Blank pages in output file using PyPDF2 in Python script

I'm trying to split pdf pages vertically in 2, and merge all pages to one file, using script below.

I get an output file where there is double pages of original, but they are all blank?

My script is:

import PyPDF2

def split_pdf(input_pdf, output_pdf):
    pdf_reader = PyPDF2.PdfReader(input_pdf)
    pdf_writer = PyPDF2.PdfWriter()

    for page_num in range(len(pdf_reader.pages)):
        page = pdf_reader.pages[page_num]

        width = page.mediabox.upper_right[0]
        height = page.mediabox.upper_right[1] - page.mediabox.lower_left[1]

        half_width = width / 2

        page_left = pdf_writer.add_blank_page(width=half_width, height=height)
        page_left.merge_page(page)

        page_right = pdf_writer.add_blank_page(width=half_width, height=height)
        page_right.merge_page(page)
        page_right.mediabox.lower_left = (half_width, page_right.mediabox.lower_left[1])
        page_right.trimbox.lower_left = (half_width, page_right.trimbox.lower_left[1])

    with open(output_pdf, 'wb') as output_file:
        pdf_writer.write(output_file)

# Eksempel p&aring; brug
input_pdf_path = r"C:\Users\xxxxx\Desktop\Pdf splitter - test\didkdk_annualreport_2022_di.pdf"
output_pdf_path = r"C:\Users\xxxxx\Desktop\Pdf splitter - test\didkdk_annualreport_2022_di_split.pdf"
split_pdf(input_pdf_path, output_pdf_path)

Can anyone help me figuring out what is wrong in the code?

Thanks in advance

Python

Accepted answers

All comments

Hammad_Rashid

Here are some modifications you can make to address these issues:

Initialize PdfWriter correctly: Change pdf_writer = PyPDF2.PdfWriter() to pdf_writer = PyPDF2.PdfFileWriter().
Adjusting page_right coordinates: After merging the page into page_right, you need to adjust the coordinates of page_right to start from the right half of the page. You can do this by updating the page_right.mediabox.lower_left and page_right.trimbox.lower_left.

Here's the modified script:

import PyPDF2

def split_pdf(input_pdf, output_pdf):
pdf_reader = PyPDF2.PdfReader(input_pdf)
pdf_writer = PyPDF2.PdfFileWriter()

for page_num in range(len(pdf_reader.pages)):
page = pdf_reader.pages[page_num]

width = page.mediabox.upper_right[0]
height = page.mediabox.upper_right[1] - page.mediabox.lower_left[1]

half_width = width / 2

page_left = pdf_writer.addBlankPage(width=half_width, height=height)
page_left.merge_page(page)

page_right = pdf_writer.addBlankPage(width=half_width, height=height)
page_right.merge_page(page)
page_right.mediabox.lower_left = (half_width, page_right.mediabox.lower_left[1])
page_right.trimBox.lower_left = (half_width, page_right.trimBox.lower_left[1])

with open(output_pdf, 'wb') as output_file:
pdf_writer.write(output_file)

# Example of usage
input_pdf_path = r"C:\Users\xxxxx\Desktop\Pdf splitter - test\didkdk_annualreport_2022_di.pdf"
output_pdf_path = r"C:\Users\xxxxx\Desktop\Pdf splitter - test\didkdk_annualreport_2022_di_split.pdf"
split_pdf(input_pdf_path, output_pdf_path)

These changes should help fix the issue you're facing.

caltang

When you're merging the left and right pages, you're merging the original page into both the left and right pages.

Try this

import PyPDF2

def split_pdf(input_pdf, output_pdf):
    pdf_reader = PyPDF2.PdfReader(input_pdf)
    pdf_writer = PyPDF2.PdfWriter()

    for page_num in range(len(pdf_reader.pages)):
        page = pdf_reader.pages[page_num]

        width = page.mediabox.upper_right[0]
        height = page.mediabox.upper_right[1] - page.mediabox.lower_left[1]

        half_width = width / 2

        page_left = pdf_writer.add_blank_page(width=half_width, height=height)
        page_left.merge_page(page)

        page_right = pdf_writer.add_blank_page(width=half_width, height=height)
        page_right.merge_page(page.copy())  # Create a copy of the original page
        page_right.mediabox.lower_left = (half_width, page_right.mediabox.lower_left[1])
        page_right.trimbox.lower_left = (half_width, page_right.trimbox.lower_left[1])

    with open(output_pdf, 'wb') as output_file:
        pdf_writer.write(output_file)

# Example usage
input_pdf_path = r"C:\Users\xxxxx\Desktop\Pdf splitter - test\didkdk_annualreport_2022_di.pdf"
output_pdf_path = r"C:\Users\xxxxx\Desktop\Pdf splitter - test\didkdk_annualreport_2022_di_split.pdf"
split_pdf(input_pdf_path, output_pdf_path)

tore_nielsen

Hi Caltang

I get this error when run the script?

AttributeError                            Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-12-fa8bf0cb6d10> in <module>
     27 input_pdf_path = r"C:\Users\DKTINN\Desktop\Pdf splitter - test\didkdk_annualreport_2022_di.pdf"
     28 output_pdf_path = r"C:\Users\DKTINN\Desktop\Pdf splitter - test\didkdk_annualreport_2022_di_split.pdf"
---> 29 split_pdf(input_pdf_path, output_pdf_path)

<ipython-input-12-fa8bf0cb6d10> in split_pdf(input_pdf, output_pdf)
     17 
     18         page_right = pdf_writer.add_blank_page(width=half_width, height=height)
---> 19         page_right.merge_page(page.copy())  # Create a copy of the original page
     20         page_right.mediabox.lower_left = (half_width, page_right.mediabox.lower_left[1])
     21         page_right.trimbox.lower_left = (half_width, page_right.trimbox.lower_left[1])

~\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python38\site-packages\PyPDF2\_page.py in merge_page(self, page2, expand)
    683                 expanded to accommodate the dimensions of the page to be merged.
    684         """
--> 685         self._merge_page(page2, expand=expand)
    686 
    687     def mergePage(self, page2: "PageObject") -> None:  # pragma: no cover

~\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python38\site-packages\PyPDF2\_page.py in _merge_page(self, page2, page2transformation, ctm, expand)
    757             )
    758 
--> 759         page2content = page2.get_contents()
    760         if page2content is not None:
    761             page2content = ContentStream(page2content, self.pdf)

AttributeError: 'dict' object has no attribute 'get_contents'

caltang

Hmm, I'm stuck on this myself. Maybe Stackoverflow is the better place for this?

tore_nielsen

I found a solution after all.

It wasn't as advanced as I thought thought it would be.

import PyPDF2
import copy

def split_pdf(input_pdf, output_pdf):
        pdf_reader = PyPDF2.PdfReader(input_pdf)
        pdf_writer = PyPDF2.PdfWriter()

        for page_num in range(len(pdf_reader.pages)):
                    page = pdf_reader.pages[page_num]
                    
                    page_left = copy.copy(page)
                    page_right = copy.copy(page)
                    
                    if page.rotation == 90:                    
                        page_left.Cropbox.top = page.Cropbox.top / 2
                        page_right.Cropbox.bottom = page.Cropbox.top / 2
                    else:
                        page_left.Cropbox.right = page.Cropbox.right / 2
                        page_right.Cropbox.left = page.Cropbox.left / 2
                        
                    pdf_writer.add_page(page_left)
                    pdf_writer.add_page(page_right)

        with open(output_pdf, 'wb') as output_file:
            pdf_writer.write(output_file)

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