How to solve pdf header signature not found error?

Question

I'm using iText in my java program for editing an existing pdf.The generated pdf could not open and it shows pdf header signature not found error.I'm using both my input and output file in a same name.

private static String INPUTFILE = "/sample.pdf";
private static String OUTPUTFILE = "/sample.pdf";       
public static void main(String[] args) 
        throws DocumentException,
        IOException 
{
    Document doc = new Document();
    PdfWriter writer = PdfWriter.getInstance(doc,new FileOutputStream(OUTPUTFILE));
    doc.open();
    PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(INPUTFILE);
    int n;
    n = reader.getNumberOfPages();
    System.out.println("No. of Pages :" +n);
    for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) 
    {
            if (i == 1)                 
            {            
                   Rectangle rect = new Rectangle(85,650,800,833);
                   PdfFormField pushbutton = PdfFormField.createPushButton(writer);
                   pushbutton.setWidget(rect, PdfAnnotation.HIGHLIGHT_PUSH);
                   PdfContentByte cb = writer.getDirectContent();
                   PdfAppearance app = cb.createAppearance(380,201);
                   app.rectangle(62,100,50,-1);
                   app.fill();
                   pushbutton.setAppearance(PdfAnnotation.APPEARANCE_NORMAL,app);
                   writer.addAnnotation(pushbutton);
                   PdfImportedPage page = writer.getImportedPage(reader, i);
                   Image instance = Image.getInstance(page);
                   doc.add(instance);
                }

I think you should update your code with the suggestions given in this answer http://stackoverflow.com/a/8655157/930271 — Francisco Puga, Dec 29 '11 at 09:44

score 9 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 28 '11 at 11:11

9

Then try at first renaming the input file to .bak, and reading the .bak, and writing the .pdf. That could give a clue whether the error is with reading or writing.

Itext is not a single API, but several ones, mixed together. Quite hard sometimes. I did:

Close both the PdfReader and FileInputStream.

Close both Document and PdfWriter.

answered Dec 28 '11 at 11:11

Joop Eggen

107,315
7
83
138

2

Closing the streams help me! Thank you. – Feb 25 '14 at 02:45
exactly closing streams are important .. thank you so much – sijo jose Apr 16 '19 at 16:23

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 19 '12 at 17:17

You may be importing from an empty source, or a invalid pdf file, in my case pdfCopy dont work, so here is the code I used.

Document document = new Document();
PdfWriter writer = PdfWriter.getInstance(document, OutputStream );
PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(dato.getBinaryStream());

PdfImportedPage page1 = writer.getImportedPage(reader, 1);
PdfContentByte cb = writer.getDirectContent();
cb.addTemplate(page1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0);

 document.setPageSize(new Rectangle(page1.getWidth(),page1.getHeight()) );

...

This should work.

can you define 'dato' in dato.getBinaryStream() Thanks – user2677034 Jan 15 '20 at 19:55 — user2677034, Jan 15 '20 at 19:55

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 16 '16 at 16:35

4

In My case PDF sample file was corrupted. upload new file it will works.

answered Sep 16 '16 at 16:35

tika

341
2
11

score 3 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 23 '12 at 11:44

You should use PdfCopy instead of PdfWriter.getInstance, since it fails to update the PDF object references otherwise.

Furthermore instead of adding an Image to the document, you can utilize the PdfCopy.addPage method, which accepts a PdfImportedPage as parameter.

Document doc = new Document();
PdfCopy writer = new PdfCopy(doc,new FileOutputStream(OUTPUTFILE));
doc.open();
PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(INPUTFILE);
int n = reader.getNumberOfPages();
System.out.println("No. of Pages :" +n);
for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
        if (i == 1) {            
               // removed code for clarity
               PdfImportedPage page = writer.getImportedPage(reader, i);

               writer.addPage(page);
            }
}

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Sep 05 '12 at 16:12

I had the same error and I just changed my PdfReader from reading InputStreams to read Strings. So, it works perfectly with:

public static void doMerge(List<String> list, OutputStream outputStream)
    throws DocumentException, IOException {
Document document = new Document();
PdfWriter writer = PdfWriter.getInstance(document, outputStream);
document.open();
PdfContentByte cb = writer.getDirectContent();

for (String in : list) {
    PdfReader reader = new PdfReader(in);
    for (int i = 1; i <= reader.getNumberOfPages(); i++) {
        document.newPage();
        // import the page from source pdf
        PdfImportedPage page = writer.getImportedPage(reader, i);
        // add the page to the destination pdf
        cb.addTemplate(page, 0, 0);
    }
}

outputStream.flush();
document.close();
outputStream.close();

}

*Originally I took this code from http://www.mindfiresolutions.com/Java-Merging-multiple-PDFs-into-a-single-PDF-using-iText-671.php

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Oct 05 '20 at 12:43

1

Your pdf should start with %PDF.You can check it.My file was corrupted.

answered Oct 05 '20 at 12:43

Melahat Mindivanli

11
4

How to solve pdf header signature not found error?

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