How to use Expert PDF with Command Lines ?

You can use certain features of Expert PDF at a command line level.

All commands start with «--pdf-tools». Following this will be the specific command you want to execute.

Below you’ll find a description of the available command options.

1. Create PDFs (Another file to PDF) 

Your command line will look like this:

--pdf-tools --create --source-file|--source-dir [--destination-dir]

Here is a description of each command element: 

-- create – This means you plan to create a new PDF.

--source-file|--source-dir – (Required): 

--source-file – The location of the original file.

—source-dir – The path to the file system catalog where the documents that wait for creation are stored.

--destination-dir – The target destination for your new PDF. This is not required, if this element is not added, the file will be created at the source.

 Example:

 --pdf-tools --create --source-file "X:\source\source.doc" 

 --pdf-tools --create --source-file "X:\source\source.doc" --destination-dir "X:\destination"

 --pdf-tools --create --source-dir "X:\source"

--pdf-tools --create --source-dir "X:\source" --destination-dir "X:\destination"

2. Convert converts PDF document into another file format 

Your command line will look like:

--pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 0 --source-file|--source-dir [--destination-dir] [--use-ocr] [--convert-table] [--convert-method] [--image-type 0] [--page-divider 1] [--custom-divider] [--convert-crop-text]

Here is a description of each command element: 

-- convert– This means you plan to convert a PDF to another file type.

--source-file|--source-dir – (Required): 

--source-file – The location of the original file.

—source-dir – The path to the file system catalog where the documents that wait for creation are stored.

--destination-dir – The target destination for your new PDF. This is not required, if this element is not added, the file will be created at the source.

--pdf2format – (Required) Here you will set the output format. It is defined by a numerical value: 

0 – Word

1 – Excel

2 – PowerPoint

3 – HTML

4 – Image

5 – Txt

6 – RTF

--use-ocr –  While not required, you can use the OCR engine to make any text found in the images within your PDF. 

This command is applied when converting to the following formats: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, Txt, RTF.

--convert-table – This option is not required but can be used to detect and convert tables in your PDF. 

This command works with the following output formats: Word, PowerPoint, RTF. This parameter is not the required parameter. 

--convert-method – This option is exclusive to conversions from PDF to Excel. You need to set how Excel will interpret your PDF using a numerical command: 

0 – Each table in your PDF will be a separate sheet in Excel.

1 – The text found in your PDF will be added to an Excel spreadsheet.

2 – If no option is specified, this will be the default. The text and tables found in your PDF will be re-created in Excel matching the formatting in the PDF.   

--image-type – When converting to image, you need to specify the format. Using a numerical value, you will choose from one of the following: 

0 – PNG – (Default value if none are specified).

1 – JPEG

2 – GIF

3 – BMP

4 – TIFF

--page-divider – This option is applied when converting to TXT, to create line breaks at each page in your PDF. The following options are available: 

0 - Custom Divider 

--custom-divider – the page divider for users. The only available value is “0”.

1 - Absent divider – (Default Value)

2 - Line break

3 - Double line break

4 - '////////////////////'

5 - '-------------------'

6 - '1, 2, 3'

7 - '-1-, -2-, -3-'

8 - '1 of n'

9 - '1/n'

10 - 'Page 1'

11 - 'Page 1 of n'.

--convert-crop-text – This parameter is used when converting to TXT. Using this will convert any cropped text.

Find below the list of the applied commands:

File format	All applied commands
Word	--pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 0 --source-file "X:\path\file.pdf" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr] [--convert-table] --pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 0 --source-dir "X:\path" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr] [--convert-table]
Excel	--pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 1 --source-file "X:\path\file.pdf" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr] [--convert-method] --pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 1 --source-dir "X:\path" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr] [--convert-method]
PowerPoint	--pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 2 --source-file "X:\path\file.pdf" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr] [--convert-table] --pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 2 --source-dir "X:\path" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr] [--convert-table]
HTML	--pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 3 --source-file "X:\path\file.pdf" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr] --pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 3 --source-dir "X:\path" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr]
Image	--pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 4 --source-file "X:\path\file.pdf" [--destination-dir"X:\Dest_path"] [--image-type 0] --pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 4 --source-dir "X:\path" [--destination-dir"X:\Dest_path"] [--image-type 0]
Txt	--pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 5 --source-file "X:\path\file.pdf" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr] [--page-divider 0] [--custom-divider "custom page divider"] [--convert-crop-text] --pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 5 --source-dir "X:\path" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr] [--page-divider 0] [--custom-divider "custom page divider"] [--convert-crop-text]
RTF	--pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 6 --source-file "X:\path\file.pdf" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr] [--convert-table] --pdf-tools --convert --pdf2format 6 --source-dir "X:\path" [--destination-dir "X:\Dest_path"] [--use-ocr] [--convert-table]

4. Reduce file size  

If you want to make your PDFs smaller, your command line will look like this:

--pdf-tools --reduce-file-size --source-file|--source-dir --destination-dir [--reduce-quality]

Here is a description of each command element: 

--reduce-file-size – This lets you compress your file.

--source-file|--source-dir – (Required): 

--source-file – The location of the original file.

—source-dir – The path to the file system catalog where the documents that wait for creation are stored.

--destination-dir – The target destination for your new PDF. This is not required, if this element is not added, the file will be created at the source.

--reduce-quality – Here you will be able to set the how much you want to reduce the quality (and in turn file size), set the numerical value accordingly: 

0 – Min

1 – Low

2 – Medium – (Default value if none are specified).

3 – High

4 – Max

4. OCR 

If you want to use the OCR engine, making the text in your images editable, your command line will look like this:

--pdf-tools --recognize --source-file|--source-dir --destination-dir

Here is a description of each command element: 

--recognize- This option lets you use the OCR engine.

--source-file|--source-dir – (Required): 

--source-file – The location of the original file.

—source-dir – The path to the file system catalog where the documents that wait for creation are stored.

--destination-dir – The target destination for your new PDF. This is not required, if this element is not added, the file will be created at the source.