Concatenate PDF files in Linux

Some people recommend using convert or gs. However, there is a major problem with them – all text and vector graphics become raster graphics.

pdftk (PDF ToolKit) is a better solution – it keeps text and vector graphics. We just have to use this command:

pdftk *.pdf cat output result.pdf

PDF Shuffler, written in Python and based on poppler, also does the trick, and has a nice GUI.

However, there are drawbacks for both pdftk and PDF Shuffler:

• pdftk only supports ASCII filenames. So it’s a bit inconvenient for non-English users like me.
• PDF Shuffler is way too slow. I tried concatenating several files (approx. 1000 pages), and it kept running for more than 10 minutes before I hit Ctrl-C; pdftk finished the same task in just a few seconds.

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Tags: Linux