pdfinfo
displays metadata and properties of PDF files
TLDR
Show PDF information
SYNOPSIS
pdfinfo [-meta] [-box] [-js] [-struct] [options] file.pdf
DESCRIPTION
pdfinfo displays metadata and properties of PDF files. It extracts document information without viewing the actual content.
Basic info includes title, author, creation date, page count, and dimensions. This helps identify and catalog PDF files.
Page box information shows MediaBox, CropBox, and other box dimensions that affect printing and display.
Encryption information reveals what permissions are set: printing, copying, modification. It also shows the encryption method.
XMP metadata (-meta) contains extended information that applications embed. This may include copyright, keywords, and application-specific data.
JavaScript detection (-js) reveals embedded scripts, which may be security concerns in untrusted PDFs.
PARAMETERS
-meta
Show document metadata (XMP).-box
Show page box dimensions.-js
Show JavaScript.-struct
Show structure information.-f PAGE
First page for info.-l PAGE
Last page for info.-enc ENCODING
Text encoding.-opw PASSWORD
Owner password.-upw PASSWORD
User password.-rawdates
Show raw date strings.-isodates
Show ISO-8601 dates.
OUTPUT FIELDS
Title
Document title.Author
Document author.Creator
Creating application.Producer
PDF producer.CreationDate
Creation date.ModDate
Modification date.Pages
Page count.Page size
Dimensions.PDF version
PDF specification version.Encrypted
Encryption status.
CAVEATS
Requires poppler-utils package. Some metadata may be inaccurate if PDF was poorly created. Encrypted PDFs need correct password.
HISTORY
pdfinfo is part of poppler-utils, derived from the Xpdf project created by Derek Noonburg. These utilities became standard tools for PDF manipulation on Unix-like systems.