfToolbox can output a PDF file that contains only the print elements, and at the same time a CF2, DXF, SVG, or PDF file with the cut contour. Of course those conversions can also be customized exactly how you need them.

Customizable quality control

Quality control in pdfToolbox is done using preflight profiles. Those can be created completely from scratch, but often the best way is to build them off standards. pdfToolbox supports ISO standards, such as PDF/X, PDF/VT, PDF/A… and specifications from other standardization bodies such as those from the Ghent Workgroup.

Preflight profiles fully support variables. This allows you to use one profile but have it behave differently based on your needs for each individual processed PDF. Preflight checks and fixes can be enabled or disabled on the fly, and their parameters can vary. pdfToolbox integrates the Google v8 JavaScript engine, so preflight profiles can contain advanced internal logic.

Feedback from PDF analysis

Whenever pdfToolbox runs a preflight profile, you can generate a processing report. Either as a – fully-customizable – PDF preflight report, or as an XML or JSON file that can be interpreted automatically. Any number of reports can be generated from a single processing run; so you could easily generate a human-readable PDF report and a JSON report simultaneously. Of course, reports fully support a variety of languages.

Color management

Virtually the only limitation to pdfToolbox when it comes to color, is that it cannot create ICC or DeviceLink Profiles. But it can use those profiles just fine! Inserting an output intent, converting all or some page elements to a different color space, removing ICC profiles, applying DeviceLink profiles for ink save purposes… you name it and it’s supported.

pdfToolbox can also handle spot colors exactly as you need. Either renaming them to ensure proper brand color handling, or prepare technical colors for the rest of the workflow, converting them to CMYK, merging spot colors with similar names, remapping from one to the other…

Rendering and visualization

Whether you need to render the PDF file into a thumbnail, preview images, or a high-res version that can be used to send to the RIP, pdfToolbox has you covered. With support of different color spaces, making modifications to the PDF file before rendering if necessary, and of course support for overprint and transparency.

The pdfToolbox visualizer technology supports rendering individual separations, but it can also use color masks to highlight areas with too much (or too little) ink, objects that are too thin, or low-resolution images. You can also use it to compare PDF versions and highlight their differences.

Decorating PDF files

Very often, the PDF file may be good, but it’s missing elements that are crucial for production. Those could be just cut and bleed marks, they could be alignment marks, perhaps a barcode. Or more intricate elements such as a missing dieline or undercolor white layer. pdfToolbox has various built-in technologies that allow creating all of those elements and adding them to the print-ready PDF file.

On top of that, pdfToolbox’s PDF creation and decoration technology is flexible enough that it can be used to create all kinds of secondary files on-the-fly: a proof sheet that includes metadata about the order, color patches and a visual of the PDF, or a shipment page with barcodes and order data, or perhaps simply tiles of a big artwork together with a construction sheet. All of those are supported without any issues.

Conditional processing and more

Bringing it all together are process plans. The process plan editor allows visually connecting different pdfToolbox technologies such as preflight checks, corrections, JavaScript calculations, import and export actions…

It allows conditional processing where the exact steps for a PDF depend on the result of preflight checks or whole preflight profiles, looping, exporting multiple result files… And process plans can be run completely automatically, while being fully controlled by variables injected from the outside – just as is the case for preflight profiles.

pdfToolbox variants

Whether you’re checking a single PDF or automating workflows across an entire production, the pdfToolbox technology offers the right variant for every need.

Desktop Server CLI SDK

pdfToolbox Desktop is a manual PDF preflight and correction application, available as a plug-in in Adobe Acrobat Pro or as a standalone application.

Accurate, print-ready previews

Built on top of Adobe PDF Library technology, pdfToolbox Desktop provides an accurate print preview of any PDF file. The preview shows exactly what the printed PDF would look like, including complex elements such as fonts, overprint, and transparency. This allows you to identify potential issues early on and avoid costly printing errors.

Prepress actions in three clicks

The Switchboard in pdfToolbox Desktop is a central hub for all your prepress needs, offering an intuitive interface that brings the most common production actions within three clicks. Whether you need to create step-and-repeat layouts, convert PDFs to grayscale, or remap spot colors, the Switchboard provides instant, out-of-the-box functionality.

X-Ray your PDF files

The Desktop solution goes beyond just previewing the document and allows for more in-depth views. You can see the amount of ink on the document, identify areas with too much or too little ink, or preview individual separations. The additional wireframe view helps diagnose problematic PDF documents and visualize how they were constructed.

pdfToolbox Server is the easiest way to automate pdfToolbox — ensuring consistent, high-quality PDF processing through hot folders.

Good versus bad

When setting up hot folders in pdfToolbox Server, there is always one input folder from which PDF files are picked up. Next, you can define multiple output folders, and the processed PDF file will be dropped in one of those output folders depending on the processing result. This makes it possible to setup a workflow where all good files (the ones not generating any errors during preflight for example) are dropped in one output folder, while files with errors are dropped into another folder.

Manual checkpoints

Even in an automated workflow, there are times when a human eye makes all the difference. pdfToolbox Server enables you to integrate manual parts into your automated workflow, allowing operators to review flagged PDFs and determine if issues are critical or can be resolved. This hybrid setup combines the efficiency of automation with the expertise of skilled operators, creating a reliable balance between speed and quality assurance.

Configuring hot folder setups

pdfToolbox Server can be fully configured and controlled directly from pdfToolbox Desktop — even if they’re running on separate machines or operating systems. For example, you could have a Linux machine in your datacenter with pdfToolbox Server running, but use your macOS or Windows desktop to configure the hot folders on that machine or push an updated profile to one of the hot folder setups.

pdfToolbox CLI offers a fast and easy integration of the pdfToolbox technology on a wide range of platforms through a command-line interface.

Easy integration via CLI

pdfToolbox CLI is ideally suited for automation and integration. It can be called from any development platform, such as JavaScript, PHP, or .NET, and the command syntax is straightforward yet very complete. It is available for macOS, Windows, and virtually all Linux systems, with no external libraries or database dependencies.

Optimized for performance

The command-line interface is optimized for efficient, high-volume processing. It handles up to eight parallel processes simultaneously to manage large document workloads with ease. In combination with a server/satellite configuration, it ensures balanced workloads and reliable, uninterrupted operation.

Go virtual, use what you need!

pdfToolbox CLI can easily be deployed in virtual and auto scalable environments. This way you can deal with peak periods in production and can be assured that everything keeps running. With the callas License Server, you can upgrade whenever you need to scale up your production.

pdfToolbox SDK is a true software development kit designed to integrate the pdfToolbox functionality directly within your own application through programming libraries.

Build your own application with built-in preflight

The software development kit (SDK) allows you to integrate the full functionality of pdfToolbox directly into your application. Since it doesn’t rely on command-line or hot folder integration, it offers the highest level of control and seamless development integration for the parent application.

High-performance and future-proof

pdfToolbox SDK offers native libraries in C and C++, with .NET and Java wrappers, enabling developers to integrate its powerful PDF technology directly into their own applications, ensuring maximum performance and scalability. It is built for flexibility, allowing developers to add preflight, correction, and conversion capabilities as deeply or lightly as needed.

Comprehensive development resources

The SDK package includes ready-to-use sample code and detailed examples, allowing developers to get started quickly. The samples contain executables and source code for all supported environments (C/C++, C# and Java). Each example demonstrates common use cases and best practices for integrating pdfToolbox features, helping teams reduce development time and avoid common pitfalls.

Get a free trial

All pdfToolbox variants are available for a free 14-day trial, giving you full access to explore the features and see how it fits your workflow.

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Documents

All pdfToolbox system requirements and related documents in one place.

System requirements

View the complete system requirements and hardware recommendations for pdfToolbox here.

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Why buy pdfToolbox?

callas pdfToolbox is by far the most complete and mature PDF processing technology for print production workflows. Why is that you ask? See what it excels at the most, and why you should have started using it years ago!

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pdfToolbox Desktop training manual

This training manual helps you to become familiar with pdfToolbox by guiding you step by step through all important aspects of Profile creation in pdfToolbox Desktop. It contains four sessions with selected interactive exercises and solutions.

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White Paper: How Standardization Drives Profitability in Print

A look at how standardization in print — from optimized file formats to seamless workflows—can significantly increase profitability.

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White Paper: Everything you ever needed to know about PDF preflight

How pdfToolbox helps you master PDF preflight—from standards compliance to automated corrections and efficient pre-production.