As a Java or software developer, you'll know that PDFs are an important format to work with. But did you know that there are libraries specifically designed to help you work with PDFs? This article will introduce three popular PDF libraries and show you how to use them.
If you're creating new PDF documents, these libraries will help make your job easier. Stay tuned for more Java programming tips and tricks!
1. IronPDF
IronPDF for Java is a powerful and complete library built for developers who need to create, edit, and work with PDF documents directly within Java applications. It’s especially well known for its accurate HTML-to-PDF conversion, easy setup, and developer-friendly syntax. From generating PDFs from scratch to editing existing files, IronPDF makes the process straightforward.
It supports a wide range of PDF features. You can fill out PDF forms, insert images, add bookmarks, and build tables of contents with ease. The library also includes features like password protection, encryption, and digital signatures, which are important when handling sensitive documents in business or legal settings.
IronPDF works with Java 8 and above, making it suitable for both modern applications and legacy environments. It is distributed as a single JAR file and doesn't rely on any complex dependencies or external rendering engines. You can get it directly from the Sonatype Central Repository or explore more through the official IronPDF Java documentation.
Core Features of IronPDF for Java
IronPDF for Java offers a robust set of functionalities for comprehensive PDF management.
1. HTML to PDF Conversion
A primary strength of IronPDF is its highly accurate HTML to PDF conversion. It meticulously renders modern HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, essentially functioning like an up-to-date browser. This includes full support for web assets such as images, stylesheets, and scripts, ensuring your web content translates faithfully to PDF.
import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.*;
PdfDocument myPdf = PdfDocument.renderUrlAsPdf("https://getbootstrap.com/");
myPdf.saveAs(Paths.get("url.pdf"));
The output of the code above will display what it has created in the following image. IronPDF preserves the PDF quality and renders all images and buttons with great quality.
2. PDF Editing and Manipulation
IronPDF excels in modifying existing documents:
- Fill and Read PDF Forms: A standout feature is the ease of programmatically interacting with PDF forms. IronPDF allows you to define forms directly in HTML and then programmatically fill them, as shown below. This process, from creating forms from HTML to filling them, is detailed in resources like the IronPDF Java form tutorial.
// Ensure IronPDF is in your classpath/dependencies
import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.PdfDocument;
import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.render.ChromePdfRenderOptions;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.nio.file.*;
// #1 Use Case: Create a PDF Form from HTML Form Markup
// Note: Ensure the 'assets' directory exists at your project root or adjust the path.
Path outputLocation = Paths.get("assets/BasicForm.pdf");
String formHTML = "<html>"
+ "<body>"
+ "<h2>Editable PDF Form</h2>"
+ "<form>"
+ "First name: <br> <input type='text' name='firstname' value=''> <br>"
+ "Last name: <br> <input type='text' name='lastname' value=''>"
+ "</form>"
+ "</body>"
+ "</html>";
ChromePdfRenderOptions renderOptions = new ChromePdfRenderOptions();
renderOptions.setCreatePdfFormsFromHtml(true);
PdfDocument.renderHtmlAsPdf(formHTML, renderOptions).saveAs(outputLocation);
// #2 Use Case: Writing Values to the PDF Form
PdfDocument form = PdfDocument.fromFile(outputLocation);
// Set the value of the firstname input field.
form.getForm().setFieldValue("firstname", "Minnie");
// Set the value of the lastname input field.
form.getForm().setFieldValue("lastname", "Mouse");
// Save the changes to the PDF Form.
form.saveAs(Paths.get("assets/BasicForm_Filled.pdf"));
Adding Content: Easily add new text, images, and annotations.
Merging and Splitting: Combine multiple PDFs or divide a single document.
Stamping and Watermarking: Apply stamps, watermarks, headers, and footers.
Security: Secure PDFs with passwords, permissions, and digital signatures (verify specific features on the IronPDF Java page).
3. PDF Content Extraction
Efficiently extract valuable information: "Extract Text and Images: Accurately extract text content and images from PDF documents, preserving layout where possible." This allows you to repurpose or analyze content locked within PDFs.
4. Cross-Platform Support
Built for versatility, IronPDF "Works on Windows, Linux, macOS, and cloud environments where Java is supported." This ensures your PDF functionalities are deployable across diverse infrastructures.
Installation and Setup
Getting IronPDF integrated into your Java project is straightforward, especially if you're using a modern build automation tool.
Easy Integration with Maven/Gradle
The recommended way to add IronPDF to your project is by using Maven or Gradle. This handles dependency management seamlessly.
Maven: Add the following dependency to your project's pom.xml file. Remember to replace [LATEST_VERSION] with the most current version number available on Sonatype Central.
<dependency>
<groupId>com.ironsoftware</groupId>
<artifactId>ironpdf</artifactId>
<version>[LATEST_VERSION]</version>
</dependency>
Gradle: For Gradle projects, add this line to your build.gradle file's dependencies section. As with Maven, ensure you use the latest version by checking Sonatype Central.
implementation 'com.ironsoftware:ironpdf:[LATEST_VERSION]' // Check Sonatype Central for the latest version
Direct JAR Download
While Maven or Gradle is preferred for managing dependencies, you can also download the IronPDF JAR file directly from the IronPDF website or potentially from Sonatype Central. However, using a build tool will make it easier to manage updates and transitive dependencies.
Licensing
IronPDF is a commercial library, offering a robust set of features for professional use. It provides a free trial that allows for full development and testing (often with a watermark). For production use or to remove trial limitations, a license key is required. The IronPDF java PDF library price starts from $749 for the lite plan and there are many to choose from depending on your needs. You can find more details about licensing options on the IronPDF licensing page.
Why Choose IronPDF for Your Java Projects?
When considering a PDF library for your Java application, several factors come into play. IronPDF stands out due to a combination of its user-centric design, robust performance, and extensive capabilities. Here are some key advantages:
Developer-Friendly API: IronPDF is designed with ease of use in mind. Its intuitive API allows developers to integrate PDF functionalities quickly and efficiently, reducing the learning curve and speeding up development cycles. You can often achieve complex tasks with just a few lines of code.
Accuracy and Reliability: The library is engineered for high fidelity, especially in its core HTML to PDF rendering. It ensures that your documents are generated with precision. Furthermore, its PDF manipulation capabilities are robust, providing reliable performance for editing, form filling, and content extraction.
Comprehensive Feature Set: IronPDF isn't limited to a single function. It offers a wide range of features covering the entire PDF lifecycle – from initial creation and conversion (e.g., HTML to PDF) through advanced editing, interactive form filling, data extraction, and document security. This makes it a versatile tool for diverse PDF requirements.
Good Documentation and Support: Successful integration often relies on strong support resources. IronPDF is backed by detailed documentation, practical tutorials (like the Java PDF form filling guide mentioned earlier), and access to support from Iron Software, helping developers resolve issues and make the most of the library's features.
2. iText7 Library
iText7 is a PDF library designed specifically to create high-quality PDF documents from scratch. It allows you to create both simple and complex documents in a variety of file formats, including HTML5.
iText7 includes features like digital signatures and encryption so that users can securely share their documents with others over the internet.
With its wide array of features and easy deployment options, iText has become one of the go-to libraries for Java developers when working with PDF formats.
Create PDF files - Code Example
Using the following code, you can create a simple table in PDFs using the iText library.
package com.itextpdf.samples.sandbox.tables;
import com.itextpdf.kernel.pdf.PdfDocument;
import com.itextpdf.kernel.pdf.PdfWriter;
import com.itextpdf.layout.Document;
import com.itextpdf.layout.element.Table;
import com.itextpdf.layout.properties.UnitValue;
import java.io.File;
public class SimpleTable {
public static final String DEST = "./target/sandbox/tables/simple_table.pdf";
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
File file = new File(DEST);
file.getParentFile().mkdirs();
new SimpleTable().manipulatePdf(DEST);
}
protected void manipulatePdf(String dest) throws Exception {
PdfDocument pdfDoc = new PdfDocument(new PdfWriter(dest));
Document doc = new Document(pdfDoc);
Table table = new Table(UnitValue.createPercentArray(8)).useAllAvailableWidth();
for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
table.addCell("hi");
}
doc.add(table);
doc.close();
}
}
The above code contains a class that will create a table comprised of 16 cells.
This is the resulting output in the following image.
We can add a digital signature using the following code.
package com.itextpdf.samples.signatures.chapter02;
import com.itextpdf.kernel.geom.Rectangle;
import com.itextpdf.kernel.pdf.PdfReader;
import com.itextpdf.kernel.pdf.StampingProperties;
import com.itextpdf.signatures.PdfSigner;
import com.itextpdf.signatures.PdfSignatureAppearance;
import com.itextpdf.signatures.IExternalSignature;
import com.itextpdf.signatures.IExternalDigest;
import com.itextpdf.signatures.PrivateKeySignature;
import com.itextpdf.signatures.BouncyCastleDigest;
import com.itextpdf.signatures.DigestAlgorithms;
import org.bouncycastle.jce.provider.BouncyCastleProvider;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.security.GeneralSecurityException;
import java.security.KeyStore;
import java.security.PrivateKey;
import java.security.Security;
import java.security.cert.Certificate;
public class C2_02_SignHelloWorldWithTempFile {
public static final String DEST = "./target/signatures/chapter02/";
public static final String KEYSTORE = "./src/test/resources/encryption/ks";
public static final String SRC = "./src/test/resources/pdfs/hello.pdf";
public static final char[] PASSWORD = "password".toCharArray();
public static final String[] RESULT_FILES = new String[] {
"hello_signed_with_temp.pdf"
};
public void sign(String src, String temp, String dest, Certificate[] chain, PrivateKey pk,
String digestAlgorithm, String provider, PdfSigner.CryptoStandard subfilter,
String reason, String location)
throws GeneralSecurityException, IOException {
PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(src);
// Pass the temporary file's path to the PdfSigner constructor
PdfSigner signer = new PdfSigner(reader, new FileOutputStream(dest), temp, new StampingProperties());
// Create the signature appearance
Rectangle rect = new Rectangle(36, 648, 200, 100);
PdfSignatureAppearance appearance = signer.getSignatureAppearance();
appearance
.setReason(reason)
.setLocation(location)
// Specify if the appearance before field is signed will be used
// as a background for the signed field. The "false" value is the default value.
.setReuseAppearance(false)
.setPageRect(rect)
.setPageNumber(1);
signer.setFieldName("sig");
IExternalSignature pks = new PrivateKeySignature(pk, digestAlgorithm, provider);
IExternalDigest digest = new BouncyCastleDigest();
// Sign the document using the detached mode, CMS or CAdES equivalent.
signer.signDetached(digest, pks, chain, null, null, null, 0, subfilter);
}
public static void main(String[] args) throws GeneralSecurityException, IOException {
File file = new File(DEST);
file.mkdirs();
BouncyCastleProvider provider = new BouncyCastleProvider();
Security.addProvider(provider);
KeyStore ks = KeyStore.getInstance(KeyStore.getDefaultType());
ks.load(new FileInputStream(KEYSTORE), PASSWORD);
String alias = ks.aliases().nextElement();
PrivateKey pk = (PrivateKey) ks.getKey(alias, PASSWORD);
Certificate[] chain = ks.getCertificateChain(alias);
new C2_02_SignHelloWorldWithTempFile().sign(SRC, DEST, DEST + RESULT_FILES[0], chain, pk,
DigestAlgorithms.SHA256, provider.getName(), PdfSigner.CryptoStandard.CMS,
"Temp test", "Ghent");
}
}
The above code will add a digital signature, using the latest version of iText7.
Pricing
There is no pricing plan mentioned on the website. You must get a quote from customer support for purchasing the license. However, you can get some resources for free like iText 7 Core and pdfHTML. Find more information about iText7 licensing using the following link.
3. jPDFProcess
jPDFProcess is a Java library designed specifically to create high-quality PDFs, documents or images from scratch. With this tool you can quickly generate complex documents such as invoices or catalogs with ease thanks to its intuitive API and rich feature set including support for text manipulation, form creation/filling/submission, and more.
Additionally, jPDFProcess also provides an API for digitally signing documents using digital certificates. This makes it ideal for certain document exploitation scenarios like eSignatures or document archiving processes involving digital signatures.
Code Example
You can use the following code to create PDF files using the jPDFProcess open-source java tool.
/*
* This sample java program uses jPDFProcess
* to create a new PDF file, add a page to it
* and draw an image and text on the page.
*
*/
package jPDFProcessSamples;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
import java.io.File;
import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import com.qoppa.pdfProcess.PDFDocument;
import com.qoppa.pdfProcess.PDFGraphics;
import com.qoppa.pdfProcess.PDFPage;
public class CreatePDFWithTextAndImage
{
public static void main (String [] args)
{
try
{
// create document
PDFDocument pdfDoc = new PDFDocument ();
// create and add a page
PDFPage page = pdfDoc.appendNewPage(8.5 * 72, 11 * 72);
// get graphics from the page
// this object is a Graphics2D Object and you can draw anything
// you would draw on a Graphics2D
PDFGraphics g2d = (PDFGraphics) page.createGraphics();
// read an image from png,. jpeg, etc...
BufferedImage image = ImageIO.read(new File("C:\\myimage.png"));
// draw the image on the page
g2d.drawImage(image, 0, 0, null);
// set the font and color
g2d.setFont (PDFGraphics.HELVETICA.deriveFont(24f));
g2d.setColor(Color.BLUE);
// draw text on the graphics object of the page
g2d.drawString("NEW TEXT", 200, 100);
// Save the document
pdfDoc.saveDocument ("C:\\test.pdf");
}
catch(Throwable t)
{
t.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
The code above will create a PDF document, add a page on it and draw an image and text on that page.
We can add a watermark to the PDF file using the following code.
package jPDFProcessSamples;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.Graphics2D;
import com.qoppa.pdfProcess.PDFDocument;
import com.qoppa.pdfProcess.PDFGraphics;
import com.qoppa.pdfProcess.PDFPage;
public class AddWatermark
{
public static void main (String [] args)
{
try
{
// Load document
PDFDocument pdfDoc = new PDFDocument ("input.pdf", null);
// Loop through all pages
Font wmFont = PDFGraphics.HELVETICA.deriveFont(64f);
for (int pageIx = 0; pageIx < pdfDoc.getPageCount(); ++pageIx)
{
// Get the page
PDFPage page = pdfDoc.getPage(pageIx);
// Get a graphics object to draw onto the page
Graphics2D g2d = page.createGraphics();
// Draw watermark
g2d.setColor (new Color (160, 160, 160, 160));
g2d.setFont(wmFont);
g2d.translate(72, 72 + g2d.getFontMetrics().getAscent());
g2d.rotate(Math.toRadians(45));
g2d.drawString ("Confidential", 0, 0);
}
// Save the document
pdfDoc.saveDocument ("output.pdf");
}
catch (Throwable t)
{
t.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
The code above contains a class with a method that will loop through all the pages and a draw watermark on each one.
Pricing
jPDFProcess is an open-source java library. We can use its PDF features for free.
4- Apache PDFBox
Apache PDFBox is an open-source Java library that enables developers to work with PDF documents efficiently. With PDFBox, you can create new PDFs, manipulate existing ones, and extract content such as text and metadata.
Features of Apache PDFBox
- Extract Text: Retrieve Unicode text from PDF files.
- Split & Merge: Divide a single PDF into multiple files or combine several PDFs into one.
- Fill Forms: Extract data from PDF forms or populate them programmatically.
- Preflight: Validate PDFs against the PDF/A-1b standard to ensure compliance.
- Print: Utilize the standard Java printing API to print PDF documents.
Code Example
Here's a simple example demonstrating how to create a PDF with text using Apache PDFBox:
import org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.PDDocument;
import org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.PDPage;
import org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.PDPageContentStream;
import org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.font.PDType1Font;
import java.io.IOException;
public class CreatePDF {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try (PDDocument document = new PDDocument()) {
PDPage page = new PDPage();
document.addPage(page);
try (PDPageContentStream contentStream = new PDPageContentStream(document, page)) {
contentStream.beginText();
contentStream.setFont(PDType1Font.TIMES_ROMAN, 12);
contentStream.newLineAtOffset(100, 700);
contentStream.showText("Hello, PDFBox!");
contentStream.endText();
}
document.save("HelloPDFBox.pdf");
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
This code creates a PDF named HelloPDFBox.pdf with the text "Hello, PDFBox!" positioned at coordinates (100, 700) on the page.
Pricing
Apache PDFBox is released under the Apache License 2.0, making it free for both personal and commercial use. For more detailed information and tutorials, refer to the official documentation of Apache PDFBox.
5- Aspose.PDF for Java
Aspose.PDF for Java is a robust library that empowers developers to create, manipulate, and transform PDF documents within Java applications without relying on Adobe Acrobat. It offers a comprehensive suite of features, including the ability to add text, images, tables, and graphs to PDFs, as well as functionalities for merging, splitting, and encrypting documents. This flexibility makes it a valuable tool for applications requiring dynamic PDF generation and management.
Code Example
To illustrate its capabilities, here's a simple example demonstrating how to extract text from a PDF using Aspose.PDF for Java:
import com.aspose.pdf.Document;
import com.aspose.pdf.TextAbsorber;
public class ExtractText {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// Open the PDF document
Document pdfDocument = new Document("input.pdf");
// Create a TextAbsorber object to extract text
TextAbsorber textAbsorber = new TextAbsorber();
// Accept the absorber for all the pages
pdfDocument.getPages().accept(textAbsorber);
// Get the extracted text
String extractedText = textAbsorber.getText();
// Display the text
System.out.println(extractedText);
}
}
In this snippet, we open an existing PDF file, utilize the TextAbsorber class to extract its text content, and then print the extracted text to the console. This example showcases the straightforward API design of Aspose.PDF for Java, enabling developers to perform complex PDF operations with minimal code.
Pricing
Aspose.PDF for Java offers several licensing options to accommodate different organizational needs:
- Developer Small Business License: Priced at $1,199, this license permits one developer and one deployment location, including free support.
- Developer OEM License: At $3,597, this license allows one developer and unlimited deployment locations, also with free support.
- Site Small Business License: For $5,995, this license covers up to 10 developers and 10 deployment locations, with free support included.
Additional licensing options are available, such as Metered and Site OEM licenses, each tailored to specific business requirements. For a detailed breakdown of these options and to explore paid support and consulting services, you can visit the official pricing page.
6- PDF Clown
PDF Clown is an open-source library designed for Java and .NET platforms, enabling developers to create, manipulate, and extract data from PDF documents. Adhering strictly to the PDF 1.7 specification (ISO 32000-1), it offers a versatile toolset for handling various PDF operations.
Code Example
To illustrate its capabilities, here's a simple example demonstrating how to extract text from a PDF using PDF Clown in Java:
import org.pdfclown.files.File;
import org.pdfclown.documents.Document;
import org.pdfclown.documents.Page;
import org.pdfclown.tools.TextExtractor;
public class ExtractText {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// Open the PDF document
File file = new File("input.pdf");
Document document = file.getDocument();
// Instantiate a TextExtractor
TextExtractor textExtractor = new TextExtractor();
// Iterate through the pages
for (Page page : document.getPages()) {
// Extract text from the page
String text = textExtractor.extract(page);
// Display the text
System.out.println(text);
}
// Close the file
file.close();
}
}
In this snippet, we open an existing PDF file, use the TextExtractor class to extract text from each page, and then print the extracted text to the console. This example showcases the straightforward API design of PDF Clown, enabling developers to perform complex PDF operations with minimal code.
Pricing
PDF Clown is released under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), making it free for both personal and commercial use. This open-source model allows developers to integrate PDF Clown into their projects without licensing fees, providing a cost-effective solution for PDF manipulation needs.
Summary
| Feature / Library | IronPDF ⭐️ | iText7 | jPDFProcess | Apache PDFBox | Aspose.PDF | PDF Clown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Create PDFs | ✅ (from HTML, URL, Images) | ✅ (Basic creation) | ✅ (Image/Text-based) | ✅ (Basic creation) | ✅ (Rich features) | ✅ (Basic creation) |
| Modify PDFs | ✅ (Rich editing capabilities) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Extract Text | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fill Forms | ✅ (Advanced form creation/editing) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (Basic features) |
| HTML to PDF | ✅ (Advanced support) | ✅ (Requires add-on) | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Digital Signatures | ✅ | ✅ (Advanced) | ✅ (Advanced) | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Annotations | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Split/Merge PDFs | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Encryption | ✅ (Advanced security features) | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ (Basic features) |
| Pricing | Starts at $749 | Quote-based | Free (Open-source) | Free (Open-source) | Starts at $1199 | Free (Open-source) |
| Free Trial | ✅ (30 days, no watermark) | ✅ (limited) | ✅ (open-source) | ✅ (open-source) | ✅ (limited) | ✅ (open-source) |
| Quality & Support | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Excellent support) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
IronPDF is our preferred library of choice, as it offers slightly more features than IText7 and other libraries at a lower cost. We also found IronPDF to be beginner friendly, so a solid choice if you're a junior developer looking for a library to start with.
iText7 does deliver good render outputs and processing speeds. It also has a freemium which you can use in your projects with limited capabilities. However, iText7 does not offer a free trial. It has good documentation but lacks tutorials for beginners. There is no fixed price mentioned on the website for the license. You have to contact support to get a quote.
Aspose.PDF for Java provides comprehensive capabilities suitable for dynamic PDF generation but may pose a steeper learning curve. Pricing starts at $1,199. Apache PDFBox is a reliable, open-source option suitable for basic PDF tasks but lacks advanced commercial features.
PDF Clown for Java is free and adheres strictly to PDF standards, ideal for straightforward PDF manipulations. jPDFProcess is also a good library but lacks many features. Regardless, it is a free library that has useful functionality.
IronPDF has good documentation and tutorials to help you understand the process with almost no code. The license of IronPDF is optimized for all levels of users and starts at $749. IronPDF offers a free trial to let you test it in production.
In conclusion, all six libraries are high-quality and will help developers get the job done.
Top comments (1)
Hi
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Wishing you all the best in your coding endeavors.
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