1.8.0 PDF Tools
Compress, combine, split, rotate, watermark, and manipulate PDFs. We kept getting requests for these, so here they are. Nine tools that handle the stuff you actually need to do with PDFs.
We’ve supported PDF as an input/output format for a while now - convert images to PDF, convert PDF pages to images. But people kept asking for more: “Can you merge these PDFs?” “Can you compress this so I can email it?” “Can you remove page 3?”
So we built actual PDF tools. Nine of them.
What’s new
Compress PDF - That 15MB PDF that won’t upload anywhere? Make it smaller. We use Ghostscript under the hood (same tool print shops use) so text stays sharp while images get optimized. Most documents shrink 50-80% without visible quality loss.
Combine PDF - Merge multiple PDFs into one. Scanned documents in separate files? Drag them all in, reorder if needed, download one combined file. Each page keeps its original size and quality.
Split PDF - Extract specific pages. Enter “1, 3, 5-10” and get just those pages. Great for pulling sections out of long reports or extracting forms from packets.
Rotate PDF - Fix sideways pages. Rotate the whole document or just specific pages. That scan that came through the feeder crooked? Fixed in two clicks.
Delete Pages - Remove pages you don’t need. Blank pages, cover sheets, irrelevant sections. Click the thumbnails, hit delete, done.
Reorder Pages - Drag and drop to rearrange. When the appendix should come before the conclusion, or someone sent you a PDF with pages in the wrong order.
Add Watermark - Overlay images on PDF pages. Your logo, a “CONFIDENTIAL” stamp, a signature. Choose position, size, and opacity. Apply to all pages or just specific ones.
Add Image as Page - Insert images into PDFs. Scanned a receipt that needs to go in an expense report? Photographed a document to add to a packet? Drop it in.
Flatten PDF - Merge form fields and layers into flat content. Some systems reject PDFs with editable elements - this bakes everything in. Common for government form submissions.
Why we built these
We’re an image tool. But PDFs and images overlap more than you’d think. Scanned documents are basically images wrapped in PDF. Photographers convert portfolios to PDF. Designers export mockups as multi-page PDFs.
And honestly, the existing PDF tools out there aren’t great. Most are either:
- Desktop software that costs $200 and takes 10 minutes to install
- Websites that plaster your screen with ads and add watermarks
- “Free tier” products that charge you the moment you actually need to do something
We already had the infrastructure for file uploads, processing queues, and downloads. Adding PDF manipulation was a natural extension.
The technical stuff
We use a combination of:
- pdf-lib for most manipulations (splitting, combining, rotating, reordering, page deletion). It’s JavaScript-native and handles the PDF structure directly without re-rendering.
- Ghostscript for compression and flattening. These operations need to actually process the content, not just shuffle pages around.
Both tools are industry-standard and handle edge cases well. Different page sizes in one document? Multiple color spaces? Password-protected files (we’ll ask for the password)? Handled.
Check them out
All nine tools are at /tools under the PDF category. Same deal as our image tools - no signup for basic use, files deleted in 24 hours.
If there’s a PDF operation we’re missing, let us know. We’re not trying to be Adobe Acrobat, but if there’s something you need for quick file manipulation, we’re open to adding it.