pdf-text

n8n community node to insert text at X/Y positions into existing PDFs using pdf-lib

Package Information

Released: 3 mo ago
Downloads: 165 weekly / 179 monthly
Latest Version: 1.0.1
Author: x88a9

Available Nodes

PDF Text icon
PDF Text
Insert text at X/Y positions into an existing PDF using pdf-lib

Documentation

n8n-nodes-pdf-text

An n8n community node that inserts text at precise X/Y positions into existing PDF files using pdf-lib.

Perfect for stamping values onto pre-made form templates — invoices, expense forms, certificates, contracts — without rebuilding the document.

Features

  • Takes a PDF as binary input from any upstream node (configurable binary property, default data).
  • Add multiple text fields — each with its own text, position, size, font and color.
  • Text supports n8n expressions, so you can map values from previous nodes.
  • Choose the target page (or apply to all pages).
  • Outputs the modified PDF as binary (configurable property, default data).

Installation

Community Nodes (recommended)

  1. In your n8n instance go to Settings → Community Nodes.

  2. Click Install.

  3. Enter the package name / GitHub URL:

    https://github.com/x88a9/pdflib-custom-node

  4. Agree to the risks and click Install.

After installation the PDF Text node is available in the node panel.

n8n must be configured to allow installing community nodes
(N8N_COMMUNITY_PACKAGES_ENABLED=true, which is the default).

Manual / self-hosted

cd ~/.n8n/nodes        # or your custom nodes folder
npm install https://github.com/x88a9/pdflib-custom-node

Then restart n8n.

Node configuration

Field Description
Input Binary Property Name of the binary property on the incoming item holding the source PDF (default data).
Text Fields One or more text entries to draw (see below).
Page Number 1-based page to draw on. Use 0 to apply text to all pages.
Output Binary Property Name of the binary property to write the result to (default data).
Output File Name File name for the resulting PDF. .pdf is appended automatically if omitted (so invoice and invoice.pdf both produce invoice.pdf). If left empty, the input file name is reused with an _edited suffix (e.g. report.pdf → report_edited.pdf).

The output item contains only the generated PDF — the original input file is
not carried through.

Each Text Field has:

Property Description
Text The text to insert (supports expressions).
X (pt from left) Horizontal position in points from the left edge.
Y (pt from bottom) Vertical position in points from the bottom edge.
Font Size Font size in points.
Font Helvetica, Helvetica Bold, Times Roman, or Courier.
Color Hex color string, e.g. #000000.

Coordinate system

pdf-lib uses a coordinate system where the origin (0, 0) is the bottom-left
corner of the page. This is the opposite of most screen/image coordinate
systems where (0, 0) is the top-left.

 (0, height) ┌───────────────┐ (width, height)
             │               │
             │   Y increases │
             │      ↑        │
             │               │
      (0, 0) └───────────────┘ (width, 0)
              X increases →
  • X grows to the right.
  • Y grows upward — a larger Y moves the text higher on the page.

Common page sizes (in points, 1 pt = 1/72 inch):

Size Width Height
A4 595 842
Letter 612 792

So to place text near the top of an A4 page, use a large Y value
(e.g. Y ≈ 800); near the bottom, use a small Y (e.g. Y ≈ 40).

Example: German expense form (Spesenformular)

Suppose you have an A4 template (595 × 842 pt) with labels printed on it and you
want to fill in the values next to each label. Approximate coordinates:

Feld Text (example) X Y Font Size Font
Beantrager {{$json.name}} 180 760 11 Helvetica
Datum {{$json.datum}} 180 730 11 Helvetica
Betrag {{$json.betrag}} € 180 700 11 Helvetica-Bold
Anzahl {{$json.anzahl}} 180 670 11 Helvetica
Verwendungszweck {{$json.zweck}} 180 640 11 Helvetica

Remember: because Y is measured from the bottom, the first row (Y = 760) sits
near the top of the page and each subsequent row steps down by 30 pt.

Tip: the exact X/Y values depend on your template. Start with rough values,
run the workflow, open the output PDF, and nudge the numbers until the text
lands where you want it.

Development

npm install
npm run build      # compiles TypeScript to dist/ and copies assets

The compiled output in dist/ is committed to the repository so the package can
be installed directly from GitHub without a build step.

License

MIT

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