Open Source Python PDF Merger Library

What is PyMuPDF?

PyMuPDF, also known as Fitz, is an open-source Python library that provides a comprehensive set of tools for working with PDF files. With PyMuPDF, users can efficiently perform tasks such as opening PDFs, extracting text and images, manipulating page properties like rotation and cropping, creating new PDF documents, and converting PDF pages to images.

PyMuPDF supports several features. However, in this review our primary focus will be on the PDF splitting, merging and page management features of the library. For an in-depth evaluation of extraction and parsing capabilities, please click here.

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Getting Started with PyMuPDF

You need Python version 3.8.0 or higher to install and use PyMuPDF. So, first install Python and then use below commands to install PyMuPDF on your machine using pip and virtual environment.

python -m venv pymupdf-venv
. pymupdf-venv/bin/activate
pip install pymupdf

python -m venv pymupdf-venv
. pymupdf-venv/bin/activate
pip install pymupdf

python -m venv pymupdf-venv
.\pymupdf-venv\Scripts\activate
pip install pymupdf 

Join Multiple PDFs into One

Using PyMuPDF library, we can combine multiple PDFs into a single PDF file in Python. The following code snippet joins two PDF documents together by appending one after the other and save it as a new document:

Split PDF into Multiple Files

It is also possible to split a PDF document into multiple PDFs in Python using PyMuPDF library. The following code snippet splits the first two pages of a document and stores them as a separate PDF:

Rotate PDF Pages

We can also rotate pages of a PDF file using PyMuPDF library. We will use the set_rotation function to rotate the pages in below code snippet:

Output

As we can see, the document is rotated by 90 degrees.

Delete PDF Pages

PyMuPDF can be also used to delete pages of a PDF file. We will use the delete_page function to delete the pages. Following is the document which is the input and the code will delete its second page:

Output

The image below displays the modified PDF file, from which the second page has been removed.

Conclusion

PyMuPDF boasts remarkable strengths in merging and page manipulation within PDF documents. Its flexibility and efficiency in rotating, cropping, resizing, and deleting pages make it a robust choice for PDF modification tasks. Additionally, PyMuPDF's ability to merge multiple PDF documents seamlessly is a notable advantage.

However, its relatively complex API may present a learning curve for newcomers, and there might be some limitations in handling extremely large or complex PDFs, which could impact performance. Nonetheless, its extensive capabilities in these areas make it a valuable tool for those seeking precise control over PDF content.

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