[RESOLVED] PDF Question

[abhijit]

There are a bunch of payslips getting printed and the payslips display the SSN numbers. These payslips are pdf files sent over by a third party vendor. We could ask the vendor to change the program, but we don't want that.

Or we could edit the pdf file. This route is easier. Is there a batch editor available for PDF files?

[RhinoBull]

So, what's the problem?

[abhijit]

The social security numbers are getting printed on these PDF files. We want to wipe out that section of the social security number field. Is there some batch editor available.

Didn't realize I had not mentioned the issue at hand.

[NotLKH]

You could use PDFLib+PDI.
You could use Pitstop.

Are the SSN Entries in a fixed position?

You could preprint a black box on your stock at the SSN Position, then reuse the stock for the payslips.

Or if your printer/driver has merge capabilities, you could black them out using merge forms.

[abhijit]

The SSN entries are in fixed position. I am not certain if the printer/driver has merge capabilities.

[NotLKH]

If you have at least Acrobat professional 6 or higher, you can build a batch sequence that merges.

If you get a single multipage pdf, or multiple pdf's, you can then multi select them with the batch tool and merge a pdf containing a black or white box over them, covering up the specific desired area.

Attached are sample pdf's that illustrate a merge, 2 before pdf's, and their corresponding after pdf's.

If you don't have Acrobat, I'd be glad to process them in any way you'd like, since I have pitstop, PDFLib And Acrobat.

$Lou

[abhijit]

That seems to be neat. So I will need pitStop and Acrobat and PDF lib.

[NotLKH]

No, you Only need Acrobat Professional for batch processing.

If you wanted to do it programically, you could buy PDFLib+PDI and build programs to process pdf's in any way you can imagine.

Pitstop is a handy PDF analysis editor, but you would undoubtedly get the non-server version, which requires Acrobat Professional, which then becomes redundant since Acrobat Professional already can perform that which you desire.

So, all you really need is Acrobat Professional for now.

-Lou

[Ken B]

Printing a black box over the SSN # will not stop some some one from viewing the raw data from the pdf file.

[abhijit]

Printing a black box over the SSN # will not stop some some one from viewing the raw data from the pdf file.

That is not an issue. The files are not available to everybody, but the printouts are lying on the printer.

[NotLKH]

So have you tried the Batch masking with Acrobat Pro?
That would seem to be the simplest solution.

And/Or you could outsource your files with a confidentiality agreement to someone who could do it for you.


$Lou

[abhijit]

We have now put in a requisition slip for the Acrobat Professional. We await the accountants to clear this request soon.

[NotLKH]

Good!

You will thouroughly enjoy it.

Have you tested the merging capabilities on somebody elses Pro acrobat?

Perhaps at a library or kinkos you could test my suggestion, while you wait for your companies version to arrive.

-Lou