Blog - Abbas ElDeniney

About this skill

# PDF Processing Guide

Overview

This guide covers essential PDF processing operations using Python libraries and command-line tools. For advanced features, JavaScript libraries, and detailed examples, see REFERENCE.md. If you need to fill out a PDF form, read FORMS.md and follow its instructions.

Quick Start

from pypdf import PdfReader, PdfWriter

# Read a PDF
reader = PdfReader("document.pdf")
print(f"Pages: {len(reader.pages)}")

# Extract text
text = ""
for page in reader.pages:
    text += page.extract_text()

Python Libraries

pypdf - Basic Operations

#### Merge PDFs

from pypdf import PdfWriter, PdfReader

writer = PdfWriter()
for pdf_file in ["doc1.pdf", "doc2.pdf", "doc3.pdf"]:
    reader = PdfReader(pdf_file)
    for page in reader.pages:
        writer.add_page(page)

with open("merged.pdf", "wb") as output:
    writer.write(output)

#### Split PDF

reader = PdfReader("input.pdf")
for i, page in enumerate(reader.pages):
    writer = PdfWriter()
    writer.add_page(page)
    with open(f"page_{i+1}.pdf", "wb") as output:
        writer.write(output)

#### Extract Metadata

reader = PdfReader("document.pdf")
meta = reader.metadata
print(f"Title: {meta.title}")
print(f"Author: {meta.author}")
print(f"Subject: {meta.subject}")
print(f"Creator: {meta.creator}")

#### Rotate Pages

reader = PdfRe

…

Use cases

For advanced pypdfium2 usage, see REFERENCE.md
For JavaScript libraries (pdf-lib), see REFERENCE.md
If you need to fill out a PDF form, follow the instructions in FORMS.md
For troubleshooting guides, see REFERENCE.md

Installation

Download the ZIP using the button on the right.
Unzip the folder.
Drop the pdf/ folder inside ~/.claude/skills/.
Restart Claude Code (or your Claude Desktop session) — the skill loads automatically.

# macOS / Linux
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
unzip claude-skill-pdf.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

What's included

LICENSE.txt

SKILL.md

forms.md

reference.md

scripts/check_bounding_boxes.py

scripts/check_fillable_fields.py

scripts/convert_pdf_to_images.py

scripts/create_validation_image.py

scripts/extract_form_field_info.py

scripts/extract_form_structure.py

scripts/fill_fillable_fields.py

scripts/fill_pdf_form_with_annotations.py

Frequently asked

What does the Pdf skill do?

Use this skill whenever the user wants to do anything with PDF files. This includes reading or extracting text/tables from PDFs, combining or merging multiple PDFs into one, splitting PDFs apart, rotating pages, adding watermarks, creating new PDFs, filling PDF forms, encrypting/decrypting PDFs, extracting images, and OCR on scanned PDFs to make them searchable. If the user mentions a .pdf file or asks to produce one, use this skill.

Who should use it?

Anyone working with Claude on documents-related tasks — consultants, founders, product teams, operators, and AI users who want repeatable, high-quality outputs from Claude.

How does it work?

Drop the folder into your `~/.claude/skills/` directory. Claude detects the SKILL.md instructions automatically and applies them when relevant.

What problem does it solve?

It removes the need to re-prompt Claude with the same context every time. Once the skill is installed, Claude already knows the rules, conventions, and procedures for this task.

How do I install it?

Download the ZIP, unzip it, and place the `pdf/` folder inside `~/.claude/skills/`. No other setup required.

Is it free?

Yes — free download. We just ask for your name and work email so we can send useful Claude updates.

Can I get a custom version?

Yes. Abbas ElDeniney builds tailored Claude skills for specific business workflows and data sources. Book a consultation to scope your version.

Pdf