> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cloudinary.com/documentation/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get creative with the CLI (video tutorial)

## Overview

Watch this tutorial to learn how to use the Cloudinary CLI to create images from the pages of a PDF. The video also demonstrates how to generate a sprite from those images, but note that this feature will soon be deprecated.
> **INFO**:
>
> The **Sprite** feature will be deprecated as of **September 16, 2025**, and will no longer function after that date. Be sure to remove it from any production code.

## Video tutorial

  This video is brought to you by Cloudinary's video player - embed your own!Use the controls to set the playback speed, navigate to chapters of interest and select subtitles in your preferred language.

## Tutorial contents
This tutorial presents the following topics. Click a timestamp to jump to that part of the video.
### Begin with a multi-page PDF.
{table:class=tutorial-bullets}|  | 
| --- | --- |
|{videotime:id=media :min=0 :sec=16 :player=cld} | Choose a multi-page PDF from your files.<code>blue_signs.pdf|

### Upload the PDF to Cloudinary
{table:class=tutorial-bullets}|  | 
| --- | --- |
|{videotime:id=media :min=0 :sec=25 :player=cld} | Use the upload command to upload the PDF, specifying its public ID.<code>cld uploader upload blue_signs.pdf public_id=blue_signs|

### Use the explode method to pre-generate each page image
{table:class=tutorial-bullets}|  | 
| --- | --- |
|{videotime:id=media :min=0 :sec=36 :player=cld} | Use the explode method to pre-generate images from each page of the PDF. Although not strictly necessary in this context, it does help to speed up the subsequent commands that need the derived images.<code>cld uploader explode blue_signs page=all|

### Upload an image for each page and apply tags
{table:class=tutorial-bullets}|  | 
| --- | --- |
|{videotime:id=media :min=0 :sec=41 :player=cld} | Use the upload command to upload the images derived from each page of the PDF as new images, and apply the tag **blue_signs** to each.<code>cld uploader upload http://res.cloudinary.com/carl/image/upload/pg_1/blue_signs.png tags=blue_signs|

### View each new image
{table:class=tutorial-bullets}|  | 
| --- | --- |
|{videotime:id=media :min=1 :sec=06 :player=cld} | Each image has a random public ID. Copy and paste the url to view the image.|

### Find assets with the tag 'blue_signs'
{table:class=tutorial-bullets}|  | 
| --- | --- |
|{videotime:id=media :min=1 :sec=16 :player=cld} | List the assets with the **blue_signs** tag to check that no other assets have the same tag, otherwise they would also be included in the sprite.<code>cld admin resources_by_tag blue_signs tags=true|

### Generate a sprite from all images with the tag 'blue_signs'
{table:class=tutorial-bullets}|  | 
| --- | --- |
|{videotime:id=media :min=1 :sec=32 :player=cld} | Use the CLI command to generate the sprite from the tagged images, and apply a transformation to crop each image to a square.<code>cld uploader generate_sprite blue_signs transformation='{"width"=200, "height":200, "crop": "fill", "gravity":"auto"}'|

### View the sprite
{table:class=tutorial-bullets}|  | 
| --- | --- |
|{videotime:id=media :min=1 :sec=48 :player=cld} | Copy and paste the `secure_image_url` into your browser.|

### View the CSS
{table:class=tutorial-bullets}|  | 
| --- | --- |
|{videotime:id=media :min=1 :sec=57 :player=cld} | Copy and paste the `secure_css_url` into your browser.|

### Use the sprite and CSS in a web page
{table:class=tutorial-bullets}|  | 
| --- | --- |
|{videotime:id=media :min=2 :sec=03 :player=cld} | Use the CSS classes to display images from your sprite in a web page.|

## Keep learning

> **READING**:
>
> * Learn more in the [Cloudinary CLI Reference](cloudinary_cli).

> * Read about the Cloudinary CLI in this [blog post](https://cloudinary.com/blog/commanding_cloudinary_through_the_cli).

#### If you like this, you might also like...

  
  
  
    Get Started with the CLI
    Set up the CLI and get familiar with some basic commands 
  

  
  
  
    Scripting with the CLI
    Use a script to create an animated GIF 
  

  
  
  
    Upload with the CLI
    Apply background removal to images on upload 
  

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