Linux/PDF

pdftk is better than ghostscript
Use pdftk!

Merge PDFs
Merge multiple PDFs with GhostScript: gs -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -q -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile=temp.pdf pdf1.pdf pdf2.pdf

Merge multiple PDFs with pdftk: pdftk pdf1.pdf pdf2.pdf cat output temp.pdf
 * 1) must install first

Merge multiple PDFs with ImageMagick: convert -density 150 $(ls -rt *pdf) output.pdf convert -density 150 *.pdf output.pdf convert -density 600 file1.pdf file2.pdf -resize 50% new.pdf

Remove Page
Remove a page with GhostScript: gs -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -q -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dQUIET -dFirstPage=[START_PAGE] -dLastPage=[END_PAGE] -sOutputFile=output.pdf input.pdf
 * 1) print pages from [START_PAGE] to [END_PAGE]

For reasons outlined by KenS, Ghostscript is not the best tool for what you want to achieve. A better tool for this task is pdftk pdftk input.pdf  cat 1 3-end  output output.pdf
 * 1) print pages 1, and 3-end (3 to end)

Remove Secure
If signed (secure), this can be removed with qpdf:

qpdf --decrypt in.pdf out.pdf

yum install qpdf

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Assuming it's simply a 'rights' (owner) password that restricts things like editing, printing, and copying (i.e. the password does not need to be entered to open the file) the following will remove the restrictions:


 * 1)    Grab http://qpdf.sourceforge.net/
 * 2)    Unzip/Install and navigate to the bin folder that holds qpdf.exe (or similar for your platform)
 * 3)    Place the PDF you wish to work on in the same folder
 * 4)    Run: qpdf --decrypt InputFile.pdf OutputFile.pdf (use "s if the file name has spaces).
 * 5)    Do what you like with the OutputFile.

If your PDF file is user password protected, change step 4 to qpdf --decrypt --password=yourpassword InputFile OutputFile

ref: https://superuser.com/questions/179064/how-to-remove-security-from-a-pdf-file

This won't work for Adobe Digital Editions and may have issues with digitally-signed files.

Some discussion on the background of these owner password restrictions at https://lwn.net/Articles/335415/

Select Pages and Merge
pdftk book1.pdf cat 55 60-end output book1_small.pdf
 * 1) copy pages 55 60-end to new file

pdftk book2.pdf cat end output book2_small.pdf
 * 1) copy last page to new file

pdftk book1_small.pdf book2_small.pdf cat output book_combined.pdf
 * 1) merge files

Linux PDF
Install: yum install ghostscript poppler-utils pdftk ImageMagick

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Convert JPEG to PDF
Convert JPGs to PDF: (using ImageMagick) convert *.jpg pictures.pdf convert page1.jpg page2.jpg +compress file.pdf convert `ls -1v` file.pdf convert -page A4 -compress A4 *.png CH00.pdf convert a.png b.png -compress jpeg -resize 1240x1753 -units PixelsPerInch -density 150x150 multipage.pdf

convert a.png b.png -compress jpeg -resize 1240x1753 \ -extent 1240x1753 -gravity center \ -units PixelsPerInch -density 150x150 multipage.pdf

convert in.jpg -resize 1240x1750 -background black -compose Copy\ -gravity center -extent 1240x1750\ -units PixelsPerInch -density 150 out.pdf

convert in.jpg -units PixelsPerInch -set density '%[fx:w/8.27]'\ -repage a4 out.pdf

Set density attributes (but does not reduce actual image sizes!) convert -page 2400x2400 -density 300 *.jpg out.pdf  # 8in x 8in @ 300dpi convert -page 3375x2625 -density 300 *.jpg out.pdf  # 11.25in x 8.75in @ 300dpi

Reduce image quality and set density attribute: convert -resize 400x400 -page 400x400 -density 100 *.jpg out2.pdf # 4in x 4in @ 100dpi (low res 8x8) convert -resize 675x525 -page 675x525 -density 100 *.jpg out2.pdf # 6.75in x 5.25in @ 100dpi (low res 11.25x8.75)

Convert PostScript to PDF
ps2pdf input.ps ps2pdf input.ps output.ps ps2pdf12 input.ps output.ps ps2pdf13 input.ps output.ps ps2pdf14 input.ps output.ps
 * 1) ps2pdf links to ps2pdf12

Optimize PDF
pdfopt input.pdf output.pdf

Standard Thirteen PDF Fonts
Standard Thirteen PDF Fonts (generally don't embed) *Symbol *Times (plus four variants) *Helvetica (plus four variants) *Courier (plus four variants)

List Fonts in PDF
pdffonts input.pdf

References: Creating PDFs

Merge multiple PDFs
yum install pdfmerge # rpmforge

Usage: Syntax: pdfmerge file1.pdf file2.pdf... fileN.pdf outfile.pdf

Has some issues:

pdftk
BEST OPTION!

pdftk - PDF Tool Kit

Better Merge pdftk in1.pdf in2.pdf cat output out1.pdf

pdftk description: If PDF is electronic paper, then pdftk is an electronic : staple-remover, hole-punch, binder, secret-decoder-ring, and : X-Ray-glasses. Pdftk is a simple tool for doing everyday things : with PDF documents. Keep one in the top drawer of your desktop and : use it to: :          :     * Merge PDF Documents :    * Split PDF Pages into a New Document :    * Decrypt Input as Necessary (Password Required) :    * Encrypt Output as Desired :    * Burst a PDF Document into Single Pages :    * Report on PDF Metrics, including Metadata and Bookmarks :    * Uncompress and Re-Compress Page Streams :    * Repair Corrupted PDF (Where Possible)

pdftk
See Linux/pdftk

Crop Margins
PDFcrop

Install: yum install texlive-utils apt-get install texlive-extra-utils

If you wish to crop a pdf with left, top, right and bottom margins of 5, 10, 20, and 30 pt (points), then run: pdfcrop --margins '5 10 20 30' input.pdf output.pdf

Crop 5pts all margins: pdfcrop --margins 5 input.pdf output.pdf

Rulebook example: pdfcrop --margins "-50 -35 -50 -35" STF-Rulebook.pdf out.pdf