How do I scan to .pdf?

[amheck]

Hi group,

One of my hobbies is woodworking. I have been doing it for around 2 years and I have accumulated stacks and stacks of magazines with plans and other things in them I want to save. I'd like to start scanning some of these to get rid of the bulk of the paper.

My HP All-in-One scans, but only to .jpgs and word docs, among some other file types. I was thinking that the Adobe .pdf would be the best way to archive these. If that's correct, what do I need to scan in to a .pdf file format? I'm assuming I need some special software, just not really sure exactly which.

Aaron

 

[Bloodstein]

You need Adobe Acrobat (= highly expensive piece of software). It's able to convert most documents (including word docs) to pdf. It should be able to do jpg's as well.

Anyway, there's an open source project that creates pdf files as well - PDFCreator. I haven't used it but it sounds good to me.

 

[drag]

PDF is a good format, it's the standard way to distribute technical papers and anything that require diagrams and text.

I don't realy know exactly how to go about doing it, especially in Windows (I am a linux user), but generally it involves something called a pdf "distiller" to export into pdf files.

Using a distiller you can export it directly to PDFs. This is what I used when I used macs. It may require the full version of Adobe Acrobat, though. Don't remember.


Also pdf's are very similar to postscript files (forgive me I am rusty on the details) these are files that are created to be sent to a actual postscript-compatable printer.

To make those you generally act like your going to print to a printer, but instead you "print to file" and that file will end up being a postscript file. I am pretty sure special sudo-printer using a postscript driver in order to get it to the proper file format, otherwise I think it will end up making a file that only your selected printer can understand.

Some printers simply read postscript files directly, but I think most of those cheapies that we all use lack the proper intellegence to handle something like that. (I have a hp three-in-one, scanner/printer/fax.)

heres a website that will allow you to upload a ps file and convert it to a pdf file

you may be able to print directly to a pdf file if you find a proper driver...

In my computer I have a actual utility called ps2pdf that will convert it for me. It's probably not a *nix-only thing, I bet you can find a program that can do the same thing for windows.

Also there is a free program called ghostview that can handle these types of files well, so you can aviod Adobe if you want.

Sorry I can't give more specifics on what exactly to do.

edit:

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/AFPL/index.htm.

It's a program to create a free software (as in Linux-style free software) to make systems that handle postscript, pdf files and a bunch of other stuff. Most every Linux install has most of these utilities, but they also have versions you can use on windows.
(I don't know how WELL it will work in windows. It says version Windows 98 is supported by the ADFL version of ghostscript, but I don't know... )

 

[manly]

PaperPort 9 is all you need.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: manly
PaperPort 9 is all you need.

Na.. that costs a hundred bucks.


Well I tried it out on a test page.

I setup a printer. I used the driver for a "Compaq Pagemarq 15 Postscript" (in Win95 btw), and when it asked what port to use to set up the printer I selected "print to file", then I printed a test page. (actually ps2pdf.com recommend using Color HP LaserJet 5's driver)

Named it test.prn, renamed it to test.ps.


Then I uploaded it to www.ps2pdf.com, there the server used the ADFL Ghostscript's conversion tools to convert it to a pdf.

I downloaded test.pdf and it openned up in Acrobat Reader just fine and it looks just fine.

If you can get ADFL version of Ghostscript installed or have access/network access to a linux machine with this ghostscript installed on it, then I would go that route. If not, then get a commercial version from somewere, uploading hundreds of files it would just be to much a pain in the butt.

 

[OZEE]

PDF995 is a great little utility. It sets up as a printer which converts whatever you print to it to a .pdf. So, you scan to whatever format, then print the scan to the "pdf995 printer". It asks where to save the file and what file name to use, the *poof* you have a pdf!

The free version takes you to one of their nag webpages in your browser, but it's not too obtrusive. Especially since it's free, and it works, and there's no watermark... and it's free!!!

 

[theAnimal]

CutePDF Writer is free with no nags or watermarks.

 

[kamper]

Open Office will convert any document you give it to pdf (at least anything I've tried) and that includes word documents. Drag's ideas on postscript are good too but postscript support in windows just isn't what it is in linux.

 

[8ballcoupe]

Bloodstein was giving you very good advice by providing the link to PDFCreator. It provides you with the ability to print to a PDFCreator "printer" from within any Windows application. So you would just scan the document in and save it in any format you wish, then use any program capable of viewing or editing that document to "print" a PDF version. Dead easy. It makes use of GhostScript as an intermediary in the process, and the installer installs both PDFCreator and GhostScript. The software provides lots of options in formatting and scaling the output. Oh yeah, and it's free.

Ernie

 

[Pretty Cool]

Scanning can be done with a regular imaging program that supports twain devices. After acquiring the image, you can edit then print as a pdf. Another option would be to use a copier program and set the printing device to the pdf creator printer driver. I prefer a copier since editing is not required.

From my limited experience with scanning pages, I have found those ghostscript-based pdf creators inadequate. The purpose of archiving is to produce an excellent image in a file size. In my opinion, the best solution would be a black and white image since it would occupy less space. So, when I used these freebies, the result was unimpressive. Then I installed pdfFactory and notice a much better image at a reasonable size.

 

[drag]

see for yourself (hope the link works, the web providers are a bit ghetto about stuff)

(edit: If you copy the url (http://dragcrap.freewebpage.org/mozilla.pdf) and paste it into your browser it should work. external links apperently just don't work sometimes, sorry for the inconveince.)

(the size BTW is 114k or so, the postscript version is 2.2megs give or take.)

I went to file --> print setup...

Checked print background (colors and images)

checked print preview

file ---> print

Selected print to file, selected "default postscript printer", filename /home/drag/mozilla.ps

openned up a command line and typed ps2pdf mozilla.ps

uploaded it to the ghetto free web site provider.

Took me longer to type this out then to do the actual conversion.



The free software stuff is under continious developement, it could be that the situation has improved somewhat since you last checked it out. Or not.

I never tried this stuff on Windows, but on Linux and especially Macs this stuff is childsplay.

 

[8ballcoupe]

Yup, PDFCreator running under WinXP creates version 5 compatible output that equals anything my wife gets from Acrobat Professional on her system. The limitations are more likely to crop up in the scanning-to-document/graphic side of the procedure, I think.

Ernie

 

[alm4rr]

just scan to word and then print to adobe acrobat open source software that will make a pdg\f