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As a technical blogger, I have come across various software tools that can make our work easier and efficient. One such tool that I recently stumbled upon is PDFTK Builder. In this blog post, I am going to review this free PDF manipulation tool and help you decide whether you should use it or not.
First of all, let’s understand what PDFTK Builder actually is.
Video Tutorial:
What is PDFTK Builder?
PDFTK Builder is a free and open-source graphical user interface (GUI) for the PDF Toolkit (PDFTK). It allows users to manipulate PDF documents by adding, removing, and rearranging pages, encrypting and decrypting documents, adding bookmarks, and more. PDFTK is a powerful command-line tool for working with PDFs, but it can be difficult for non-technical users to use. PDFTK Builder simplifies the process by providing a GUI for the tool.
Q1: Is PDFTK Builder free to use?
A: Yes, PDFTK Builder is completely free to download and use.
Price
As mentioned, PDFTK Builder is completely free to download and use. There are no hidden costs or fees.
Basics
PDFTK Builder is a standalone executable file that can be downloaded from the official website. It is available for Windows operating system only. The software works on systems running Windows 8, 8.1, and 10.
The software has a user-friendly interface and is easy to navigate. The main window is divided into four tabs – Join/Combine, Split, Watermark, and Rotate. Each tab has different options to manipulate PDF documents.
Q2: Can I password-protect my PDFs using PDFTK Builder?
A: Yes, you can password-protect your PDFs using PDFTK Builder.
Pros & Cons
Any software tool has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of PDFTK Builder.
Pros
- PDFTK Builder is completely free to use.
- The software has a simple and user-friendly interface.
- It offers a wide range of options to manipulate PDF documents.
- PDFTK Builder is lightweight and doesn’t consume too much system resources.
Cons
- The software is only available for Windows operating system.
- PDFTK Builder doesn’t offer OCR (Optical Character Recognition) functionality.
- It doesn’t support batch processing of PDF documents.
Our Thoughts on PDFTK Builder
After reviewing PDFTK Builder, we found it to be a great tool for non-technical users who want to manipulate PDF documents without using command-line tools. The software is easy to use and offers a wide range of features. We also appreciate the fact that it is completely free to use.
However, the lack of OCR functionality and batch processing may be a deal-breaker for some users. Also, the software is only available for Windows operating system, which limits its reach to a certain extent.
What PDFTK Builder Identifies
PDFTK Builder identifies itself as a simple yet powerful tool to manipulate PDF documents. It allows users to add, remove, and rearrange pages, encrypt and decrypt PDFs, add bookmarks, and more. The software simplifies the process for non-technical users and provides a user-friendly interface.
How to Use PDFTK Builder?
Using PDFTK Builder is quite simple. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using some of the basic functionalities of the software.
Join/Combine PDFs
- Open PDFTK Builder.
- Select the ‘Join/Combine’ tab.
- Click on ‘Add Files’ and select the PDFs you want to combine.
- Click on ‘Build PDF’.
- Choose a location to save the combined PDF.
- Click on ‘Save’.
Split PDFs
- Open PDFTK Builder.
- Select the ‘Split’ tab.
- Click on ‘Add PDF’ and select the PDF you want to split.
- Choose a destination folder for the split PDFs.
- Click on ‘Split’.
Add Watermark to PDFs
- Open PDFTK Builder.
- Select the ‘Watermark’ tab.
- Click on ‘Add PDF’ and select the PDF you want to add a watermark to.
- Choose a watermark PDF file.
- Set watermark position, opacity, and scale.
- Click on ‘Save PDF’.
- Choose a location to save the watermarked PDF.
Rotate Pages in PDFs
- Open PDFTK Builder.
- Select the ‘Rotate’ tab.
- Click on ‘Add PDF’ and select the PDF you want to rotate pages in.
- Select the pages you want to rotate and the degree of rotation.
- Click on ‘Save’.
- Choose a location to save the rotated PDF.
Alternatives to PDFTK Builder
While PDFTK Builder is a great tool, it may not be suitable for everyone. Here are some alternatives to PDFTK Builder that you can consider.
1. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is a premium PDF manipulation tool that offers advanced features such as OCR, batch processing, and more. It is available for Windows and Mac operating systems. However, it comes with a hefty price tag and may not be affordable for everyone.
2. PDFsam Basic
PDFsam Basic is a free and open-source PDF manipulation tool that offers features such as joining, splitting, and encrypting PDF documents. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. However, it lacks some of the advanced features such as OCR and watermarking.
3. Nitro PDF Reader
Nitro PDF Reader is a free PDF reader and editor that offers features such as adding and deleting pages, filling forms, and more. It is available for Windows operating system only. However, it doesn’t offer advanced features such as OCR and watermarking.
Q3: Is PDFTK Builder better than Adobe Acrobat Pro DC?
A: It depends on your needs. If you need advanced features such as OCR and batch processing, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC may be a better option. However, if you want a free and simple tool to manipulate PDFs, PDFTK Builder may be a better choice.
5 FAQs about PDFTK Builder
Q1: Is PDFTK Builder free to use?
A: Yes, PDFTK Builder is completely free to download and use.
Q2: Can I password-protect my PDFs using PDFTK Builder?
A: Yes, you can password-protect your PDFs using PDFTK Builder.
Q3: Is PDFTK Builder better than Adobe Acrobat Pro DC?
A: It depends on your needs. If you need advanced features such as OCR and batch processing, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC may be a better option. However, if you want a free and simple tool to manipulate PDFs, PDFTK Builder may be a better choice.
Q4: Does PDFTK Builder work on Mac operating system?
A: No, PDFTK Builder is only available for Windows operating system.
Q5: Does PDFTK Builder offer OCR functionality?
A: No, PDFTK Builder doesn’t offer OCR functionality.
In Conclusion
PDFTK Builder is a free and simple PDF manipulation tool that offers various features to manipulate PDF documents. It is a great tool for non-technical users who want to manipulate PDFs without using command-line tools. The software is easy to use and offers a user-friendly interface. However, it may not be suitable for everyone as it lacks advanced features such as OCR and batch processing. Overall, PDFTK Builder is a great tool for basic PDF manipulation needs.