Driving Me Crazy

[Mike Clarke]

And for the benefit of any Windows users who don't already have this facility installed I can recommend the free PDF "printer driver" pdfcreator .

[Stuart Noble]

Sounds like it should be useful but I can't think of anything offhand. What do you typically use it for?

[maxim naumov]

perhaps because not all installations have PDF writer installed?

another reason is that PDF exporting tools differ. if all you do is print, it doesn't matter much (although size can differ). but if you want to _search_ for text, some PDF export tools will create such PDFs that you won't be able to search in them. the method above doesn't mangle text, convert it to raster image or split it into separate characters as some of the tools do.

/max

[Stuart Noble]

This one suggested earlier has the search cpability

end up with several pdfs, which would be better as one.

[Lurch]

On Thu, 10 May 2007 22:02:09 +0100, maxim naumov mused:

But you still have to install something either way, a converter or PDF printer.

Fair enough, I only really use CutePDF for converting Excel invoice sheets into PDF's for emailing, saves the customer inadvertantly editing it and cocking it up!

For making PDF's if I wanted to make them properly I've got a copy of Acrobat 6 Pro round here somewhere.

[Huge]

BTW, Open Office can export to PDF's directly.

And I've not yet come across an MS Office document that Open Office won't open.

[Aidan Karley]

Alternatively you can use the method that's been available for about 2 decades - create a postscript file for sending to your postscript printer, and instead feed it to your postscript-to-PDF conversion program (hundreds available for free, or upwards in price). If you want something "official", get an Adobe PS printer driver

, then use whatever PS-2-PDF program you want to use. (Hint : this is exactly what Adobe's Distiller does. Distiller is Yet Another PS to PDF converter. With it's own selection of bugs. Personally, I use Ghostscript or PDFcreator, depending on the lack of administrative rights I have on a system.)