Preview pdf files in Safari before potentially save them

Question

Level 1

8 points

Preview pdf files in Safari before potentially save them

In fact I have 2 questions:

when I do a web search if I click on a link to a pdf file, 2 things can randomly happen :

1 The pdf opens in a safari window and I can directly read it (that's what I want)

2 The pdf file is directly downloaded to my hard drive (and I may have to trash it if it turns out not to be as interesting as I thought)

My first question is: is there a way to always have the option 1 and never the second one?

Second question : Once (if) the pdf opens in a safari window, is there a way to DIRECTLY save it where I want? So far, the only way to do it I could find is from the safari pdf window, save the file to the "downloaded items" folder and then move it to the folder of interest. I can also from the safari pdf window open the file in preview and save the preview pdf document where I want.

In any case my 2 solutions appear complicated to me: is there a way to do that in a single step?

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Jun 18, 2013 5:55 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Jun 18, 2013 6:10 AM in response to lpays

If the pdf displays in Safari, using File - Save as (Command S) should bring a save dialogue where you can change the name/location.

Some pdf files won't display directly in-browser from a web link, due to the server where they are not telling browsers the correct file type for that. If you can give examples of ones which download, we can check to see if the same thing happens.

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Answer 2

lpays Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 18, 2013 6:27 AM in response to andyBall_uk

OK your command S option is working. I had tried Ctlr click instead (like I used to do in previous OS versions, and this was not bringing any "save option in the pop-up menu).

For the first question, here is an example of a web adress linking to a pdf file that directly downloads on my hard drive.

www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/3/3/482/pdf

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Answer 3

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Jun 18, 2013 4:23 PM in response to lpays

ok, good example - the site server is adding

"Content-Disposition:·attachment;..." to the headers which browsers see when accessing a file, this tells them to download the file, rather than display on the page.

I don't know if any workrounds or extensions exist to make Safari ignore this - will let you know if I find any.

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Answer 4

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Jun 20, 2013 7:10 AM in response to andyBall_uk

I think that glimmerblocker with a custom filter rule could remove the header that prompts downloading - no example yet, but some have got help from the developer in similar situations.

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