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Is it possible to insert/add an image to a pdf with a PitStop Server action? I see an action to paste an object from a clipboard but even this doesn't seem to actually paste from the system clipboard, it appears to only be able to copy and paste internally with the current file.

I would like to pass a file path in a job ticket and insert the image using a variable. Would like to be able to insert a pdf and/or a raster image (jpg, png...).
It seems like actions can't insert anything beside text and lines. Am I missing something? Also the PitStop Server Reference Guide doesn't seem to document how to use most of the actions. Is there more information anywhere? The PitStop Pro guide has info on most of the actions but it mostly refers to using the user interface which doesn't help in creating a server action.

hi
There is an action that will let you paste a predefined graphic.
See: add copied graphics

Apart from that you can't (unless I am wrong) do dynamic overlay with PitStop.

I don't know if you have Switch but I have done something similar using Switch and Pitstop Server.

In Switch I inject the new image based on a variable. If it's not already a PDF use the Acrobat configurator to open the image and save as PDF.

Then merge the newly injected PDF with the PDF, where you want to paste the image. Make sure to sort the files so that the new image is page 1 and the original PDF is page 2 (you might need to use Rename to add a suffix to the files before merging.

Now you have a two-page PDF and you can make an action, that selects and copies the image on page 1 and paste it into page 2 after which you can delete page 1.

I have used this flow to replace lowers images in a PDF with similar higres images and it works just fine.

Hi loicaigon
What do you mean by "paste a predefined graphic"? By predefined, do you mean a copied graphic? It seems that to copy a graphic it needs to be already included in the file, I don't see an option to paste from the system clipboard.

Terkelsen,
We don't have switch, I was mistakenly under the impression that switch was just for automating workflows and that most of the core functionality was built into PitStop Server, but this seems to not be the case. I was planning to automate our preflighting using the PitStop Server CLI. And I was hoping I could create proofs from a template using PitStop Server CLI by inserting an image and adding text from a job ticket.

Thanks
Matt

@mattgaspar,

You would need a source document hosting the element you want to place onto other documents. You do select the item and create an action using "add copied graphics" then click on "Grab Selection". Once that done, you can have the element pasted in any further PDF files (unless protected of course). To rephrase it, the source document is only needed once.

FWIW

@loicaigon

Can this be done in PitStop Server? It sounds like you're talking about PitStop Pro, I don't think it's possible to open 2 documents in a action and there is no "Grab Selection". Terkelsen's solution was to merge the 2 documents using switch to be able to copy and paste from one another. But this seems overly complex from something that seems pretty basic and I am not currently using Switch which makes it more difficult. I don't understand why there is no action to insert a file using a path, this seems like a fundamental feature.

hi,

It's a separate process and only meaningful if the same graphic is applied over and over (think of a logo for ex.) and that's feasible with PitStop pro and server (action is the same).

But in your case, that's not helpful.

@mattgaspar

You can do so much more with the combination of Switch and PitStop Server. Since you already have PitStop Server there is a special price for upgrading to Pitstop2Switch, which will give you all the capability of Switch Core Engine and the ability to use the configurator for PitStop Server.

Has anyone come up with a way to take a pdf and place it in a certain area on the first page of a pdf? Trying to create a sort of thumbnail on a work ticket.

I know this not really the place to evocate this, but yo can arrange a such setup with Switch + callas pdfToolbox (Server).

pdfToolbox has a function to Merge files.

For sure, if it is to produce only thumbnails, it could be too expensive for your purposes

I see a nice feature-request for Pitstop .
Place a pdf in a pdf. It should be possible then to place the inserted pdf with a variable which points to the path of the pdf.

Actually the craziest thing is that PitStop does allow PDF overlay but only in Pro version (unless I am wrong). So it's a total mistery this hasn't been push inside Server :\

Terkelsen wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2017 11:37 am I don't know if you have Switch but I have done something similar using Switch and Pitstop Server.

In Switch I inject the new image based on a variable. If it's not already a PDF use the Acrobat configurator to open the image and save as PDF.

Then merge the newly injected PDF with the PDF, where you want to paste the image. Make sure to sort the files so that the new image is page 1 and the original PDF is page 2 (you might need to use Rename to add a suffix to the files before merging.

Now you have a two-page PDF and you can make an action, that selects and copies the image on page 1 and paste it into page 2 after which you can delete page 1.

I have used this flow to replace lowers images in a PDF with similar higres images and it works just fine.

Thanks Erik. This just what I am looking for.

And I agree that the place pdf should somehow be available in Pitstop Server.

I'm in also...

Terkelsen wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2017 11:37 am Then merge the newly injected PDF with the PDF, where you want to paste the image. Make sure to sort the files so that the new image is page 1 and the original PDF is page 2 (you might need to use Rename to add a suffix to the files before merging.

Would you mind sharing the part of the flow, where you have the original file and the injected job and then you merge them?

My part of the flow to do this looks like this: