PDF Chain is a graphical front end for the PDF Toolkit which allows you to merge, split, watermark, rotate, add attachments to, and set permissions for existing PDF documents. And, best of all, it’s very easy to use so any level of user can take advantage of PDF Chain’s handy features. In this article I am going to show you how to install and use PDF Chain.

Installation

Naturally, since this is Linux, installation is simple. All you need to do is follow these easy steps:

1. Open up your Add/Remove Software Utility.
2. Search for “pdf chain” (no qutoes).
3. Mark PDF Chain for installation.
4. Accept any dependencies necessary.
5. Click Apply to install.
6. Once the installation is complete, close the Add/Remove Software tool.

You are now ready to start manipulating your PDF documents.

Merging PDFs

Figure 1

Let’s first take a look at how to merge two (or more) PDF documents. To do this first open up PDF Chain by clicking Applications > Office > PDF Chain. When the application opens you will see a simple window with four tabs: Merge, Split, Background/Stamp, Attachaments. The tab you want for merging PDFs is, obviously, Merge (see Figure 1). Click on that to begin the process.

To merge PDF documents all you need to do is click the + button to add the PDF documents you want to merge. Move them up or down using the appropriate arrows. The order in which they appear in the Add window will be the order they are merged into. Once you have added all your PDFs you can select the ID for the merged PDF from the ID drop down. You can create a new ID or get the ID from one of the listed PDF documents.

When you have taken care of all of the set up, click the Save button, give the new document a name, and let the merging begin!

Splitting PDFs

Figure 2

The splitting process is very similar to the merging process. Now, understand what the splitting process does is split a multi-page PDF into single pages. So if you have a 20 page document you will wind up with 20 single page documents. You can then merge some of those together to make smaller documents.

To split a document, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Split tab (see Figure 2).
2. Click the Add button.
3. Navigate to the PDF you want to split.
4. Click the Save button.
5. Select the folder you want to save all of your PDFs to.
6. Click OK.

That’s it. You have now split that single PDF into multiple pages. NOTE: The count digits refer to the numbers for the saved file names. So if you have Sheet as a prefix and 3 counter digits the file names will look like:

• Sheet001.pdf
• Sheet002.pdf
• Sheet003.pdf
• etc.

Background/Stamp

Figure 2

Just like the merging and splitting, the background/stamping is just as easy. Say you want to watermark your name on the pages of a PDF you have created. To do this you have to have a pre-created watermark PDF for the process. Once you have that all you do is click the Background/Stamp tab (see Figure 3) and follow these steps:

1. Click Add to add the PDF you want to watermark.
2. Click add to add the PDF to be used for the watermark
3. Select if this is a background or a stamp.
4. Click Save.
5. Give the resulting PDF a name.
6. Click OK.

If you do create a watermark PDF, make sure the image has a certain level of opacity because PDF Chain does not add any opacity to your stamp.

Final thoughts

PDF Chain is a very handy tool to have around for anyone that has to work with PDF files. With this handy tool you don’t always have to have (or fire up) the tool you used to create the PDFs in order to handle simple actions such as merging or splitting. And don’t forget you can also add attachments to PDFs as well as edit the permissions of PDFs from PDF Chain as well.

The Sun PDF Import Extension offers numerous features and, like all OpenOffice extensions, is simple to install. Let’s take a look at what it offers, how it is installed, and how it is used.

Supports

• The Sun extension includes the following features:
• Edit font attributs
• Retain font appearance
• Converts images and vector graphics
• Import of password-protected PDF files
• Import shapes with default styles
• Colors and bitmap support
• Levels remain true

Does not support

• Native PDF forms
• Proper paragraphs
• LaTeX PDF
• Complex vector graphics
• Table conversion
• EPS graphics
• RTL fonts

What should be apparent from the above lists is that the Sun PDF import extension supports primarily the more simple PDF documents. Once a document gets complex, this extension may or may not work.

Installation

The Sun extension works with all platforms of OpenOffice. So no matter if you are using OpenOffice on Linux, Solaris, Windows, or Mac you will be okay. To install this extension go to the project page and scroll down until you see all of the “Get It!” buttons. Here you will click on the button that corresponds with your platform. When you do this a dialogue box will open asking you what you want to do with the file. If you are offered to open the file with OpenOffice do so. If not just save the file. If you are able to go with the former option the OpenOffice extension installer will automatically open up. This is very much like installing an extension in Firefox. You simply have to OK the installation. Unlike Firefox, however, you do not have to restart OpenOffice.

Figure 1

If you had to save the file, never fear, all you have to do is open up OpenOffice  Writer, go to the Tools menu, and select Extensions manager. When the manager opens click the Add button, navigate to the directory you saved the extension file in, and click Open. Once the extension is installed you will see it listed in the manager (see Figure 1).

Usage

Figure 2

When you open up a PDF document OpenOffice will open the document in OpenOffice Draw. With your document opened in this application you will be able to edit the various elements of the document.

Figure 2 shows a PDF document (that was actually exported from a presentation document) opened in Draw (with the help of the Sun PDF Import Extension). In this image you can see a text element ready for editing. To edit a text element you simply double click the element to make your edits. If you right click an image you will see a menu that includes entries for various arrangments of the image, cropping, and converting. You can convert embedded images into different types of objects (Polygons, Contour, 3D, 3D Rotation File, or Metafile).

When you go to save your document, if you want to save the document as a PDF you have to use the Export to PDF and not Save As. If you want to save the document in one of the supported OpenOffice Draw formats you can use Save As.

Final thoughts

I do a lot of PDF documents. Some times I get requests to alter PDF documents and now, thanks to Sun and OpenOffice, I can take care of those requests. Granted I can not use this tool with more complex documents, but for more simple PDF files this tool is magic.