How to Convert PDF to TIFF with cURL

Why Convert PDF to TIFF with cURL?

The pdfRest PDF to Images API Tool provides a simple and efficient way to convert PDF files into image formats. This tutorial will guide you through the process of sending an API call to the PDF to Images endpoint using cURL, a command-line tool for transferring data with URLs.

Imagine you are a developer working on an application that needs to display PDF content as images, such as a document viewer or an e-book reader. Converting PDFs to images can make it easier to render and manipulate the content, especially on platforms that may not support PDF rendering natively. This is where the PDF to Images API tool comes in handy.

PDF to TIFF with cURL Code Example

curl -X POST "https://api.pdfrest.com/tif" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -H "Content-Type: multipart/form-data" \
  -H "Api-Key: xxxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx" \
  -F "file=@/path/to/file" \
  -F "output=example_out"

Source: GitHub

Breaking Down the Code

Let's break down the provided cURL command to understand how it works:

curl -X POST "https://api.pdfrest.com/tif"

This line specifies the HTTP method (POST) and the URL of the PDF to Images endpoint.

-H "Accept: application/json"

This header tells the server that the client expects a JSON response.

-H "Content-Type: multipart/form-data"

This header indicates that the request body will contain multipart form data, which is necessary for file uploads.

-H "Api-Key: xxxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx"

This header includes your API key, which is required for authentication. Replace xxxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx with your actual API key.

-F "file=@/path/to/file"

This option specifies the file to be uploaded. Replace /path/to/file with the actual path to your PDF file.

-F "output=example_out"

This option specifies the desired output format or filename. In this case, example_out is used as an example.

Beyond the Tutorial

In this tutorial, you learned how to use cURL to send an API call to the pdfRest PDF to Images endpoint. This is a powerful tool for converting PDFs to images, which can be useful in various applications.

To explore more features and tools provided by pdfRest, visit the API Lab. For detailed information on all available API endpoints and parameters, refer to the API Reference Guide.

Note: This is an example of a multipart API call. Code samples using JSON payloads can be found at GitHub.