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Hello,
this is available since version 11.28.0. In the PDF24 Reader, right-click on the page and choose Show page information. It shows the page size in points, inches and millimetres, the number of characters and words, and the page boxes (MediaBox, CropBox, ...). If you right-click on an object such as a comment, you find the entry in the submenu Page.
The current version is available here: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/creator
Hello,
thank you, andrebrazil. The message in the screenshot comes from Windows: it cannot find the file under this path, for example because the file was moved, renamed or deleted, or because the Desktop folder is synchronised with OneDrive.
Please try this:
- Open the PDF24 Reader from the Start menu.
- Click "Open" and select the file on the Desktop.
If the file opens this way, the path that was used before was no longer valid. If the PDF24 Reader does not open any PDF file at all, please tell us your PDF24 version and how you open the files (double-click, recently opened list, another program), and we will look into it.
Hello,
PDF24 does not build a search index like DocFetcher, but since version 11.31.0 the PDF24 Reader can search the text of all PDF files in a folder:
- Open the PDF24 Reader.
- Click "Extended Search" on the start screen, or open it via the "More" menu.
- Choose the folder, optionally "Include subfolders" and a file name filter, enter the search term and click "Search".
The results are listed with file, page and text. A click on a result opens the file and highlights the matches. The results can also be exported as a CSV file.
Please note: the search only covers PDF files, and it reads them each time you search. Scanned PDFs without a text layer are not found. You can add a text layer with OCR, also online: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/ocr-pdf
If you have an older version, please update PDF24 first.
Hello,
please run the setup of the current PDF24 Creator again: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/creator
The setup creates the PDF printer "PDF24" again. You also get the current version, which has many improvements compared to 11.27.0.
If the printer "PDF24" is still missing afterwards, please send us the file
pdfPrnInst.logwith this button. You can find it in the installation folder, usuallyC:\Program Files\PDF24.Hello,
in "Edit PDF" the formatting buttons such as "Make font bold" and "Underline text" always apply to the whole text box. Formatting only some words inside a text box is not possible at the moment.
As a workaround, put the words that should be bold or underlined into a text box of their own and place it next to the normal text. "Clone element" helps here: the copy keeps font, size and colour, so you only have to change the text and the formatting.
This also applies to the online version: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/edit-pdf
Thank you for the suggestion, we will add it to our list.
Hello,
this usually comes from printing a PDF into a new PDF. When a PDF is printed, the program that prints it (here PrintConductor or the PDF viewer it uses) creates the print data. Depending on that program, text is sent as images, or the information which character each letter shape stands for is lost. The page still looks right, but copying text gives wrong characters. PDF24 only receives these print data.
Our recommendation is not to print the PDF files at all, but to add them to the combined file directly. PDF24 then takes the PDF files as they are and only converts the other files:
- In the PDF24 Creator: drag all files (Word, Excel, PDF, ...) into the Creator, arrange them and click "Merge documents".
- Automated: the PDF24 DocTool joins files from the command line, see https://creator.pdf24.org/manual/11/#1115-join-input-files-and-create-an-output-pdf-file
Merging PDF files also works online: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/merge-pdf
If the text of a PDF is also lost this way, please send us the file with this button so that we can reproduce this:
Voor koedie9: dat is waarschijnlijk gewoon een PDF-bestand. Windows toont bij het bestandstype het programma waarmee PDF-bestanden standaard worden geopend, bij u Microsoft Edge. Als u nog een vraag heeft, opent u daarvoor graag een eigen onderwerp.
Hello,
thank you for the detailed feedback. In the Custom mode the Toolbox loads the pages as previews so that you can set the scissors. With more than 3,000 pages this needs a lot of memory, which is most likely the reason for the white pages and the crash.
What helps:
- Please update to the current version. Since version 11.28.0 the tools for splitting, merging and extracting need fewer resources for large PDFs.
- If the parts may have the same number of pages, use the mode Pages per PDF instead of Custom. It does not load page previews, you only enter the number of pages per file.
- With the next version, the Custom mode has a field Split after pages where you can type the page numbers (e.g. 3, 7, 12) instead of clicking each pair of scissors.
Splitting by file size (a new file whenever a maximum size is reached) is on our to-do list.
Splitting also works online: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/split-pdf
Hello,
the scissors in Split PDF only appear between pages, so they can split a document into several files, but they cannot cut inside a page. Halve pages always cuts a page exactly in the middle. Cutting a page at another position, such as 60/40, is not possible at the moment.
As a workaround you can use Crop PDF twice on the same file: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/crop-pdf
- Crop the file so that only the first part remains (for a 60/40 split from top to bottom: set Bottom to 40% of the page height in mm, or drag the edge in Visual mode). Save the result.
- Crop the original file again so that only the second part remains (set Top to 60% of the page height). Save the result.
- If you want both parts in one file, combine them with Merge PDF: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/merge-pdf
Please note that cropping only hides the cut-off part, it remains in the file.
Thank you for the suggestion, we will add it to our list.
Hello, a short update: the page https://tools.pdf24.org/en/sign-pdf now also explains in its FAQ how to sign a PDF digitally with a certificate: switch to Sign, then use the PDF24 certificate (self-signed) or your own .p12/.pfx file, optionally with a timestamp.
Hello,
since then we have replaced the converter behind the "Complete" mode with our own. In our tests with Chinese PDFs the Chinese text is now kept in the HTML.
Please convert your file again with "Complete": https://tools.pdf24.org/en/pdf-to-html
If characters are still missing or the file is much larger than you expect, please tell us here. Then we will check it with your example file.
Hello,
online this is already possible with the PDF editor: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/edit-pdf
Open your PDF there, choose "Add page numbers", pick a pattern such as {NUM} and set "Min. digits" to 4. Page 1 then gets 0001, page 11 gets 0011 and so on. Save the PDF when you are done.
The tool "Add page numbers" in the PDF24 Toolbox and on https://tools.pdf24.org/en/add-page-numbers-to-pdf does not have this option yet. Thank you for the suggestion, we will add it to our list.
Hello,
thank you for the detailed description. Since 11.28.2 there have been several new versions. The current version 11.31.1 contains a newer Ghostscript version (10.08.0) and many other fixes. Please update to 11.31.1 and try "Merge all or selected documents" with "Medium quality" again.
If "Document0.pdf" is still only 3 KB: So that we can reproduce this, please send us a file where it happens to forum@pdf24.org. Ideally the files you merge and the 3 KB result.
You can also merge online: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/merge-pdf
Hello,
there are two ways:
- Online: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/create-pdf-booklet. The tool arranges the pages so that you can print the sheets on both sides, fold them in the middle and staple them.
- In PDF24 Creator 11.31.0 or newer: open the PDF in the PDF24 Reader and click "Print". In the print dialog, tick "Booklet". Under "Binding" you choose left or right, under "Subset" you can print the front sides and back sides separately if your printer cannot print on both sides.
Hello,
thank you for the suggestion, we will add it to our list. At the moment there are no keyboard shortcuts for switching between these tools.
Until then you can reach the tools with one click: click the gear icon at the bottom of the sidebar on the left (or right-click the sidebar) and choose Customize tool shortcuts…. There you can add tools such as Select text, Snapshot, Measure or Organize pages to the sidebar.
Hello,
the PDF24 Reader currently creates strikeouts (and also highlights and underlines) without the mark that tells PDF programs to print an annotation. They are shown on screen, but left out when printing. This is an error in our Reader, we have passed it on to development.
Until then you can try this:
- Open the PDF24 Toolbox, choose "Flatten PDF" and flatten the PDF with the strikeouts. The visible annotations become normal page content.
- Print the flattened file.
This also works online: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/flatten-pdf
Keep your original file as well, because in the flattened file the strikeouts can no longer be changed or removed.
Hello,
we are sorry, but the changes cannot be recovered. The "Edit PDF" tool keeps all changes only in the open window until you save, it does not write a temporary copy. After the laptop switched off, the edits were lost.
For longer work please save in between, for example as a copy of the PDF. This applies to the online editor as well: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/edit-pdf
The PDF24 Reader can restore unsaved changes after a crash since version 11.31.0. The next time you start it, it asks "Restore documents?". For "Edit PDF" this does not exist yet. We will add it to our list.
Hello,
which PDF24 program do you mean, e.g. the PDF24 Toolbox, the PDF24 Creator or the PDF24 Reader, and which version do you use? Please also describe what happens: can the window not be made larger or smaller at all, or does it not fit on your screen? A screenshot of the window helps. You can send it to forum@pdf24.org.
Hello,
thank you for the feedback. Here is the current state:
- Show signatures in PDF24 Reader: Since version 11.31.0 the Reader has a Signatures panel in the sidebar. It lists the signatures of a PDF and validates them. A colored dot shows whether a signature is valid, untrusted, invalid or unknown. When you select a signature, you see the signer, issuer, certificate validity, reason, location, date and whether the document was modified after signing. The signature is briefly highlighted on the page.
- Signing when saving with PDF24 Creator: With the next version, the private key of certificates on smart cards and tokens is also opened via the modern Windows interface (CNG), so tokens are supported better. If signing fails, you get a message with the reason instead of a file without a valid signature. The signature can then also include a timestamp and validation data (LTV).
- Visible signature online: The tool https://tools.pdf24.org/en/sign-pdf can sign a PDF digitally with a visible signature on the page. Switch to Sign, place the signature and choose your own certificate file (.p12/.pfx), which stays on your device. Certificates on a token cannot be used there.
Hello,
the built-in updater of PDF24 can only install an update if the signed-in user is a member of the Administrators group. On clients where users work without administrator rights, which is typical with Intune, it cannot install updates by itself.
The reliable way is to distribute each new version through Intune as well. An update is simply the MSI package of the new version: it replaces the installed version automatically. Use the same MSI properties as for your first deployment. The file name contains the version and the architecture, e.g. https://download.pdf24.org/pdf24-creator-11.31.1-x64.msi (also available as
x86andarm64). The current version is listed at the top of the changelog: https://creator.pdf24.org/changelog/en.htmlIf the clients should not look for updates themselves because you distribute them centrally, install the MSI with
AUTOUPDATE=No. This sets the registry valueUpdateModeto2(no update checks). The options are described in the manual:
https://creator.pdf24.org/manual/11/#3-msi-installer
https://creator.pdf24.org/manual/11/#41-common-registry-settingsHello,
sorry that this question remained unanswered for so long.
Wrong characters like this often appear when the text is written with a font that is embedded in the PDF and contains only some of the characters, for example in a form field. To find the cause, please tell us:
- What exactly did you do: fill in a form field, add new text, or change text that was already in the PDF?
- Which version of PDF24 Creator do you use? Please update to the current version first and try again: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/creator
So that we can reproduce this, please send us a file where it happens to forum@pdf24.org.
If you changed text that was already in the PDF: editing existing content is in the works and will be released with one of the upcoming versions once it is finished. Until then, you can cover the old text with a white rectangle and add new text on top. The old text stays in the file underneath. This also works online: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/edit-pdf
To fill in a form online you can also use: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/fill-out-pdf
Hello,
the built-in updater of PDF24 Creator can only install an update if the signed-in user is a member of the Administrators group. For other users it shows that an update is available, and Windows asks for the credentials of an administrator. There is currently no setting to allow this once for standard users. Thank you for the suggestion, we will add it to our list.
In company networks, updates are usually distributed centrally. An update is simply the regular setup of the new version, installed over the existing installation. So your software deployment, which runs with administrator rights, can install it silently, e.g.:
pdf24-creator.exe /VERYSILENT /NOUPDATE/NOUPDATEturns off the update check on the clients, so the users are no longer asked. Since version 11.27.0, later updates keep this setting. With the MSI package, the auto-update is disabled by default (AUTOUPDATE=No). The update mode can also be set in the registry with the valueUpdateMode.All options are described in the manual:
https://creator.pdf24.org/manual/11/#2-exe-installer
https://creator.pdf24.org/manual/11/#3-msi-installer
https://creator.pdf24.org/manual/11/#41-common-registry-settingsHello,
you can store this in the PDF file itself with the tool Set PDF viewer preferences: select your PDF, set Page mode to
UseThumbsand click Change preferences, then download the new PDF. It then asks the viewer to open with the thumbnails panel.Online: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/set-pdf-viewer-preferences
In PDF24 Creator you find the same tool in the PDF24 Toolbox as Edit viewer preferences.
Please note: this setting is only a request to the program that opens the file. Each viewer decides itself whether it follows it. Adobe Acrobat Reader, for example, takes it into account. PDF24 Reader currently ignores the page mode stored in the PDF. Supporting it is on our to-do list.
If you meant the thumbnails of PDF files in Windows File Explorer instead, please let us know.
Hello, a short update: this is fixed now in the online PDF editor (online since 30.10.2026). Pages that are wider than the view can now be scrolled completely, also to their left edge, and Fit to view fits the page you are looking at instead of the first page.
Hello,
the unit price of 160 is correct. In EN 16931 the item net price (BT-146) is only reduced by a discount on the price itself (BT-147), not by a line discount. A discount on the invoice line is a line allowance (BT-136 amount, BT-138 percentage) and is subtracted in the line net amount. For your example the values must be:
- Unit price (BT-146): 160
- Allowance base amount (BT-137): 2 x 160 = 320
- Allowance amount (BT-136): 20 % of 320 = 64
- Invoice line net amount (BT-131): 320 - 64 = 256
PDF24 calculates exactly these values if they are not given in the input file. Values that are given in the input file (in a JSON file for example
netAmountof the item, orbasisAmountoramountof the allowance) are used as they are and are not recalculated. If one of them does not fit, you get the errors R120 and R040. Please check these values in your input file, or remove them and let PDF24 calculate them.If this does not help: so that we can reproduce this, please send us the input file you pass to
-createInvoice, the full command line and the generated XML file to forum@pdf24.orgHello,
yes. The problem occurs when the print job comes from an account that has no user session, for example SYSTEM or a service account of a program. PDF24 normally hands every print job over to PDF24 in the session of the user who prints. For such accounts there is no session, so the job stays in the queue with an error.
For this case there is the option "Save with the PDF24 Windows Service". The PDF24 service then saves the file itself, also when nobody is logged in:
- Open the PDF24 settings, section "PDF Printer", and click "Run as administrator". The option is only shown with administrator rights.
- Select the PDF24 printer and choose "Automatically save documents after printed" under "PDF Printer Tool". Enter the output directory under "Auto Save".
- Tick "Save with the PDF24 Windows Service" and save the settings.
- Delete the stuck jobs in the print queue and restart the Windows service "PDF24" (or the computer). In the current version the option only takes effect after a restart of the service.
The PDF24 service runs as "Local System" and saves the file with this account, so it is best to use a local folder that this account can write to.
This option is made for the classic PDF printer. If your PDF24 printer is the driverless printer (Windows Protected Print), we recommend a classic PDF printer for print jobs from service accounts: in the settings under "PDF Printer" click the + button ("Install a PDF printer"), choose the type "PostScript" and click "Install". Then set up the options above for this printer and print from your program to it.
Hello,
PDF24 already has such a tool: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/compare-pdf
You choose an original and a revised PDF. Added, removed and changed text is marked directly in both documents, and you can also run a visual comparison of the pages. The views are side by side, overlay, swipe (with a slider) and difference, and you can jump from change to change. Added or removed pages are recognized. The comparison runs in your browser, the files are not uploaded.
In PDF24 Creator the PDF24 Toolbox also has the tool "Compare PDFs".
Selecting only certain pages of each PDF and comparing several versions (A > B > C > D) in one session is not possible at the moment. Thank you for the suggestion, we will add it to our list.
Hello,
the tool Annotate PDF now uses a new editor: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/annotate-pdf
Text boxes are always horizontal there. Choose the tool "Free text" and click on the page where the text should go, then type your text. To change the text later, double-click the text box. You then edit it like normal text, Backspace and Delete work as usual, also for the last letter.
Hello,
yes, earlier versions always scaled the pages to the printable area of the printer. Since version 11.31.0, PDF24 Creator, the Assistant and PDF24 Reader print with a new print dialog with a preview, in which you choose the scaling yourself. Please update to the current version: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/creator
In the print dialog under Scaling:
- Actual size prints the page exactly in the size of the PDF, without shrinking. Anything that lies in the non-printable margin of your printer is then missing on the paper, as in your test with Chrome.
- Shrink to fit (never enlarge) is the default. It only shrinks pages that are larger than the printable area. An A4 page on A4 paper is always slightly larger than the printable area, which is why you see the white margin.
- Fit to page always scales the page to the printable area.
At the moment the dialog does not remember the scaling, so you have to select Actual size again for each print job. Saving this setting is on our to-do list.
Hello,
older versions always scaled the pages to the printable area of the printer. Since version 11.31.0, PDF24 Reader, PDF24 Creator and the Assistant print with a new print dialog with a preview, in which you can switch this off. Please update to the current version: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/creator
In the print dialog under Scaling, select Actual size. The page is then printed exactly in the size of the PDF, so checks, labels and scale drawings come out 1:1. Anything that lies in the non-printable margin of your printer is then missing on the paper. The default Shrink to fit (never enlarge) shrinks pages that are larger than the printable area, which is the case for a full-size page on paper of the same size. The preview shows the result before you print.
At the moment the dialog does not remember the scaling, so you have to select Actual size again for each print job. Saving this setting is on our to-do list.
Hello,
thank you for the feedback. Here is the current state:
- Online: The tool https://tools.pdf24.org/en/sign-pdf can now sign PDF files digitally. Switch to Sign, place a visible signature on the page or tick Sign without a visible signature, and choose a certificate: the PDF24 certificate (self-signed) or your own certificate file (.p12/.pfx), which stays on your device. Optionally you can request a timestamp (TSA) and enter name, reason and location.
- PDF24 Creator: Signing with a certificate when saving as PDF is possible as described above (without a visible signature). With the next version this signature can also include a timestamp from a timestamp service and validation data (LTV), and certificates on smart cards and tokens are supported better.
The message in Adobe Acrobat that the signing time is based on the signer's computer appears when a signature has no timestamp. With a timestamp, the signing time is confirmed by the timestamp service.