Overview
Bookmark By Styles creates bookmarks by scanning the PDF for text that matches specific font names and sizes. You define one or more levels, each with its own font criteria and output formatting. The tool walks through the specified page range, finds matching text, and builds a hierarchical bookmark tree.
This is the primary method for automatically generating bookmarks from a well-formatted PDF where headings use consistent fonts and sizes.
How to use
- Open the PDF you want to bookmark.
- Go to Plug-Ins > Bookmarks > Bookmark By Styles.
- Set the From page and To page (or choose To end of file) to define the scan range.
- Set margin values to restrict the scan area (optional).
- Click Add to create a bookmark level. Configure the font name, font size, and threshold for each level.
- Set the output formatting for each level: view type, color, bold/italic, and expanded state.
- Repeat for additional heading levels as needed.
- Click OK to generate the bookmarks.
Page range
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| From page | The first page to scan (1-based). |
| To end of file | Scans from the start page through to the last page of the document. |
| To page | Scans up to and including this page number. |
Level settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Font name | The PDF font name to match. Multiple font names can be specified. |
| Font size | The point size to match. |
| Threshold | Allowed deviation from the specified font size. Increase this to accommodate minor size variations in the PDF. |
| Prefixes / Suffixes | Optional text to strip from the beginning or end of matched bookmark titles. |
| View type | The PDF view destination type assigned to the bookmark (e.g. Fit Page, Fit Width). |
| Color | Sets the bookmark text color in the bookmarks panel. |
| Bold / Italic | Sets the bookmark text style. |
| Expanded | When checked, the bookmark node is expanded by default in the bookmarks panel. |
Managing levels
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
| Add | Creates a new bookmark level with the current settings. |
| Modify | Updates the selected level with new settings. |
| Remove | Deletes the selected level from the list. |
| Move Up / Move Down | Reorders levels in the tree. Levels are processed top to bottom, so the order determines the bookmark hierarchy. |
Additional options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Margins | Define left, right, top, and bottom margins to restrict the scan area on each page. Text outside the margins is ignored. |
| Units | Choose between inches, centimetres, and points for margin input. |
| Configurations | Save and load named configurations using the dropdown at the top of the dialog. Click Save to store the current levels and settings, or select an existing configuration to restore it. |
| Keep existing bookmarks | When checked, the current bookmark tree is preserved and new bookmarks are added alongside it. When unchecked, existing bookmarks are removed before creating new ones. |
Tip
Select some heading text in the document before opening the dialog. The tool can read the font name and size from the selection to help you configure the first level quickly.
Tip
Start with the largest heading size (e.g. chapter titles) as Level 1, then add progressively smaller sizes for sub-headings. If headings vary slightly in size, increase the Threshold value to catch near-matches.
Warning
Clearing Keep existing bookmarks removes all current bookmarks before generating new ones. This cannot be undone.