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PrintPDF is a front-end to GhostScript, allowing PDF documents to be produced more easily under RISC OS. It adds a new “PDF Printer” as part of Printers on the iconbar – using this, any application which can print to paper can now also create a PDF document with ease.

[Iconbar screen shot]
A new “PDF” printer on the iconbar

Printing a file to PrintPDF will result in a "Create PDF" dialogue box opening so that the PDF can be saved to disc.

[PrintPDF screenshot]
The options being set for a PDF file

More features of PrintPDF, including its ability to add bookmarks to a PDF document, control document title and author information, and join several files into a single PDF, can be found below.

Compatibility

PrintPDF has been tested with RISC OS 4, Select and RISC OS 5; limited testing has also been done on RISC OS 3. The software is currently released in beta form, so if you find any problems on your system, let me know. The Castle 32-bit Shared C Library is required, which can be found at http://www.iyonix.com/32bit/system.shtml.

Iyonix OK Download: PrintPDF 0.85
121 Kbytes | 11th July, 2010 | 26/32-bit neutral

Other links

PrintPDF requires GhostScript, which can be found at http://www.mw-software.com/software/ghostscript/ghostscript.htm.

Those without an E+ or F+ format hard disc (pre RISC OS 4, which do not support long filenames or more than 77 files per directory) may wish to investigate Richard Atterer's raFS (from http://www.atterer.net/) or Andy Armstrong's X-Files (from http://wonderworks.geekgang.com/free/) to allow GhostScript to be installed.

Features of PrintPDF

Control is provided over all aspects of the conversion. The version of PDF can be selected, and any images in the document can be optimised for the intended purpose of the file. Details of the document’s title, author, subject and keywords can be specified: these can be seen in many PDF viewers.

[Document Info screen shot]
Setting a document’s title

PDF documents can be password protected and encrypted, and PrintPDF offers full control over the available options.

Adding bookmarks

PrintPDF allows bookmarks to be included in PDF documents, using its built-in bookmarks editor. Sets of bookmarks can be created and saved alongside the documents they relate to, then loaded back into PrintPDF when the PDF is created.

[Bookmark Editor screen shot]
Editing bookmarks for a PDF document

Joining files

The PDF Queue allows several separate printouts to be merged together into a single PDF document. The separate files are printed separately to PrintPDF and queued; once assembled, they can be arranged as required and turned into a single PDF.

[PDF Queue screen shot]
Handling queued PDFs

Version History

0.10 (10 July 2005)

First beta release.

0.20 (16 July 2005)

Second beta release.

  • Checks TaskManager on initialisation to prevent multiple copies running.
  • Seeing another copy of PrintPDF starting will open the Choices window.
  • Added "Show iconbar icon" option.
  • Compiled against OSLib 6.70, using GCC 3.4.4r3.
  • Corrected URL for website link.
  • Changed name of child tasks.

0.30 (4 September 2005)

Third beta release.

  • Writes GhostScript parameters to a file in PipeFS and calls *gs @ to get around command line length restrictions on RISC OS 3.
  • Opens a "conversion finished" pop-up when child task terminates.

0.31 (4 September 2005)

Update to third beta release.

  • The "conversion finished" pop-up can be selected from the Choices window.
  • While GhostScript is converting a file, the destination is given load and exec addresses of &DEADDEAD.

0.32 (10 September 2005)

Update to third beta release.

  • Added FileName option token, and use it to override FileName token in Messages file when set.
  • Full path and filename is remembered between conversions if "Reset for every conversion" option is off.

0.40 (19 May 2006)

Fourth beta release.

  • Default leafname changed to PDFFile/pdf.
  • Added preprocess option to allow files to be passed through *ps2ps before going on to *ps2pdf. This can help some files to work with GhostScript 8.5.
  • Added support for encrypted PDFs and security features in GhostScript 8.5.

0.41 (23 May 2006)

Update to fourth beta release.

  • Encryption windows grey out when no creation password is entered.
  • Changes to the manual and interactive help text.

0.45 (13 August 2006)

Update to fourth beta release.

  • Save filename preserved again unless "Reset every..." option is on (was lost in 0.40).
  • Included Richard Hallas' RISC OS 5 iconsprites designs.
  • Restructured options handling, making it the job of both conversion and choices code to maintain their own state rather than having conversion assume that choices will maintain state across calls.
  • Added support for retaining encryption and protection options between sessions.
  • All changes to convert dialogue are remembered for next conversion, even if Cancel is clicked (was inconsistent).

0.50 (9 November 2007)

Fifth beta release.

0.51 (17 November 2007)

Update to fifth beta release.

0.52 (6 April 2008)

Update to fifth beta release.

0.60 (11 October 2008)

Sixth beta release.

0.61 (10 November 2008)

Update to sixth beta release.

0.70 (6 March 2010)

Seventh beta release.

0.71 (20 April 2010)

Update to seventh beta release.

0.80 (30 June 2010)

Eighth beta release.

0.81 (1 July 2010)

Update to eighth beta release.

0.82 (5 July 2010)

Update to eighth beta release.

0.83 (6 July 2010)

Update to eighth beta release.

0.84 (9 July 2010)

Update to eighth beta release.

0.85 (11 July 2010)

Update to eighth beta release.

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