pdftops - Linux Command

Computing

Linux

Linux / Unix Command: pdftops

Command Library

NAME

pdftops - Portable Document Format (PDF) to PostScript converter (version 2.01)

SYNOPSIS

pdftops [options] [PDF-file [PS-file]]

DESCRIPTION

Pdftops converts Portable Document Format (PDF) files to PostScript so they can be printed.

Pdftops reads the PDF file, PDF-file, and writes a PostScript file, PS-file. If PS-file is not specified, pdftops converts file.pdf to file.ps (or file.eps with the -eps option). If PS-file is '-', the PostScript is sent to stdout.

CONFIGURATION FILE

Pdftops reads a configuration file at startup. It first tries to find the user's private config file, ~/.xpdfrc. If that doesn't exist, it looks for a system-wide config file, typically /etc/xpdfrc (but this location can be changed when pdftops is built). See the xpdfrc(5) man page for details.

OPTIONS

Many of the following options can be set with configuration file commands. These are listed in square brackets with the description of the corresponding command line option.

-f number: Specifies the first page to print.
-l number: Specifies the last page to print.
-level1: Generate Level 1 PostScript. The resulting PostScript files will be significantly larger (if they contain images), but will print on Level 1 printers. This also converts all images to black and white. No more than one of the PostScript level options (-level1, -level1sep, -level2, -level2sep, -level3, -level3Sep) may be given. [config file: psLevel]
-level1sep: Generate Level 1 separable PostScript. All colors are converted to CMYK. Images are written with separate stream data for the four components. [config file: psLevel]
-level2: Generate Level 2 PostScript. Level 2 supports color images and image compression. This is the default setting. [config file: psLevel]
-level2sep: Generate Level 2 separable PostScript. All colors are converted to CMYK. The PostScript separation convention operators are used to handle custom (spot) colors. [config file: psLevel]
-level3: Generate Level 3 PostScript. This enables all Level 2 features plus CID font embedding. [config file: psLevel]
-level3Sep: Generate Level 3 separable PostScript. The separation handling is the same as for -level2Sep. [config file: psLevel]
-eps: Generate an Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) file. An EPS file contains a single image, so if you use this option with a multi-page PDF file, you must use -f and -l to specify a single page. No more than one of the mode options (-eps, -form) may be given.
-form: Generate a PostScript form which can be imported by software that understands forms. A form contains a single page, so if you use this option with a multi-page PDF file, you must use -f and -l to specify a single page. The -level1 option cannot be used with -form.
-opi: Generate OPI comments for all images and forms which have OPI information. (This option is only available if pdftops was compiled with OPI support.) [config file: psOPI]
-noembt1: By default, any Type 1 fonts which are embedded in the PDF file are copied into the PostScript file. This option causes pdftops to substitute base fonts instead. Embedded fonts make PostScript files larger, but may be necessary for readable output. [config file: psEmbedType1Fonts]
-noembtt: By default, any TrueType fonts which are embedded in the PDF file are copied into the PostScript file. This option causes pdftops to substitute base fonts instead. Embedded fonts make PostScript files larger, but may be necessary for readable output. Also, some PostScript interpreters do not have TrueType rasterizers. [config file: psEmbedTrueTypeFonts]
-noembcidps: By default, any CID PostScript fonts which are embedded in the PDF file are copied into the PostScript file. This option disables that embedding. No attempt is made to substitute for non-embedded CID PostScript fonts. [config file: psEmbedCIDPostScriptFonts]
-noembcidtt: By default, any CID TrueType fonts which are embedded in the PDF file are copied into the PostScript file. This option disables that embedding. No attempt is made to substitute for non-embedded CID TrueType fonts. [config file: psEmbedCIDTrueTypeFonts]
-paper size: Set the paper size to one of "letter", "legal", "A4", or "A3". [config file: psPaperSize]
-paperw size: Set the paper width, in points. [config file: psPaperSize]
-paperh size: Set the paper height, in points. [config file: psPaperSize]
-duplex: Set the Duplex pagedevice entry in the PostScript file. This tells duplex-capable printers to enable duplexing. [config file: psDuplex]
-opw password: Specify the owner password for the PDF file. Providing this will bypass all security restrictions.
-upw password: Specify the user password for the PDF file.
-q: Don't print any messages or errors. [config file: errQuiet]
-cfg config-file: Read config-file in place of ~/.xpdfrc or the system-wide config file.
-v: Print copyright and version information.
-h: Print usage information. (-help and --help are equivalent.)

EXIT CODES

The Xpdf tools use the following exit codes:

0: No error.
1: Error opening a PDF file.
2: Error opening an output file.
3: Error related to PDF permissions.
99: Other error.