pdftops
Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: 15 August 2011
Page Index
NAME
pdftops - Portable Document Format (PDF) to PostScript converter
(version 3.03)
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. If
PDF-file
is '-', Pdftops reads the PDF file from stdin.
OPTIONS
- -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.
- -level1sep
-
Generate Level 1 separable PostScript. All colors are converted to
CMYK. Images are written with separate stream data for the four
components.
- -level2
-
Generate Level 2 PostScript. Level 2 supports color images and image
compression. This is the default setting.
- -level2sep
-
Generate Level 2 separable PostScript. All colors are converted to
CMYK. The PostScript separation convention operators are used to
handle custom (spot) colors.
- -level3
-
Generate Level 3 PostScript. This enables all Level 2 features plus
CID font embedding.
- -level3sep
-
Generate Level 3 separable PostScript. The separation handling is the
same as for -level2sep.
- -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. No more
than one of the mode options (-eps, -form) may be
given.
- -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.)
- -binary
-
Write binary data in Level 1 PostScript. By default, pdftops writes
hex-encoded data in Level 1 PostScript. Binary data is non-standard
in Level 1 PostScript but reduces the file size and can be useful
when Level 1 PostScript is required only for its restricted use
of PostScript operators.
- -r number
-
Set the resolution in DPI when pdftops rasterizes images with
transparencies or, for Level 1 PostScript, when pdftops
rasterizes images with color masks.
By default, pdftops rasterizes images to 300 DPI.
- -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.
- -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.
- -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.
- -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.
- -passfonts
-
By default, references to non-embedded 8-bit fonts in the PDF file are
substituted with the closest "Helvetica", "Times-Roman", or "Courier" font.
This option passes references to non-embedded fonts
through to the PostScript file.
- -aaRaster yes | no
-
Enable or disable raster anti-aliasing. This defaults to "no".
pdftops may need to rasterize transparencies and pattern image masks in the PDF.
If the PostScript will be printed, leave -aaRaster disabled and set -r to the resolution of the printer.
If the PostScript will be viewed, enabling -aaRaster may make rasterized text easier to read.
- -rasterize always | never | whenneeded
-
By default, pdftops rasterizes pages as needed, for example, if they contain transparencies.
To force rasterization, set -rasterize to "always". Use this to eliminate fonts.
To prevent rasterization, set -rasterize to "never". This may produce files that display incorrectly.
- -processcolorformat MONO8 | CMYK8 | RGB8
-
Sets the process color format as it is used during rasterization and transparency reduction.
The default depends on the other settings: For -level1 the default is MONO8, for -level{1,2,3}sep
or -overprint the default is CMYK8, and in all other cases RGB8 is the default. If -processcolorprofile
is given then -processcolorformat is inferred from the specified ICC profile.
- -processcolorprofile filename
-
Sets the ICC profile that is assumed during rasterization and transparency reduction.
- -defaultgrayprofile defaultgrayprofilefile
-
If poppler is compiled with colour management support, this option sets the DefaultGray color space
to the ICC profile stored in defaultgrayprofilefile.
- -defaultrgbprofile defaultrgbprofilefile
-
If poppler is compiled with colour management support, this option sets the DefaultRGB color space
to the ICC profile stored in defaultrgbprofilefile.
- -defaultcmykprofile defaultcmykprofilefile
-
If poppler is compiled with colour management support, this option sets the DefaultCMYK color space
to the ICC profile stored in defaultcmykprofilefile.
- -optimizecolorspace
-
By default, bitmap images in the PDF pass through to the output PostScript
in their original color space, which produces predictable results.
This option converts RGB and CMYK images into Gray images
if every pixel of the image has equal components.
This can fix problems when doing color separations of PDFs
that contain embedded black and white images encoded as RGB.
- -preload
-
preload images and forms
- -paper size
-
Set the paper size to one of "letter", "legal", "A4", or "A3". This
can also be set to "match", which will set the paper size of each page to match the
size specified in the PDF file. If none the -paper, -paperw, or -paperh
options are specified the default is to match the paper size.
- -paperw size
-
Set the paper width, in points.
- -paperh size
-
Set the paper height, in points.
- -origpagesizes
-
This option is the same as "-paper match".
- -nocrop
-
By default, output is cropped to the CropBox specified in the PDF
file. This option disables cropping.
- -expand
-
Expand PDF pages smaller than the paper to fill the paper. By
default, these pages are not scaled.
- -noshrink
-
Don't scale PDF pages which are larger than the paper. By default,
pages larger than the paper are shrunk to fit.
- -nocenter
-
By default, PDF pages smaller than the paper (after any scaling) are
centered on the paper. This option causes them to be aligned to the
lower-left corner of the paper instead.
- -duplex
-
Set the Duplex pagedevice entry in the PostScript file. This tells
duplex-capable printers to enable duplexing.
- -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.
- -overprint
-
Enable overprint emulation during rasterization. For -processcolorformat being CMYK8 and the language level
being higher than 2, this option is set to true by default. Note: This option requires -processcolorformat to
be CMYK8.
- -q
-
Don't print any messages or errors.
- -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.
AUTHOR
The pdftops software and documentation are copyright 1996-2011 Glyph &
Cog, LLC.
SEE ALSO
pdfdetach(1),
pdffonts(1),
pdfimages(1),
pdfinfo(1),
pdftocairo(1),
pdftohtml(1),
pdftoppm(1),
pdftotext(1)
pdfseparate(1),
pdfsig(1),
pdfunite(1)