PDF Writer - An Obsidian Plugin for Filling and Writing PDFs

PDF Writer is a lightweight and user-friendly plugin for Obsidian, developed voluntarily to help users write and fill PDF forms directly from their vault. If you enjoy using this plugin, don’t forget to ⭐ star the repository to show your support!

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🧠 Features Summary

• Add custom text annotations by clicking anywhere on the PDF.
• Customize text font, size, and color.
• Move text zones freely on the page (right-click + drag).
• Modify existing annotations anytime.
• Save and reload annotations automatically.
• Export your annotated PDF with embedded text layers.
• Supports multiple fonts: Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman, Courier New, Georgia.

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🚀 How to Use

1. Open a PDF in Obsidian. The custom PDF Writer toolbar will appear at the top of the viewer.

2. Choose your text style using the toolbar:

   • Select Font Size
   • Select Font Family
   • Choose Text Color

3. Add new text annotations:

   • Click the Add Text button.
   • Then click anywhere on the PDF where you want to place the text.
   • A new editable text zone will appear — type your content.

4. Edit an annotation:

   • Click on a text zone to select it.
   • You can then change its font size, color, or family from the toolbar.
   • The selected zone is highlighted for clarity.

5. Move an annotation:

   • Click and drag the text zone to move it around freely on the page.

6. Delete an annotation:

   • Double-click a text zone to reveal the 🗑️ Delete button.
   • Click the button to remove the annotation.

7. Save your work:

   • Click the 💾 Save button to store all annotations in a .annotations.json file.
   • Annotations are automatically reloaded when reopening the PDF or switching tabs.

8. Export to PDF:

   • Click the ⬇️ Export button to generate a new PDF with all text annotations embedded directly into the document.
   • The exported PDF preserves font size, color, and position of each annotation.

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🖱️ Important Note:

In most cases, right-click and drag is used to move annotations. For certain PDF files, left-click may also work, depending on how the PDF is rendered in Obsidian. If you experience issues with left-click, try right-click instead, which works consistently across all PDFs.

🚧 Work in progress notice 📝

⚠️ Heads Up! This plugin is currently in beta development.
Although fully functional, you may encounter:

• Occasional problems with text positioning on the PDF .
• Limited support for colored fonts (only a few fonts available).
• Slight variations in overlay accuracy depending on PDF resolution.

Optimum results when :

• Using PDFs with bright, high-contrast content.
• Text editing with standard fonts and colors.
• Working with clean, high-quality scans.

We are actively working on :

• Full support for custom fonts
• Smarter positioning and scaling
• Enhanced UX for even more user-friendly interfaces

Stay updated on progress → GitHub Repository

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📥 Installation

From Obsidian :

1. Go to Settings → Community Plugins and click on "Browse".
2. Search for PDF Writer.
3. Click "Install" and enable the plugin.

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⚙️ Compatibility

• Minimum Obsidian Version: 1.5.8
• Works on desktop and mobile platforms.

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📜 License

This plugin is licensed under the MIT License. Feel free to use, modify, and share it as per the terms of the license.

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✨ Credits

• Author: Jobelin Kom
• Developed as a voluntary project to assist the Obsidian community.

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you’d like to suggest improvements, report bugs, or contribute code, feel free to:

1. Open an issue.
2. Fork the repository and create a pull request.

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Issues

If you encounter any issues or need assistance:

• Check the Issues tab for help.
• Contact the author via GitHub.

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⭐ Show Your Support

If you find this plugin useful, please consider leaving a ⭐ on the repository! It helps the project grow and reach more users.

Found a bug? Have feature ideas?

📧 My Email