Support and know how, in one place

Every callas licence comes as a Licence PDF. It holds the product name, serial number, platform, number of users and the licence key. Keep it somewhere safe: it is your proof of licence, it is confidential and it should not be shared with anyone outside your company.

pdfToolbox Desktop

• Standalone: open the Licence PDF on the machine, or go to Help › callas pdfToolbox and select the Licence PDF.
• Acrobat plug in: in Adobe Acrobat go to Plug Ins › pdfToolbox Activation and select the Licence PDF.

pdfToolbox Server / CLI

Activate on the command line, pointing either at the Licence PDF or at the licence key itself:

pdfToolbox --keycode "<your name>" "<your company>" "<path to the Licence PDF>"
pdfToolbox --keycode "<your name>" "<your company>" <licence key>

Licences that use License Server

If your licences sit on a callas License Server (on premise or SaaS), there is nothing to activate on the processing machines. pdfToolbox takes a licence from License Server each time it runs. See License Server, SaaS wallets and cartridges.

Where to find your Licence PDFs

Log in to your account at autom8print.com/my. Documents holds your Licence PDFs in your Licences folder, and Your Licences lists every SMA with its serial numbers and renewal date.

Activation not working? Email sales@autom8print.com with your serial number and a screenshot of the message.

A pdfToolbox licence is activated on one machine at a time. When you replace a computer or server, the licence needs to be released from the old one first.

Planned move

1. Let us know first, so we can send you the Software License Removal Agreement (see below).
2. Deactivate the licence on the old machine before you remove it.
3. Install the same version of pdfToolbox on the new machine.
4. Activate it with your Licence PDF (see Activating your callas licence).

The old machine has crashed or been wiped

That happens. Email us the serial number and we will release the old activation for you. If you need to keep running in the meantime, we can send a temporary key.

Your Licence PDF is also waiting in your account: log in at autom8print.com/my, open Documents and you will find it in your Licences folder, ready to activate on the new machine.

The Software License Removal Agreement

Whenever a licence is moved or changed, callas needs a signed Software License Removal Agreement for the old licence. That covers a new machine, a new platform (Windows, macOS, Linux), a change of hosting, and a change of licence type such as moving to License Server or SaaS. It confirms that the old licence has stopped being used and that the old licence files and keycode have been deleted.

1. Tell us the serial number, the product and what is changing (new machine, new platform, or moving to License Server or SaaS).
2. We send you the agreement to sign online. It only takes a couple of minutes.
3. Once it is signed we release the old activation and send your new licence, which also appears in your account under Documents.

Need the installer?

Make sure you install the version your licence is for. If you can't find the right installer, ask us and we will send the download link.

Licences are issued for a platform, which is shown on the Licence PDF (for example Windows, macOS, Windows or Linux). Desktop licences usually cover both macOS and Windows.

If you move a Server / CLI, Dispatcher or other licence to a different operating system, we reissue it for the new platform. While your licence is covered by an SMA, this platform crossgrade is included.

For a platform change we will also send you the callas Software License Removal Agreement to sign online, confirming the old platform licence is no longer used. See Moving a licence to a new computer.

To request it, email us the serial number(s), the platform you are moving from and the platform you are moving to. Always tell us the platform when you order or renew, so your licence arrives for the right system first time.

callas releases a new major version of pdfToolbox roughly once a year (version 17 is current).

With an active SMA

New major and minor versions released during your SMA term are included at no extra cost. Ask us for your new licence and we will send it to you. Once issued it is also in your account under Documents.

Without an SMA

• pdfToolbox Desktop: a one off upgrade to the next version is available. If you upgrade at every major release, an SMA usually works out better value.
• Server / CLI and SDK: new versions come through the SMA.

If your SMA has lapsed

Bringing a lapsed SMA back may need a reinstatement to cover the gap. Talk to us before you plan an upgrade and we will confirm the terms, so there are no surprises.

Each SMA has its own ID (newer agreements use a numeric callas ID, older ones an E number such as E/822). You can see yours, with its serials and renewal date, under Your Licences in your account.

What it includes

• All updates and new versions released during the term
• Platform crossgrades if you change operating system
• Email and telephone support from callas, Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:30 CET

Renewal

• The agreement renews each year unless notice is given at least 30 days before the renewal date.
• We send a renewal quotation ahead of the date. Payment is in advance, and cleared funds are needed 15 calendar days before the start date to keep cover continuous.
• Licence keys are issued once payment is confirmed, and your Licence PDFs appear in your account under Documents.

Adding licences part way through

Licences you add during the year are co termed with your existing SMA: they are charged pro rata to the same end date, so everything renews together on one quotation.

Server / CLI

An SMA is mandatory for pdfToolbox Server / CLI licences.

An overview of the callas software products we supply and support, and how they are licensed.

pdfToolbox Desktop

For manual preflight, fixing and inspection on a workstation. Desktop can process up to 99 files at a time, but each run is started by hand.

pdfToolbox Server / CLI

Automated processing on one machine with no limit on the number of files. Jobs run from hot folders, the command line or your workflow system, with no one needed to start them. It includes one pdfToolbox Desktop licence, which can be installed on the server and on one other machine for admin use, on Mac or Windows.

Cold spare and development licences

A cold spare licence is for failover only. A development licence is for testing only, never production work.

pdfToolbox Dispatcher and satellites

Dispatcher spreads jobs across several servers for load balancing and resilience. Each satellite connected to it is a full pdfToolbox Server licence.

License Server (on premise)

Floating licences with no activation on the machines that do the processing. License Server is activated once on its own host, a physical or virtual server, and pdfToolbox Desktop, Server / CLI, Dispatcher and SDK take a licence from it while they work. Capacity is bought as processes (how many jobs can run at the same time) and loaded as cartridges, with optional credits to cover peaks. It includes a 5 process pdfToolbox Desktop cartridge. License Server itself can't run inside Docker, but pdfToolbox running in Docker containers can take its licences from it. It is covered by its own SMA.

License Server SaaS

The same floating licences, hosted by callas, so there is nothing to install or maintain. It is a yearly subscription with all updates included, so there is no separate SMA (monthly billing is also available). Your processes and credits sit in a wallet, identified by a Wallet ID: install pdfToolbox Desktop, Server, CLI or SDK on any machine and it takes a licence from the wallet while it is working. You can move work between production servers, disaster recovery machines or a test laptop without touching a licence file, and you can keep separate wallets for production, test and development, or for each site. Processes used only for development and testing are available at a reduced price. SaaS works with Docker, autoscaling and serverless platforms, as long as the machine can reach License Server.

More detail in License Server, SaaS wallets and cartridges and License Server SaaS: network requirements.

pdfToolbox SDK

For developers building pdfToolbox into their own applications.

pdfaPilot

Creates, checks and fixes PDF/A files for long term archiving, from Office documents, images and other PDFs. Available as Desktop, Server / CLI and SDK, licensed in the same way as pdfToolbox.

pdfChip

Turns HTML, CSS and JavaScript into high quality, print ready PDF, ideal for variable data, personalised documents and templates driven from your own systems. Runs on the command line and can be licensed through License Server or SaaS.

Running in Docker and the REST API

callas publishes official pdfToolbox CLI images on Docker Hub for Intel and ARM. Containers can't be activated the traditional way, so they take their licence from License Server. pdfToolbox 17 also includes a REST API, delivered as Docker images with built in job queueing, so pdfToolbox can be called directly from a web to print front end, an MIS or your own applications. Operations include preflight, reading profile variables, saving pages as images, splitting by layers and splitting at marks.

License Server gives you floating licences. Instead of each machine holding its own activation, pdfToolbox takes a licence from License Server while it is working and hands it back afterwards.

Two ways to run it

• License Server SaaS (hosted by callas): you only need the License Server address and your Wallet ID. Nothing to install or maintain. Recommended by callas for containers and the REST API.
• On premise License Server: you install, activate and look after it on your own physical or virtual server, and make sure it always holds valid cartridges. Usually only chosen when network or security policy blocks the cloud service.

Both work in exactly the same way for pdfToolbox: same cartridges, same scaling.

Moving existing licences to License Server or SaaS

Existing pdfToolbox licences can be crossgraded to License Server or SaaS. The old licences are surrendered as part of the move, so you will be asked to sign the callas Software License Removal Agreement for each one. Talk to us about how a crossgrade would work for your setup.

Wallets, processes and credits

• Your licences sit in a wallet. You can have more than one, for example production, test and development, or one per site.
• Processes cover your everyday workload: one process is one job running at a time.
• Credits cover peaks, so you don't pay all year for capacity you only need at busy times.
• Processes for development and testing are kept in their own wallet or cartridge.

Cartridges

On an on premise License Server, licences arrive as cartridge PDFs, each holding a number of processes or credits. When a cartridge reaches its end date it is replaced by a new one at renewal.

Development cartridges

When pdfToolbox uses a development cartridge, add --lsdev to the command. Without it you can get Error 1008.

Pass this to your IT team before any trial or go live.

License Server address	licenseserver.callassoftware.com
Licensing port	TCP 1400 outbound (mandatory)
callas IP addresses	18.185.168.191, 18.196.197.252, 3.72.138.9
SSL inspection	Must be off for port 1400. TLS inspection or re signing breaks the licence handshake, even with the port open.
Monitoring port	TCP 443 outbound (optional, web view and JSON status only)

Every job checks in with License Server. If a machine can't reach it, the job fails, so allow for this in firewall and failover planning. Wallet status can also be read as JSON for your own monitoring.

Error 1008: License server found but no matching cartridge installed means pdfToolbox reached License Server but could not find a licence it is allowed to use.

Check these first

1. Development cartridge? Add --lsdev to the command.
2. Firewall. If Windows shows a network access prompt when pdfToolbox starts, allow it. Check TCP port 1400 outbound is open and SSL inspection is off for it (see License Server SaaS: network requirements).
3. Wallet ID. Make sure the Wallet ID entered matches the one on your SMA.
4. Start the server by hand to see what it reports:

   pdfToolbox.exe --server --licenseserver=licenseserver.callassoftware.com --lsmessage=<your Wallet ID>

   Then use Connect with Remote Server with localhost and port 1202.
5. Cartridge expired? Look at Your Licences for the end date.

Still stuck? Email sales@autom8print.com with the full error text and a screenshot. We will raise it with callas support and can arrange a remote session.

Want to try pdfToolbox Desktop, Server / CLI or License Server SaaS before you buy? We can arrange a trial key from callas, normally for 14 to 30 days. Tell us the product, the version and the platform (Windows, macOS or Linux).

If you are waiting for a full licence, or a machine has failed, we can also arrange a temporary key so production keeps running.

Trial keys have an end date printed on the Licence PDF and stop working after it.