Help & Tutorials
Learn how to use every PDF Butler tool with our step-by-step guides
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Getting Started
What is PDF Butler?
PDF Butler is a privacy-first PDF toolkit that lets you work with PDF files directly on your device. Unlike other PDF tools that upload your files to remote servers, PDF Butler processes everything locally - your documents never leave your computer.
With PDF Butler, you can merge, split, rotate, compress, protect, sign, and much more. We offer 14 powerful tools to handle all your PDF needs.
100% Private
Files never uploaded
Fast Processing
Instant results
One-Time Payment
No subscriptions
Works Offline
Desktop version
Web Version vs Desktop Version
PDF Butler is available in two versions to suit your needs:
| Feature | Free Web Version | Desktop Version (£14.99) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Tools | 7 tools | All 14 tools |
| File Size Limit | 10MB per file | Unlimited |
| Offline Mode | ✕ Requires internet | ✓ Works offline |
| Compression | ✕ | ✓ Up to 91% reduction |
| Password Protection | ✕ | ✓ |
| Digital Signatures | ✕ | ✓ |
| Redaction | ✕ | ✓ |
Supported File Formats
- PDF files: All PDF versions supported
- Images: JPG, JPEG, PNG, WebP (for Image to PDF conversion)
Privacy & Security
Your files NEVER leave your device. All PDF processing happens locally in your browser (web version) or on your computer (desktop version). We have no servers that receive or store your documents.
How It Works
- Web Version: Uses JavaScript libraries (pdf-lib, PDF.js) that run entirely in your browser. When you close the tab, all file data is cleared from memory.
- Desktop Version: Runs completely offline on your computer. No internet connection required after installation.
What We Don't Collect
- Your PDF files or document contents
- Personal information or identifiers
- Usage analytics or behavior tracking
- Cookies or local storage data
Free Tools
Available in both Web and Desktop versions
Merge PDF
What it does: Combine multiple PDF files into a single document. Perfect for joining related documents, combining scanned pages, or creating comprehensive reports.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Merge PDF" tab in the sidebar
- Drag and drop PDF files onto the upload zone, or click to browse your files
- Add multiple files - they appear in a list below the upload zone
- Drag files to reorder them (first file = first pages in the output)
- Click the "Remove" button on any file to delete it from the list
- Click the "Merge PDFs" button to start processing
- Wait for the progress bar to complete
- Click "Download" to save your merged PDF
- Click "Start Over" to work with new files
💡 Pro Tips
- Files are combined in the exact order shown in the list
- Drag files up or down to change the order before merging
- Maximum file size is 10MB per file on the web version
- Desktop version has no file size limits
Split PDF
What it does: Extract specific pages from a PDF into a new document. Ideal for pulling out chapters, creating handouts, or removing unwanted pages.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Split PDF" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your PDF file by dragging or clicking to browse
- Wait for all pages to load as thumbnails
- Click on individual page thumbnails to select/deselect them
- Selected pages will be highlighted with a border
- Use "Select All" to quickly select all pages
- Click "Extract Selected Pages" to create your new PDF
- Download your new PDF containing only the selected pages
- Click "Clear" to start over with a different file
💡 Pro Tips
- Use this to remove unwanted pages from a document
- Extract a single chapter from a large book
- Create handouts from presentation slides
- Pull specific forms from a multi-page document
Rotate PDF
What it does: Rotate pages 90°, 180°, or 270° clockwise. Fix scanned documents that are sideways or upside down.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Rotate PDF" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your PDF file
- See page thumbnails displayed in a grid
- Choose your rotation angle from the dropdown:
- 90° Clockwise
- 180° (upside down)
- 90° Counter-clockwise (270°)
- Choose to apply rotation to "All Pages" or "Selected Pages"
- If using selected pages, click on thumbnails to select them
- Click "Rotate PDF" button
- Download your rotated PDF
- Click "Clear" to start over
💡 Pro Tips
- Fix scanned documents that were placed sideways on the scanner
- Correct phone photos saved in the wrong orientation
- Rotate only specific pages that need fixing
Organize Pages
What it does: Reorder, delete, and rearrange pages in your PDF. Get complete control over your document's page structure.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Organize Pages" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your PDF file
- All pages appear as draggable thumbnails in a grid
- To reorder: Drag and drop pages to new positions
- To delete: Click the X button on any page thumbnail
- Preview your new page arrangement
- Click "Save Changes" or "Download Organized PDF"
- Click "Start Over" to work with a different document
💡 Pro Tips
- Great for fixing page order in scanned documents
- Remove blank or unwanted pages
- Rearrange slides in a presentation PDF
- Move important pages to the front
Image to PDF
What it does: Convert images (JPG, PNG, WebP) into a PDF document. Each image becomes one page.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Image to PDF" tab in the sidebar
- Upload one or more images by dragging or clicking to browse
- Supported formats: JPG, JPEG, PNG, WebP
- Images appear in a preview grid
- Each image becomes one page in the final PDF
- Drag images to reorder them
- Click "Convert to PDF" button
- Download your new PDF
- Click "Clear All" to start over
💡 Pro Tips
- Perfect for creating a PDF from scanned photos
- Combine multiple receipts into one PDF
- Convert screenshots into a shareable document
- Create a photo album PDF
PDF to Images
What it does: Convert each PDF page into a high-quality image file (PNG or JPG).
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "PDF to Images" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your PDF file
- Choose your output format: PNG (lossless) or JPG (smaller file size)
- Choose the scale/resolution:
- 1x - Original size
- 1.5x - 50% larger
- 2x - Double size (recommended for quality)
- Click "Convert to Images"
- Each page becomes a separate image
- Download individual images or all at once
- Click "Clear" to start over
💡 Pro Tips
- Extract charts or diagrams from documents
- Create images for presentations or websites
- Share PDF content on social media as images
- Use PNG for text/graphics, JPG for photos
Unlock PDF
What it does: Remove restrictions from protected PDFs. This removes permission restrictions (printing, copying) - not password-protected files that require a password to open.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Unlock PDF" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your restricted PDF file
- If the PDF requires a password to open, enter it in the password field
- Click the "Unlock PDF" button
- Download the unrestricted version
- You can now print, copy, and edit freely
- Click "Clear" to start over
💡 Pro Tips
- This removes permission restrictions, not open passwords
- If a PDF requires a password to open, you'll need to enter it
- Use for PDFs where you own the content but lost the original unrestricted version
- Always respect copyright - only unlock documents you have rights to
Desktop Only Tools
Available exclusively in the Desktop version (£14.99)
Compress PDF Desktop Only
What it does: Reduce PDF file size by up to 91% using our Ghostscript-powered compression engine. Perfect for email attachments and web uploads.
Why Desktop Only? Uses the Ghostscript engine which requires local installation. This powerful compression technology cannot run in a web browser and must be installed on your computer for the best results.
Features
- Three compression levels: Low (best quality), Medium (balanced), High (smallest file)
- Compresses images within the PDF
- Optimizes fonts and removes redundant data
- Typical results: 50-91% file size reduction
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Compress" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your PDF file (any size - no limits on desktop)
- Choose compression level:
- Low - Best quality, moderate compression
- Medium - Balanced quality and size
- High - Maximum compression, smaller file
- Click "Compress PDF"
- See the before/after file size comparison
- Download your compressed PDF
💡 Best For
- Emailing large documents
- Uploading to websites with size limits
- Saving storage space
- Sharing files on messaging apps
Protect PDF Desktop Only
What it does: Add password protection and encryption to your PDFs. Control who can open, print, or copy your documents.
Why Desktop Only? Uses Ghostscript for 128-bit encryption. Secure encryption algorithms require local processing power and cannot be safely implemented in a browser environment.
Features
- Set a password required to open the PDF
- 128-bit encryption for security
- Prevents unauthorized access
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Protect" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your PDF file
- Set an Open Password (required to open the PDF)
- Optionally set a Permissions Password (to restrict actions)
- Choose what actions to allow/restrict:
- Printing
- Copying text
- Modifying
- Click "Protect PDF"
- Download your protected PDF
💡 Best For
- Confidential documents
- Financial records
- Legal documents
- Client contracts
Page Numbers Desktop Only
What it does: Add page numbers to your PDF documents with flexible positioning and formatting options.
Why Desktop Only? Requires advanced text rendering capabilities. Adding text overlays to PDFs at precise positions needs native font handling and PDF manipulation that browsers cannot reliably provide.
Features
- 6 positions: Top-left, Top-center, Top-right, Bottom-left, Bottom-center, Bottom-right
- 4 formats: "1", "Page 1", "1 of 10", "Page 1 of 10"
- Choose starting number
- Skip first page option (for cover pages)
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Page Numbers" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your PDF file
- Choose position:
- Top Left, Top Center, Top Right
- Bottom Left, Bottom Center, Bottom Right
- Choose format:
- 1, 2, 3...
- Page 1, Page 2...
- 1 of 10, 2 of 10...
- Page 1 of 10...
- Set starting page number
- Optionally skip the first page (for cover pages)
- Click "Add Page Numbers"
- Download your numbered PDF
💡 Best For
- Reports and documents
- Manuscripts and books
- Presentations
- Legal filings
Watermark Desktop Only
What it does: Add text or image watermarks to protect and brand your documents.
Why Desktop Only? Requires advanced image compositing. Blending watermarks with transparency and rotation onto PDF pages requires native graphics processing that browsers cannot efficiently handle.
Features
- Text watermarks: Custom text, font, size, color
- Image watermarks: Upload logo or stamp
- Position: Center, corners, tiled
- Opacity: Transparent to solid
- Rotation angle: Any angle for diagonal watermarks
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Watermark" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your PDF file
- Choose watermark type: Text or Image
- For text: Enter your watermark text, choose font and size
- For image: Upload your watermark image (logo, stamp)
- Adjust opacity (0-100%)
- Set rotation angle (0-360°)
- Choose position on the page
- Preview the result
- Click "Add Watermark"
- Download your watermarked PDF
💡 Best For
- Branding documents with your logo
- "DRAFT" or "CONFIDENTIAL" stamps
- Copyright protection
- Document tracking
Sign PDF Desktop Only
What it does: Add your signature to PDF documents. Draw, type, or upload your signature and place it anywhere on the page.
Why Desktop Only? Requires advanced signature rendering and positioning. Creating smooth, scalable signatures and placing them precisely on PDFs requires native graphics capabilities.
Features
- Draw signature: Use your mouse or touchscreen
- Type signature: Choose from handwriting fonts
- Upload signature: Use an image of your signature
- Place anywhere on the document
- Resize signature to fit
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Sign PDF" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your PDF file
- Create your signature using one of three methods:
- Draw: Use your mouse or touchpad to draw your signature
- Type: Type your name and choose a signature font
- Upload: Upload an image of your signature
- Click on the page where you want to place your signature
- Resize and position the signature as needed
- Click "Apply Signature"
- Download your signed PDF
💡 Best For
- Contracts and agreements
- Forms and applications
- Approval documents
- Letters and memos
Flatten PDF Desktop Only
What it does: Flatten form fields and annotations permanently into the PDF. Makes forms non-editable and ensures consistent appearance.
Why Desktop Only? Requires complex PDF structure manipulation. Flattening involves merging interactive elements with the page content, which requires deep PDF processing capabilities.
Features
- Converts fillable forms to static content
- Embeds annotations permanently
- Reduces file complexity
- Prevents further editing
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Flatten" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your PDF file (forms, annotated documents)
- Choose what to flatten:
- Form fields (text boxes, checkboxes, dropdowns)
- Annotations (comments, highlights, stamps)
- Both
- Preview the flattened result
- Click "Flatten PDF"
- Download your flattened PDF
💡 Best For
- Finalizing filled forms
- Archiving completed documents
- Preventing form tampering
- Ensuring consistent display across devices
Redact PDF Desktop Only
What it does: Permanently black out sensitive information. Redaction is irreversible - the content is completely removed, not just covered.
Why Desktop Only? Requires secure, irreversible redaction. True redaction must permanently remove underlying text data, not just overlay black boxes. This level of PDF manipulation requires native processing to ensure data is truly gone.
Features
- Draw black boxes over sensitive content
- Permanently removes underlying text
- Cannot be undone or revealed
- Meets legal redaction requirements
Warning: Redaction is permanent and cannot be undone. The original content is completely removed from the file, not just hidden. Always keep a backup of your original document.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Click the "Redact" tab in the sidebar
- Upload your PDF file
- Navigate to the page containing sensitive information
- Use the redaction tool to draw boxes over content to remove:
- Click and drag to create redaction areas
- Select text to redact specific words or phrases
- Review all marked redactions carefully
- Click "Apply Redactions" to permanently remove content
- Download your redacted PDF
💡 Best For
- Legal documents
- Medical records
- Financial statements
- GDPR compliance
- FOIA request responses
Support
Troubleshooting guides and frequently asked questions
Troubleshooting
Having issues? Here are solutions to common problems:
File Won't Upload
- Check file size: Web version has a 10MB limit per file. Desktop version has no limits.
- Check file format: Make sure you're uploading a valid PDF file (or images for Image to PDF).
- Try a different browser: Some older browsers may have compatibility issues.
- Check file permissions: Ensure the file isn't locked or in use by another program.
Processing Takes Too Long
- Large files take longer: Files with many pages or high-resolution images need more time.
- Try smaller files: If possible, split large documents first.
- Close other tabs: Web version uses your browser's resources - close unnecessary tabs.
- Use Desktop version: For large files, the desktop version is significantly faster.
Download Doesn't Start
- Check popup blocker: Your browser may be blocking the download. Look for a blocked popup notification.
- Try a different browser: Chrome, Firefox, and Edge work best.
- Check download folder: The file may have downloaded to a different location.
- Refresh and retry: Sometimes refreshing the page and trying again works.
Quality Issues
- Compression too aggressive: Try a lower compression setting for better quality.
- Use PNG for images: When converting PDF to images, PNG preserves quality better than JPG.
- Increase scale: Use 2x scale when converting PDF to images for higher resolution.
Tool Not Working
- Clear browser cache: Old cached files can cause issues. Clear cache and refresh.
- Refresh the page: A simple refresh often fixes temporary glitches.
- Try a different browser: If one browser doesn't work, try Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
- Disable extensions: Some browser extensions can interfere with PDF processing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my data secure?
Yes, absolutely. All files are processed locally in your browser (web version) or on your computer (desktop version). Your files are never uploaded to any server. We have no way to see or access your documents.
Can I use this commercially?
Yes! Both the free web version and the desktop version can be used for personal and commercial purposes. You can use PDF Butler for business documents, client work, and any commercial projects.
Do I need internet for the desktop version?
No, the desktop version works completely offline. Once installed, you never need an internet connection to use any of the 14 tools. This makes it perfect for secure environments and working on the go.
What's the refund policy?
We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all desktop purchases. If you're not satisfied for any reason, email us at crystalember9@gmail.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions asked.
How do I get support?
Email us at crystalember9@gmail.com. We typically respond within 24-48 hours. Please include:
- Which version you're using (Web or Desktop)
- What tool you're having trouble with
- Any error messages you see
- What you were trying to do
Why are some tools desktop-only?
Some features require technologies that can't run in a web browser:
- Compression: Uses the Ghostscript engine for maximum file size reduction
- Encryption: Requires secure 128-bit encryption algorithms
- Advanced rendering: Features like signatures and watermarks need native graphics capabilities
Is there a subscription?
No! The desktop version is a one-time purchase of £14.99. You pay once and get all 14 tools forever, including all future updates. No monthly fees, no annual renewals.
What operating systems are supported?
The desktop version currently supports Windows 10 and Windows 11. Mac and Linux versions may be available in the future.
Still Need Help?
Can't find what you're looking for? We're here to help!
Response Time
24-48 hours
Refund Policy
30-day guarantee
Tip: When contacting support, please include which version you're using (Web or Desktop), what tool you're having trouble with, and any error messages you see. This helps us solve your issue faster!