Is iText free to use?

iText is dual-licensed under AGPL (open-source) and commercial licenses. AGPL requires you to open-source your application if you distribute it. Commercial licenses are available for proprietary applications.

When was iText first released?

iText was first released on February 14, 2000 (version 0.30) by Bruno Lowagie. It celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025 and is now part of the Apryse family.

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About This Metadata What is iText? How PDFs Are Created How to Use iText Version History Product Suite Metadata Details Troubleshooting FAQ

iText PDF Creator & Producer

Q: What does iText as PDF Producer mean?

When a PDF shows 'iText' followed by version information as the Producer, it means the PDF was created or modified using the iText library for Java or .NET (formerly iTextSharp).

Understanding PDF metadata that shows iText as the Creator or Producer — learn how the leading PDF library for Java and .NET creates and manipulates PDF documents with enterprise-grade capabilities.

☕ Java 🔷 .NET 📅 Since 2000

📄 About This PDF Metadata

When you examine a PDF file's properties and see iText followed by version information as the Producer, it indicates that the document was created or modified using the iText library — one of the most widely-used PDF libraries for Java and .NET, now part of the Apryse family.

Sample PDF Metadata from iText:

Title: Invoice #12345
Author: Finance Department
Creator: MyApplication
Producer: iText® 9.0.0 ©2000-2025 Apryse Group NV
Creation Date: 2025-01-27 09:15:00
PDF Version: 1.7

iText automatically sets the Producer field to include its name, version, and copyright information. The Creator field can be customized to show your application name. This metadata helps identify that the PDF was generated using the iText library.

PDF Creator

Shows your application name (customizable via setCreator()). If not set, may default to iText or the originating tool.

PDF Producer

📚 What is iText?

iText is an open-source PDF library for creating and manipulating PDF files in Java and .NET. Originally created by Bruno Lowagie at Ghent University in Belgium, iText was first released on February 14, 2000. In 2022, iText was acquired by PDFTron (now Apryse), and the library celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025.

Project Information

First Released:	February 14, 2000
Original Author:	Bruno Lowagie
Origin:	Ghent University, Belgium
License:	AGPL-3.0 / Commercial
Website:	itextpdf.com

Technical Details

Languages:	Java, C# (.NET)
Current Version:	iText 9.x (2025)
Owner:	Apryse (since 2022)
Used by:	IBM, Oracle, HP, Microsoft
Standards:	PDF 2.0, PDF/A, PDF/UA

Key Features:

📝

Create & Manipulate

Generate PDFs from scratch, merge, split, and modify existing documents

🔐

Digital Signatures

PKI-based signatures, PAdES, timestamps, and certificate validation

✅

Standards Compliance

PDF/A archiving, PDF/UA accessibility, PDF 2.0 support

💡 iText vs OpenPDF

OpenPDF is a fork of iText 4.2.x (the last LGPL/MPL version) and is actively maintained as an open-source alternative under LGPL/MPL license. If AGPL licensing is not suitable for your project and you don't want to purchase a commercial license, OpenPDF may be an alternative.

⚙️ How iText Creates PDFs

iText creates PDF documents programmatically using a high-level API that abstracts PDF syntax. You create documents using Java or C# code with intuitive classes for pages, paragraphs, tables, and more.

iText Capabilities:

Document Creation

PdfDocument: Core document object
Document: High-level layout API
PdfWriter: Write PDF to output stream
PdfReader: Read existing PDF files

Advanced Features

Forms: AcroForms, form filling
Signatures: Digital signing, validation
Conversion: HTML to PDF (pdfHTML)
Barcodes: QR codes, 1D/2D barcodes

iText supports advanced features like Unicode, font embedding, encryption (40-bit, 128-bit, AES-256), color management via ICC profiles, and Tagged PDF for accessibility.

📤 How to Use iText

Install iText via Maven (Java) or NuGet (.NET) and start creating PDFs:

Install via Maven (Java):

<!-- Add to pom.xml -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.itextpdf</groupId>
    <artifactId>itext-core</artifactId>
    <version>9.0.0</version>
    <type>pom</type>
</dependency>

Install via NuGet (.NET):

# Package Manager Console
Install-Package itext
# .NET CLI
dotnet add package itext

Create a Simple PDF (Java):

import com.itextpdf.kernel.pdf.PdfDocument;
import com.itextpdf.kernel.pdf.PdfWriter;
import com.itextpdf.layout.Document;
import com.itextpdf.layout.element.Paragraph;
// Create PDF document
PdfWriter writer = new PdfWriter("output.pdf");
PdfDocument pdf = new PdfDocument(writer);
Document document = new Document(pdf);
// Add content
document.add(new Paragraph("Hello, iText!"));
// Close document
document.close();

Set Document Metadata (Java):

PdfDocument pdf = new PdfDocument(new PdfWriter("output.pdf"));
PdfDocumentInfo info = pdf.getDocumentInfo();
// Set metadata
info.setTitle("Annual Report 2025");
info.setAuthor("Jane Doe");
info.setSubject("Financial Summary");
info.setKeywords("finance, report, 2025");
info.setCreator("My Application");
// Add custom metadata
info.setMoreInfo("Department", "Finance");

📅 Version History

iText has evolved significantly since its first release in 2000:

Version	Release	License	Key Changes
iText 0.30	Feb 14, 2000	MPL/LGPL	First public release by Bruno Lowagie
iText 2.x	2006-2008	MPL/LGPL	Last LGPL version (basis for OpenPDF fork)
iText 5.0	Dec 7, 2009	AGPL	License change to AGPL, Java 5 support
iText 7.0	2016	AGPL	Complete redesign, modular architecture
iText 8.0	2023	AGPL	FIPS 140-2, ISO cryptographic standards
iText 9.0	2024	AGPL	AES-GCM encryption, MAC integrity, enhanced PDF/UA

Key Milestones

2000: Bruno Lowagie releases iText 0.30
2000: Paulo Soares joins the project
2006: "iText in Action" book published (Manning)
2007: RUPS debugging tool launched
2008: 1T3XT company founded
2009: License changed to AGPL

Recent History

2011: iText Software BVBA founded
2016: iText 7 complete redesign
2021: PDFTron acquires iText
2023: PDFTron rebrands as Apryse
2023: iText 8 with FIPS support
2025: iText celebrates 25 years!

🛠️ iText Product Suite

iText offers a comprehensive suite of PDF tools and add-ons:

📄

iText Core

Foundation library for PDF creation, manipulation, and processing

🌐

pdfHTML

Convert HTML and CSS to PDF with full styling support

✍️

pdfCalligraph

Advanced typography for global languages and scripts

🔐

pdfSweep

Redaction tool for removing sensitive content

👁️

pdfOCR

Optical character recognition for scanned documents

🔧

RUPS

PDF debugging and diagnostic tool

⚠️ Licensing Note

iText is dual-licensed under AGPL (open-source) and commercial licenses. Under AGPL, if you distribute software using iText over a network, you must make your source code available. For proprietary applications, a commercial license is required. Contact sales@itextpdf.com for licensing options.

🔍 Understanding PDF Metadata

iText provides full access to PDF metadata through the PdfDocumentInfo class:

Metadata Field	iText Method (Java)	Description
Title	`info.setTitle() / getTitle()`	Document title (customizable)
Author	`info.setAuthor() / getAuthor()`	Document author (customizable)
Subject	`info.setSubject() / getSubject()`	Document subject (customizable)
Keywords	`info.setKeywords() / getKeywords()`	Searchable keywords (customizable)
Creator	`info.setCreator() / getCreator()`	Application name (customizable)
Producer	`info.getProducer()`	Set automatically to "iText® [version]..."
Creation Date	`info.getMoreInfo("CreationDate")`	When the document was created
Modification Date	`info.getMoreInfo("ModDate")`	When the document was last modified
Custom Fields	`info.setMoreInfo(key, value)`	Add custom metadata fields

Read Metadata from Existing PDF:

import com.itextpdf.kernel.pdf.PdfDocument;
import com.itextpdf.kernel.pdf.PdfReader;
import com.itextpdf.kernel.pdf.PdfDocumentInfo;
// Open existing PDF
PdfDocument pdf = new PdfDocument(new PdfReader("input.pdf"));
PdfDocumentInfo info = pdf.getDocumentInfo();
// Read metadata
System.out.println("Title: " + info.getTitle());
System.out.println("Author: " + info.getAuthor());
System.out.println("Creator: " + info.getCreator());
System.out.println("Producer: " + info.getProducer());
pdf.close();

XMP Metadata Support:

iText also supports XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) for embedding XML metadata:

// Add XMP metadata
PdfWriter writer = new PdfWriter(dest,
    new WriterProperties().addXmpMetadata());
PdfDocument pdf = new PdfDocument(writer);

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Common issues when using iText:

AGPL License Compliance Issues

Cause: Using iText in a proprietary application without a commercial license.

Solution: Under AGPL, if you deploy software using iText over a network, you must make your complete source code available under AGPL. For closed-source or proprietary applications, purchase a commercial license from Apryse. Alternatively, consider OpenPDF (LGPL fork) for non-AGPL requirements.

Font Not Found or Embedding Issues

Cause: The font is not available or not being embedded correctly.

Solution: Use PdfFontFactory.createFont() with the font file path and PdfEncodings.IDENTITY_H for Unicode support. Ensure fonts are embedded for PDF/A compliance. For system fonts, provide the full path or use FontProgramFactory.

PDF/A Validation Failures

Cause: Document doesn't meet PDF/A requirements (missing metadata, fonts not embedded, transparency issues).

Solution: Ensure all fonts are embedded, add XMP metadata with addXmpMetadata(), use appropriate color spaces (sRGB for PDF/A-1), and include a PDF/A output intent. Use PdfADocument class for automatic compliance checks.

Memory Issues with Large PDFs

Cause: Processing very large PDF files consumes excessive memory.

Solution: Use PdfDocument with append mode for incremental updates. Process pages individually rather than loading the entire document. For iText 7+, the modular architecture helps with memory management. Consider using SmartMode in WriterProperties.

iTextSharp vs iText .NET Confusion

Cause: Using outdated iTextSharp (iText 5 for .NET) instead of modern iText for .NET.

Solution: iTextSharp was the name for iText 5 on .NET. Starting with iText 7, the .NET version is simply called "iText" and uses the itext NuGet package. Update to iText 7+ for the latest features, security updates, and unified API across Java and .NET.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

When a PDF shows "iText®" followed by version information (like "iText® 9.0.0 ©2000-2025 Apryse Group NV") as the Producer, it means the PDF was created or modified using the iText library for Java or .NET. This is one of the most widely-used PDF libraries, now part of the Apryse family.

iText is dual-licensed under AGPL (open-source) and commercial licenses. Under AGPL, you can use iText freely, but if you distribute or deploy software using iText over a network, you must make your complete source code available under AGPL. For proprietary/closed-source applications, a commercial license is required from Apryse.

iText was first released on February 14, 2000 (version 0.30) by Bruno Lowagie at Ghent University in Belgium. The library celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025 and is now part of the Apryse family after being acquired by PDFTron in 2022.

OpenPDF is a fork of iText 4.2.x (the last version released under LGPL/MPL license) and is actively maintained as an open-source alternative. iText continued development under AGPL (since 2009) and is now at version 9.x with many more features. If AGPL licensing is not suitable and you don't want a commercial license, OpenPDF is an alternative with fewer features.

iTextSharp was the name for the .NET version of iText 5. Starting with iText 7, the .NET version is simply called "iText" and is available via the itext NuGet package. The Java and .NET APIs are now unified, making it easier to work across platforms. iTextSharp (iText 5) is no longer actively developed.

iText was created by Bruno Lowagie, a civil architectural engineer working at Ghent University in Belgium. He developed an initial PDF library called rugPDF in 1998, then rewrote it as iText ("interactive text") in 1999-2000. Paulo Soares joined the project in summer 2000 and became a main developer. Bruno founded 1T3XT BVBA in 2008 (later iText Group NV).

iText supports: PDF 2.0 (latest ISO 32000), PDF/A (PDF/A-1, A-2, A-3 for archiving), PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility), PDF/X (print production), and PAdES (advanced electronic signatures). iText 9 also supports ISO/TS 32003 (AES-GCM encryption) and ISO/TS 32003 (MAC integrity protection).

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📝 Summary: iText PDF Metadata

iText first released February 14, 2000
Available for Java and .NET
Licensed under AGPL or commercial
Created by Bruno Lowagie in Belgium

Now owned by Apryse (since 2022)
Supports PDF 2.0, PDF/A, PDF/UA
Current version: iText 9.x
Used by Fortune 500 companies
OpenPDF is LGPL fork alternative