Can Automator Print to PDF?

Question

Level 2

365 points

Can Automator Print to PDF?

I want to create a workflow that includes printing a selected file to a PDF. But Automator can't seem to do it. The one command that looked the most promising, "Save as Adobe PDF" won't load. Every time I try to add it to the workflow I get an error message reading "The action 'Save as Adobe PDF' could not be loaded because it is not Universal."

Is there any way to get Automator to print a file to PDF?

Is thre some 3rd party PDF printer I could add to my Printers that it culd then access?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Jan 8, 2014 9:42 PM

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Answer 1

sberman

Level 10

272,760 points

Jan 8, 2014 9:48 PM in response to Roger Barre

I wonder if this will work for you. I found this in Automator's help:

Process PDF files from the print dialog

You can run a workflow on a PDF file in the Print dialog by saving the workflow as a print plug-in. You can then choose your plug-in from the PDF pop-up menu in the Print dialog. This is useful if you want to do changes to multiple files when printing.

Some sample printing workflows are included with OS X in the Scripts folder inside the Library folder.

Open Automator

Choose File > New.
Click Print Plugin.
Click PDFs in the Library. You can now drag PDF related actions into your workflow.

When you save your finished Print-plug in, you can use it from the print dialog from the application you are printing from.

Choose File > Print. Click the PDF pop-up, then choose Edit Menu, and select your workflow.

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Answer 2

Roger Barre Author

Level 2

365 points

Jan 9, 2014 2:47 PM in response to sberman

The problem is how to get the document to be a PDF in the first place. I'm trying to take a document that isn't a PDF and turn it into one via Automator. "Render PDFs as Images" requires a document that is already a PDF.

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,464 points

Jan 9, 2014 6:59 PM in response to Roger Barre

Find your cups-pdf.conf configuration file. Possibly somewhere in /etc. In it you will see the following lines. You will need to open the file using:

sudo path-to/cups-pdf.conf same-path-to/cups-pdf.conf-bak

sudo your-text-editor path-to/cups-pdf.conf

Change #Out .... replacing <space> with real space:

Out<space>/Users/yourshortloginname/Documents/PDF/${USER}

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Answer 4

mns579

Level 4

1,170 points

Jan 9, 2014 4:32 PM in response to Roger Barre

See this thread on using CUPS-PDF to install a virtual PDF printer and then using this virtual printer with Automator: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4101558. Set the routine for single files rather than folders if you wish and as a workflow rather than a service if it's what you want.

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