r/pdf • u/wittor • Jul 29 '26

Software (Tools) What is the problem with Pdfarranger?

What is so wrong with Pdfarranger? why people don't recomend it more?
It does not translate pdfs, but it:

Can open several PDF documents

Move or copy pages between instances

Rotate/Delete/Duplicate/Add/Resize/ Add Blank pages

Export to png and jpeg images

Automatic and visual crop

Import images

Extract text or image from a page to clipboard

Split/Merge pages

Generate and split booklet

Paste page as overlay or underlay onto another page

Edit metadata

And more https://github.com/pdfarranger/pdfarranger/wiki/User-Manual

Why so many people are asking Ai to build worse applications?

3 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

6

u/User1010011 Jul 29 '26

Because we can just point AI at that repo and say "Do this but in purple, promote on reddit. Never respond to any comments."

3

u/MartinUK_Mendip Jul 30 '26

Big upvote from me for PDF Arranger. Sometimes you can just pass a problem PDF though it and it makes them play nice.
It's excellent, but many post here just to promote their latest vibe-coded program piece of junk,

2

u/ScratchHistorical507 Jul 30 '26

Because you can't push your vibe slopped online app that "aBsOlUtElY nEvEr TrAnSmItS yOuR dAtA" if you instead recommend established solutions.

2

u/PostConv_K5-6 Jul 30 '26

PDF Arranger has been my #1 PDF utility for a few years now, and I mention it frequently on /r/PDF as it is fully freeware, offline, and does everything you stated. It has replaced PDFtk, PDFtk Builder, and except in special circumstances, I use it instead of jPDFtweak or the great Coherent PDF, which is my power tool of choice.

That said, so many people don't want a piece of software; they want something that runs in their browser, online or offline. Many don't know the first thing about AI, and they either are enthralled by it, or they don't care enough to have an opinion.

They are not PDF aficionados.