How to Convert PDF to PDF/X with Python

Why Convert to PDF/X with Python?

The pdfRest Convert to PDF/X API Tool is a powerful resource for ensuring that PDF documents meet the industry standards for high-quality printing and publishing. By using this tool, you can convert your PDF files to the PDF/X format, which is essential for color-accurate and reliable printing.

This tutorial will show you how to send an API call to Convert to PDF/X using Python. A real-world example of why a user might use Convert to PDF/X is when a graphic designer needs to submit a print-ready file to a printing company, ensuring that the document adheres to the strict printing standards and color consistency required by the industry.

Convert to PDF/X with Python Code Example

from requests_toolbelt import MultipartEncoder
import requests
import json

pdfx_endpoint_url = 'https://api.pdfrest.com/pdfx'

# The /pdfx endpoint can take a single PDF file or id as input.
mp_encoder_pdfx = MultipartEncoder(
    fields={
        'file': ('file_name.pdf', open('/path/to/file', 'rb'), 'application/pdf'),
        'output_type': 'PDF/X-4',
        'output' : 'example_pdfx_out'
    }
)

# Let's set the headers that the pdfx endpoint expects.
# Since MultipartEncoder is used, the 'Content-Type' header gets set to 'multipart/form-data' via the content_type attribute below.
headers = {
    'Accept': 'application/json',
    'Content-Type': mp_encoder_pdfx.content_type,
    'Api-Key': 'xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx' # place your api key here
}

print("Sending POST request to pdfx endpoint...")
response = requests.post(pdfx_endpoint_url, data=mp_encoder_pdfx, headers=headers)

print("Response status code: " + str(response.status_code))

if response.ok:
    response_json = response.json()
    print(json.dumps(response_json, indent = 2))
else:
    print(response.text)

# If you would like to download the file instead of getting the JSON response, please see the 'get-resource-id-endpoint.py' sample.

This code is sourced from the pdf-rest-api-samples repository on GitHub.

Breaking Down the Python Code

The provided code snippet showcases how to interact with the pdfRest API to convert a PDF file to the PDF/X standard using Python. Here's a breakdown of the key components:

from requests_toolbelt import MultipartEncoder
import requests

This imports the necessary modules. MultipartEncoder from requests_toolbelt is used for encoding multipart form data.

mp_encoder_pdfx = MultipartEncoder(
    fields={
        'file': ('file_name.pdf', open('/path/to/file', 'rb'), 'application/pdf'),
        'output_type': 'PDF/X-4',
        'output' : 'example_pdfx_out'
    }
)

This creates a MultipartEncoder object with the fields needed for the API request. The fields include the PDF file to convert, the desired output type (PDF/X-4), and the output name.

headers = {
    'Accept': 'application/json',
    'Content-Type': mp_encoder_pdfx.content_type,
    'Api-Key': 'xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx'
}

These are the headers for the API request. The 'Content-Type' is set automatically by the encoder, and 'Api-Key' should be replaced with your actual API key.

response = requests.post(pdfx_endpoint_url, data=mp_encoder_pdfx, headers=headers)

This sends a POST request to the pdfRest API endpoint with the encoded data and headers.

Beyond the Tutorial

In this tutorial, we've learned how to make a multipart API call to the pdfRest Convert to PDF/X API using Python. This allows you to automate the process of converting PDFs to the PDF/X standard, which is crucial for professional printing and publishing workflows. You can now explore and demo all of the pdfRest API Tools in the API Lab at https://pdfrest.com/apilab/ and refer to the API Reference documentation at https://pdfrest.com/documentation/ for more details and options.

Note: This is an example of a multipart API call. Code samples using JSON payloads can be found at https://github.com/datalogics/pdf-rest-api-samples/tree/main/Python/Endpoint%20Examples/JSON%20Payload/pdfx.py.