qpdf
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Description:
Tools for and transforming and inspecting PDF files
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: pdf document cli utility file-converter
Install: brew install qpdf
About:
Qpdf is a command-line tool and library for manipulating and inspecting PDF documents. It provides lossless structural transformations, such as linearization (web optimization), encryption, and page manipulation. Its primary value is in automating PDF processing tasks while preserving the integrity of the original file content.
Key Features:
  • Lossless linearization (web optimization) of PDFs
  • Encryption, decryption, and password protection
  • Page manipulation (shuffle, collate, extract)
  • JSON representation for detailed PDF inspection
Use Cases:
  • Optimizing PDFs for fast web viewing
  • Decrypting or password-protecting sensitive documents
  • Splitting or merging PDF files for document assembly
Alternatives:
  • Ghostscript – Ghostscript is a full PostScript interpreter that can rasterize or convert files, whereas Qpdf focuses on non-destructive structural PDF manipulation.
  • pdftk – pdftk is often used for basic merging and splitting, but Qpdf is generally considered more robust for handling modern PDF features and preserving internal structure.
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 10, 2025 5:57pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 193cc3ed