Print PDF to another PDF with powershell to flatten form fields

Question

Hey,

We have customer provided PDF files that allot of times contain layers, which require us flattening them. For awhile, I have been trying to get AdobePDF printer to script from within powershell, but it requires registry hacks, and I think it is unreliable, although it seems to work OK for others.

All of the examples of using pdfsharp to flatten forms are written in C# & do not seem to translate to PS very easily (for me). I have search around & around, but have not found a solution. I have resolved myself tyo try & find a solution of printing to a PDF printer. It seems that there would be hooks into MS Print to PDF, but I cant find any.

Does anyone have some advice?

• Thanks, Kevin

Answer 1

I am also trying to do this. I am struggling with adding the page content and get an empty PDF file as a result. Here is my script so far - maybe together we can figure this out!

function ConvertTo-PDF {
param(
$OriginalFilePath
)
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Drawing
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.IO

$PrinterSettings = new-Object System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings
$PrinterSettings.PrinterName = 'Microsoft Print to PDF'
$PrinterSettings.PrintToFile = $true

$PrintDocument = New-Object System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument
$PrintDocument.DocumentName = $OriginalFilePath
$PrintDocument.PrinterSettings = $PrinterSettings

$PictureByteArray = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($OriginalFilePath)

#add the page content to the file - this isn't working
#$streamToPrint = New-Object System.IO.StreamReader $OriginalFilePath
#$PrintDocument.add_PrintPage($PrintPageHandler)
#$PrintDocument.add_PrintPage($OriginalFilePath)

#another attempt to add the page content - also not working
#$PrintDocument.add_PrintPage({
    # Create an ImageConverter to convert our byte array into a Bitmap for drawing
#    $ImageConverter = New-Object System.Drawing.ImageConverter
#    [Drawing.Bitmap]$ProfileImg = $Imageconverter.ConvertFrom($PictureByteArray)

    # Set an arbitrary width to scale the image to
#    $Width = $ProfileImg.Width

    # Calculate the relationship between height and width to calculate with new width
#    $ProfileScale = [double]$ProfileImg.Height / [double]$ProfileImg.Width

    # Create source rectangle representing full size of image
#    $ProfileRectSrc = New-Object Drawing.RectangleF(0, 0, $ProfileImg.Width, $ProfileImg.Height)
    # Change scale of destination rectangle based on the calculated width
#    $ProfileRectDest = New-Object Drawing.RectangleF([System.Drawing.PointF]::new(10,10), [System.Drawing.Size]::new($Width, [int]($Width * $ProfileScale)))

#    $_.Graphics.DrawImage($ProfileImg, $ProfileRectDest, $ProfileRectSrc, [Drawing.GraphicsUnit]::Pixel) 
#})


$file=[io.fileinfo]$OriginalFilePath
$OutputFile = [io.path]::Combine($file.DirectoryName, $file.BaseName) + '_1.pdf'
$PrintDocument.PrinterSettings.PrintFileName = $OutputFile


$PrintDocument.Print()
$PrintDocument.Dispose()

}

ConvertTo-PDF 'C:\Original.pdf'

Answer 2

Have you tried the PSPrintPDF module (https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/PSWritePDF/0.0.19)?

It does use 3rd-party software (iText 7, available here: https://github.com/itext/itext7-dotnet, but also part of the Powershell module per the AGPL license).

According to the modules' change log:

0.0.17 - 2021.05.23 ☑ Set-PDFForm can now flatten forms with Flatten switch. Thank you markdem! in #23