PDF Association logo

Discover pdfa.org

Key resources

Get involved

How do you find the right PDF technology vendor?
Use the Solution Agent to ask the entire PDF communuity!
The PDF Association celebrates its members’ public statements
of support
for ISO-standardized PDF technology.

Member Area

callas pdfToolbox Server

Produced by callas software GmbH

Fully automated processing pdftoolbox-logo_server-rgb

pdfToolbox Server allows processing PDF documents in a fully automated mode. Any number of processing jobs can be configured. Each job is configured with an input folder that is monitored constantly by pdfToolbox Server; as soon as new files appear they are picked up and processed according to the configuration of the job. If errors are detected, the processed files are dropped into an error output folder, if everything is successful, they move to a success output folder.
pdfToolbox Server is even capable of integrating the manual and automatic parts of a workflow; need to have someone check on error files to decide whether they are really a production problem or to fix them? No problem, pdfToolbox Server can automatically hold problem files in a checkpoint. pdfToolbox Desktop operators then get a list of problem files and can check them out to their workstation to inspect or correct. After inspection the file (or a modified version) can be sent to the success or error folder and continue in the workflow.
Do you have more tasks to automate around quality control or fixing PDF documents? pdfToolbox Server seamlessly integrates into automation solutions such as Enfocus Switch and Laidback FileTrain; get and send files to FTP servers, send notification emails, connect to databases, work with XML files and much, much more suddenly becomes possible.

Fixing problems or simply reporting them

Each job in pdfToolbox Server can be configured using a preflight profile; these profiles allow fully automated quality control but can just as easily also fix common PDF problems. Through its standard profiles, pdfToolbox Server supports a wide range of preflight standards:

  • All ISO PDF standards: PDF/X, PDF/A, PDF/E and PDF/VT
  • All Ghent Workgroup market-segment specific specifications

Of course you can extend or customize any built-in profile to develop exactly the quality control rules you need in your workflow as well.

Growing with your workflow

Because pdfToolbox Server is fully multi-processor aware, it can handle many different tasks in parallel; up to 8 files can be processed simultaneously with the standard product license. The unlimited version of pdfToolbox Server is even only limited by the power of the computer server it is installed on.
When you get to the point where you want to distribute workload across multiple systems, pdfToolbox Server is ready for that as well. pdfToolbox Server can easily be upgraded to a pdfToolbox Dispatcher license; preserving all job configuration that was done already. This dispatcher now works together with one or more pdfToolbox Satellites; running on the same or different machines in the network, they allow workload distribution and return their results to the dispatcher.

Dynamic preflighting, flexibility to the max

For years, pdfToolbox Server has had the ability to include variables in preflight profiles. This allows preflight checking and conversion to dynamically change based on the processed PDF file or its associated metadata, which is of great value in more complex preflight workflows. Now pdfToolbox also includes process plans, which brings conditional processing to preflight workflows.
The pdfToolbox preflight profile’s support for variables allows to dynamically change the properties of preflight checks and fixes in a profile. In workflows where only some parameters change often (for example when checking sizes of incoming advertisements), this can be used to dramatically reduce complexity. The same technology also allows switching specific checks or fixes on or off while processing files.
Process plans define a number of steps a PDF file should be processed through. Each step can be a preflight profile, a single preflight check or a fix or an action (such as saving images, creating a booklet…). Process plans allow for generating preflight reports based on the result of each step. It is also possible to jump between different steps based on the results of a previous step.

Comfortably in control

Whether a single pdfToolbox Server is used, or pdfToolbox Dispatcher shares the load across different systems, setting up and monitoring processing can be a complex task. pdfToolbox simplifies this by allowing remote configuration and remote monitoring of any pdfToolbox installation.
All pdfToolbox Server management tools have been built into pdfToolbox Desktop. From the desktop application it is possible to start a local server or connect to one or more remote servers. This enables you to test preflight profiles or process plans locally and configure a remote server with them once you’re completely satisfied with what they do.

More than PDF

Many workflows need more than simple PDF preflight and correction; pdfToolbox Server is uniquely suited to go all the way.
It can be used to impose PDF documents, automatically convert Office documents to PDF, generate thumbnails or preview images and more…

  • Optimize PDFs for mobile or web use: compress, crop invisible parts of images, convert to RGB...
  • Generate PostScript and EPS from PDF or create production-accurate thumbnails or preview images in TIFF, JPEG and PNG format
  • Use the full-featured imposition engine to create booklets, do a step-and-repeat or perform more complex imposition tasks
  • Split PDF files into separate documents or merge files together, secure PDF files with passwords or re-distill them to fix problems

callas DeviceLink Add-on Server (payable option)

The callas DeviceLink Add-on Server enables you to perform conversions via the supplied DeviceLink profiles.

  • Includes a series of most used DeviceLink profiles for repurposing in professional printing
  • Includes DeviceLink profiles for optimization of total ink coverage for standard printing conditions



Product Type

Windows MacOS Linux Server Command-line Developer tool End user PDF viewer/printer Workflow management Utility


Creation Consuming Editing


Verify Viewer
WordPress Cookie Notice by Real Cookie Banner