pdfMachine creates PDF files through a virtual printer named Broadgun pdfMachine. Any application that can print can send its print stream there instead of to paper. pdfMachine writes a PDF representation and can then assemble pages. It can apply security or send the result afterward.
An existing PDF can also open directly. A scanner can supply pages through WIA or WIA2. TWAIN is another supported scanner-driver path. Page operations insert, append, rotate, delete or rearrange the PDF pages. These actions change the saved PDF rather than the original material outside it.
OCR adds searchable text behind the scan
A scanned page normally displays one image. pdfMachine OCR stores an invisible text layer behind that image during the save. Search and copy can use the recognized characters while the scanned picture remains the visible page.
OCR does not recreate the original editable office document. The recognized text remains a search and copy layer behind the visible scan.
Split and N-Up change page structure in opposite ways
Split PDF at page creates two PDF files around one boundary. Split PDF into many PDFs separates all pages. N-Up takes another route and shrinks several source pages onto one output page. A user who only needs to extract one section should choose the boundary operation rather than reducing several pages into one printable sheet.
PDF stationery merges the first page of an existing PDF onto every page of new output. Native files can enter the PDF as attachments. An attachment remains a separate embedded file; placing it inside the container does not make its contents part of the visible page.
Destructive redaction removes selected content
pdfMachine redaction removes selected text or images and replaces the area with a black block. Drawing a black rectangle over sensitive material covers the view instead of running the documented removal action.
Because redaction removes information, a mistaken selection changes the saved PDF permanently.
Security settings can apply AES encryption. Permission controls can restrict printing and copying. Another permission restricts modification. Digital signatures and PDF/A output follow separate workflows.
Office links require the Office add-in
The ordinary virtual-printer route captures printable output. The Office add-in can preserve internal Word and PowerPoint bookmarks and hyperlinks, even when a hyperlink belongs to an image. A Word table of contents creates bookmarks only when its source uses hyperlinks rather than page-number-only fields.
This makes the add-in different from selecting Broadgun pdfMachine in the Print dialog. A PDF can look correct through both routes while only the add-in output retains the intended internal navigation.
Browser printing and the extension are not equivalent
Chrome and Edge need the pdfMachine extension when the output requires selectable text or Parameter Parsing. The extension can choose a configured pdfMachine printer and set page size and margins. It can also set the page orientation.
Parameter Parsing reads control values from a generated PDF for actions such as email addressing or splitting. A generic browser print cannot promise those values. Automation can use profiles or a Next Action. Email integration follows the saved configuration and the user’s email setup rather than the PDF page alone.
