Author: Brian

Batch Convert Outlook Emails to PDF Files Using Win2PDF

We recently had the following question submitted to our Win2PDF support site:

I have a folder of Microsoft Outlook emails that I would like to convert to PDF. I want to convert just the one folder (the emails were filtered and sent to the folder by a rule when they were delivered to me). Is there a way to batch convert all emails? The batch convert tool doesn’t appear to include email messages but maybe I am missing something so I thought I should check. Thanks.

Nick

Great question. The Win2PDF Batch Convert feature doesn’t support Outlook emails directly, but it is possible to configure the Win2PDF Auto-name feature to make it easy to convert a folder of emails to PDF from Microsoft Outlook.

To do this, open the Configure Win2PDF Auto-name window and you’ll see the following options:

Enable the “Auto-name files” option, and set the folder name where you want the PDF file (or files) to be placed.

If you want all of the emails to be saved to a single PDF, you should set the following options:

  • (check) Include Document Title
  • (check) Include Date
  • (check) Always Append

If you want the emails saved to separate PDF files, you should set the following options:

  • (check) Include Time (to make each file name unique)
  • (uncheck) Always append

Next, you should make Win2PDF the default printer in the Windows Printers and Scanners folder. This is required because the Microsoft Outlook Quick Print feature only prints to the default printer.

And finally, to create PDFs from the emails in your folder, select the emails in Outlook, right click, and select Quick Print.

Voila! The emails will be sent to the Win2PDF printer and will be automatically named with no user interaction.

This can be extremely useful if you want to archive or collect an email thread that is spread across many different messages, or a folder of messages related to a particular topic, person, or project.

If you have a tip like this for using Win2PDF, please let us know.

Print to JPG using Win2Image

This might not be news to some, but we still get questions asking about Win2PDF-like functionality to convert to other formats aside from PDF, such as the JPG image format (also referred to as JPEG).  One solution available in all versions of Win2PDF (at no additional cost) is the Win2Image printer**, which allows you to print to JPG, PNG, GIF, TIF, and BMP image formats.  It has the same interface as Win2PDF and is just as easy to use.

Why would you want to print to JPG instead of PDF?

There are advantages in using a JPG over a PDF file depending on the situation. JPG files are typically smaller in size and are easier to embed in web pages, emails, and other documents. PDF files, on the other hand, are much better suited to handling entire formatted and printable documents, where text and images, fonts and graphics, are all important to the presentation of the file as a whole.

There are also situations where someone may wish to extract certain pages, images, charts, graphs, etc. from an existing file (like a brochure, newsletter, eBook, spreadsheet, legal document, research paper, etc.) to repurpose or edit that image outside of the context of the original document.  Win2Image provides an easy way to do this.  

Just open the document in any application that supports printing, select a page (or range of pages), and then choose the printer named Win2Image.  In the file save window, choose whether you need color or only black and white versions of the JPG and then save.

Use Win2Image to print document pages to JPG files

If there are multiple pages in your selected document or print range, each page will be saved as an individual JPG file.  And once saved, you can further edit, compress, or modify any of these images for your new purpose.  You can use this method to print to PNG files as well.  (see JPEG vs. PNG for details about the differences between the two formats).

Whether you need the ability to print to PDF (for entire documents) or JPG (for individual image or graphic files), Win2PDF and Win2Image provide the same easy-to-use process for converting files.

** Win2Image is included as a printer when you download and install the Win2PDF software.  In addition to creating image files by printing, you can also directly convert files to JPG using the Win2PDF Desktop Export options, Win2PDF command line, and Win2PDF Desktop Batch Convert feature.

New Microsoft Edge Browser To Use Adobe Reader As Default PDF Viewer

Microsoft and Adobe recently announced the inclusion of Adobe Reader as the default PDF reader in its newest Edge web browser. Basically, Microsoft will swap out its own PDF reader with Adobe’s. The result will be “higher fidelity for more accurate colors and graphics, improved performance, strong security for PDF handling, and greater accessibility, including better text selection and read-aloud narration,” Microsoft claims.

This move is expected to streamline the PDF reading experience for Edge users, and make it easier to access and view PDF files directly within the browser.

“This addition will only be available in Edge for Windows 10 and 11 at first, and it will arrive in the form of a browser update that’s delivered next month, in March 2023.”

For years, Adobe Reader has been the go-to PDF reader for most users, but with the inclusion of Adobe Reader in Edge, users will have a more seamless experience reading PDF files without having to download and install a separate application. This integration is expected to benefit users who work with PDF files regularly, such as those in business or education.

Microsoft’s decision to include Adobe Reader in Edge is part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the browser’s functionality and user experience. Having a more reliable and feature-rich native PDF viewer in the Edge browser is positive development for all users of PDF technology, including Win2PDF customers.

Batch Converting Folders of OpenDocument Text (.odt) Files to PDF Using Win2PDF

In last week’s post, we announced details on the latest Win2PDF support of various Word Processing formats like Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx), OpenDocument Text (.odt), and Rich Text Format (.rtf).

While MS-Office files have always been an important format for documents, there is an increasing need to support OpenDocument (ODF) files as well, mostly due to its increasing adoption within government and international organizations.  The reason for this is simple:  they’re open and not dependent on changes imposed by a single company.

Microsoft Office Documents (.doc) were originally binary files used by Microsoft as a proprietary format.  Microsoft adapted the format to an standards-based format based on Open Office XML in 2007, and this became the (.docx) format.  Today, both (.doc) and (.docx) formats are maintained by Microsoft.  The OpenDocument format, on the other hand, is an open format that is documented and maintained by an independent non-profit consortium known as OASIS.  

[If you’re interested in more details, here’s Microsoft’s list of differences between (.docx) and (.odt) files].

For these reasons and more, Win2PDF now supports more conversion options with .odt files. 

You can now read .odt files in the Win2PDF Desktop App, and batch convert folders of .odt files into the following formats:

If you want to convert individual files instead of batch converting folders of documents, you can either use the “export to ODT” feature or the “convertto” command line with the source or destination set to an .odt file.

Whether you’re looking to share these documents with others by email or the web, or simply preserve their formatting in another format, Win2PDF can help you batch convert folders of .odt documents to PDF quickly and easily.  If your organization is using OpenDocument Formats and there’s something else you’d like to see in terms of conversion, let us know.  We’re always interested in making the conversion process between different file formats easier and more flexible.

New Win2PDF Features for Converting Word (.docx), Open Document Text (.odt), and Rich Text Format (.rtf) to PDF

Win2PDF has always been able to convert Microsoft Word (.docx), Open Document Text (.odt), and Rich Text Format (.rtf) files by printing from the programs that can view/print these types of documents. With the most recent 10.0.144 release, however, it is now possible to natively view and export in the Win2PDF Desktop App, do batch conversions, use command line options, and use the watch folder with these standard word processing documents. This native support does not depend on any external programs such as Microsoft Word, and requires Win2PDF Pro.

Here’s a summary of the new capabilities:

  • Open .doc, .docx, .rtf, .odt, and .txt files in the Win2PDF Desktop App

When you open the Win2PDF Desktop App, you can now open .doc, .docx, .odt, .rtf, and .txt files. This allows you to export these files to PDF, searchable PDF, image files, or other formats.

  • Export to .docx, .odt, and .rtf from the Win2PDF Desktop App (Win2PDF Pro feature only)

  • Batch convert .docx, .odt, .rtf, and .xps files in the Win2PDF Desktop App (Win2PDF Pro feature only)

The Win2PDF Desktop App’s batch conversion feature now supports the additional input formats:

.docx, .doc, .rtf, .odt, .txt

And supports the following output formats

.docx, .rtf, .odt, .xps
  • New Command Line Options for .docx, .odt, .rtf, and .txt  (Win2PDF Pro feature only)

DOCX2PDF

DOC2PDF

RTF2PDF

ODT2PDF

TXT2PDF

  • Enhanced ‘convertto’ command line option for other formats

There are new input and output formats in the convertto command.

This allows for more unusual combinations such as “TXT to JPG” or “DOCX to PNG”.

  • Use Win2PDF Watch Folder to dynamically convert .docx, .odt, .rtf, and .xps files that are added to a folder. (Win2PDF Pro TSE feature only)

The current version of Win2PDF can be installed from the Win2PDF download page, and this update is available at no charge for registered Win2PDF 7 and higher version users. If you have the standard Win2PDF and want to use the new Pro only features, you can upgrade to Win2PDF Pro.

Win2PDF 10.0.144 is now available

The latest release of Win2PDF (10.0.144) is now available on the Win2PDF Download site.

The biggest additions to this release are specific to the Win2PDF Pro version of the software, which now supports the ability to batch convert standard word processing documents (Microsoft Word, Open Document Text, and Rich Text Format) to PDF.

Here’s a summary of changes in this new version:

This Win2PDF 10 update is a free upgrade for all Win2PDF 7 and Win2PDF 10 users. If you have an existing Win2PDF standard edition license and wish to use any of the new Win2PDF Pro features, you can purchase a Win2PDF Pro Upgrade.

We’ll be posting more specific information on some of these features next week, with more details on changes to the interface and how these new features can be used. In the meantime, if you would like to evaluate one of the new Win2PDF Pro features (PDF watermark, PDF security, batch-convert, auto-rename, or watch folder), contact us for a free 30 day trial of Win2PDF Pro.

Win2PDF Now Supports PDF Direct Printing

What is PDF Direct printing?

PDF Direct is a feature available on many printers that allows PDF files to be sent straight to the printer without being processed through any software first. There may be slightly different names used by each printer company, but it’s typically referred to as PDF Direct Print or Direct PDF printing.

This feature is useful because it is a much faster way for printers to print PDF files since there is no intermediate conversion process needed by software.

Most business class printers from HP, OKI, Kyocera, Ricoh, Canon, and Xerox support PDF Direct printing, but most consumer inkjet printers do not support it. Look up your printer’s documentation for the specific model to see if it supports PDF Direct printing or not. If you aren’t sure, it’s safer to use the Win2PDF Print PDF command line. This is slower but will work for all printers.

One important caveat: If you attempt to use this feature on a paper printer that does not support PDF Direct printing, many pages of garbled text will be printed instead of the PDF.

This feature is available in the Win2PDF 10.0.142 version or higher, and it is a free update to all Win2PDF 10 users.

There are 2 ways to use the latest Win2PDF software to print PDF files directly.

  1. Use the command line option for Win2PDF PDF Print Direct [link goes to documentation for this feature].

This is probably most useful for larger organizations that are batching many PDF files to the printers, perhaps along with other Win2PDF command line options.

  1. Use the new Win2PDF Direct Print Plug-In [link goes to download page for plug-in].

This is probably most useful for users interactively generating PDF files.

When you install the plug-in setup, you will be prompted to select a PDF Direct Printer.

After this is selected and saved, a copy of each printed Win2PDF PDF file will be sent automatically to this PDF Direct Printer until disabled. To disable this feature, you can remove the Win2PDF Direct Print Plug-In using the Windows control panel.

This feature may not be useful to all PDF users, but for organizations that are processing large volumes of PDF files it can dramatically reduce the time needed for printing.

When we presented this for testing to a customer who wanted this feature, he replied:

There is no question why I highly recommend Win2PDF to all my clients and will continue to do so! Unbelievable service for an outstanding product!

Brian H., Hawaii

Name or Rename PDF Files Based on Content Below a Search Term

In previous blog posts [see 1, 2], we showed how Win2PDF can name (or rename) PDF files based on data contained within a file. This feature has been especially useful for users needing to manipulate invoices, as this twitter user has noted:

Brainsweat. Lots of it. We’ve been talking with a lot of users that are spending a lot of time trying to sort through massive numbers of PDF invoices and renaming them based on content, attaching them to emails, splitting them apart, etc.

We now have a free update (Win2PDF 10.0.141) that expands on the capability to make this happen. Namely, it adds the capability to capture the search field below a search term. Previously it only allowed you to select text that followed after a search term. As many of you may know, it’s not uncommon for the invoice number to reside on a different line, so now both types of searches are possible, as shown below:

To use this feature, you’ll first need to open a sample PDF document in the Win2PDF Desktop App to define the Auto-Name Search Field.

Then, based on the example file shown above, you’d enter in the Content Search Word of “Invoice #”, choose the search direction to be “Search Below”, and it will show you what the found search field is:

After you have defined this search field, you can do a few things.

One, you can use this term to rename a batch of PDF files if they already exist. You simply need to select the Auto-Rename menu option from the Win2PDF Desktop App, and then choose your Auto-Name variables including the “Search Field 1” text as shown below.

Two, instead of renaming existing PDF files, you can set your current printing method to use this Auto-Name method for new PDF files. You’ll just need to go to the Configure Win2PDF Auto-Name Settings page to set up how you’d like the PDF files to be named.

And three, you can use this feature via the command line interface for more advanced users. Previously we used the command line command “getcontentsearch” to find search text that immediately follows the search word. Now we’ve added the “getcontentsearchbelow” command, which finds the search text that is directly below the search word.

Hopefully, this is one additional feature to reduce the amount of brainsweat required for managing your invoices.

New Win2PDF Plug-In Adds a Terms & Conditions Sheet to a PO

We recently created a new Win2PDF Plug-In for a customer and it’s useful enough to share with all Win2PDF users. The Win2PDF Append File Plug-In allows you to append a standard file to any new PDF created using Win2PDF. While this Plug-In can be used for a variety of situations, here’s what the customer wanted:

When members of their accounting team printed a new purchase order (PO), they wanted to easily attach a standard company-specific Terms and Conditions sheet to each PO, like this:

While the Win2PDF Append feature has always been available, the new Plug-In streamlines the process to just a simple check-box. When the Plug-In is installed, a check-box for Append PDF appears on the main Win2PDF File Save Window, as shown here:

By simply checking this Append PDF checkbox on the main screen, the customer can add their Terms and Conditions sheet to POs without having to go through any extra steps. When printing other types of documents that do not need this extra sheet, they just uncheck this box.

To activate this Plug-In, download the Win2PDF Append File Plug-In setup file. Then run the compiled setup program and choose your pre-set file to append (e.g., “Terms and Conditions.pdf”).

While this particular customer had a Terms and Conditions sheet they needed to add to POs, the same Plug-In could be used for a variety of other applications, like:

  • Add a customer contact sheet to certain documents,
  • Add instructions to a specific form that is generated for clients,
  • Add a tax-exemption form to purchase orders,
  • Add payment options, bank details, etc. to invoices, or
  • Add any type of legal certificate or contract or addendum that may be commonly attached.

Do you have something in your PDF workflow that could be improved? If so, let us know.

PDF Bookmarks, Import/Export Win2PDF Settings & More in Latest Win2PDF Update

If you have changed Win2PDF from the default settings and want to preserve them when you move to a new computer (or group of computers), there is a new feature in our most recent Win2PDF 10.0.140 release that will help. You can now export your Win2PDF settings to a file, and then import that file on a new machine once you have reinstalled Win2PDF.

Win2PDF Desktop Settings Export/Import

This is accomplished through the Win2PDF Desktop Application (shown above). It can also be used from the Win2PDF command line with the EXPORTSETTINGS and IMPORTSETTINGS commands.

The ability to export/import settings can be very useful if you use Win2PDF with multiple printers with different settings; this feature will export/import multiple Win2PDF printers if they are configured.

It is also useful if you have configured Win2PDF with the Auto-name feature, or have made numerous other changes to the standard Win2PDF settings. Once you’ve established your desired settings, you can use this feature to backup your configuration settings, or use it to copy to a group of other machines using Win2PDF (if you wanted all users to Auto-name files in the exact same way, for example).

Also included in this release is support for PDF bookmarks. Bookmarks are a quick and easy way to jump to a certain section of a PDF file with a single click from a bookmarked word or phrase. You can see an example of a PDF file with bookmarks in the following image (using Adobe Reader).

Bookmarks in PDF – Shown in Adobe Reader

You can now add or delete bookmarks using the following command line options:

  • The ADDBOOKMARK command line allows you to specify a title and page number to insert into a PDF file.
  • The ADDBOOKMARKAFTERSEARCH command line allows you to search through a PDF document for a keyword (like “Chapter” or “Invoice”, for example), and then add a bookmark to that section of the PDF file. This is probably the most useful bookmark command because it lets you add bookmarks without knowing what page the anchor text resides on. It makes it easy to create bookmarks on dynamically generated reports with anchor text that may vary when each report is generated.
  • The DELETEBOOKMARKS command line can be used to remove bookmarks from any PDF file.

Lastly, we added the ability to remove a trial license to the Win2PDF Desktop Application through the Help menu.

Win2PDF Desktop – Remove Win2PDF License

This makes it easy to enter a purchased license without having to uninstall and reinstall the software after the evaluation period.

If you would like to evaluate Win2PDF or Win2PDF Pro, contact us for a free 30 day trial.

This Win2PDF 10.0.140 update is a free upgrade for Win2PDF 7 and Win2PDF 10 users.