Pretty Damn Funky
Yup, PDF. Support for the PDF file format in Mac OS X is awesome. Coming from the Windows world, that's the only word I can use. I'll say it again: awesome!
In my job I have to do a lot of pdf creation: sending files off to perfect strangers who may or may not have my version of Word or Excel and, more importantly, whom I don't wish to grant the right to futz around with the content of my files. PDF is the way to go.
Now, in Windows, I had downloaded a plugin for MS Office that allowed me to save my Word or Excel files to PDF. That was a darn sight cheaper than springing for the full version of Adobe Acrobat. And, of course, I had downloaded Acrobat Reader to allow me to read the darn things. And the latter kept pestering me to upgrade every time I opened it.
I had resigned myself to hunting about for a similar download for Mac OS X until I got around to reading the fine print.
Mac OS X supports reading and writing PDF files out of the box.
Reading files is achieved via Preview, so if you double-click on a PDF file in Finder, it launches Preview and you can wade in on your PDF.
Even cooler is the ability to create PDF files directly from your Word or Excel (or any other) documents. Choose the Print option and instead of printing the document, click the "Save as PDF" option, give it a name and file destination, and your PDF is ready to roll.
But the coolest of all, is that you can use the same technique to save entire web pages. That beats any Save As HTML or Save As Web Archive trick. When you want to save a web page that you're reading, hit Command-P and choose the Save as PDF option again. It's the best way to send someone a web page. Using a site's built-in "Email this page" link often sends only a link to the page, not the page itself. And some sites require the reader to register and log-in. And others might have browser-specific quirks. Yet others have pages that expire after a few days or depend on complicated ASP variables in the URL to display the right page. Sending the page as a PDF eliminates all these hassles for the recipient and is easy as pie for the sender.
It's also a handy way to save any web receipts that you get if you purchase online and the site solemnly advises you to "Print this page for your records."
Pretty Damn Funky!
In my job I have to do a lot of pdf creation: sending files off to perfect strangers who may or may not have my version of Word or Excel and, more importantly, whom I don't wish to grant the right to futz around with the content of my files. PDF is the way to go.
Now, in Windows, I had downloaded a plugin for MS Office that allowed me to save my Word or Excel files to PDF. That was a darn sight cheaper than springing for the full version of Adobe Acrobat. And, of course, I had downloaded Acrobat Reader to allow me to read the darn things. And the latter kept pestering me to upgrade every time I opened it.
I had resigned myself to hunting about for a similar download for Mac OS X until I got around to reading the fine print.
Mac OS X supports reading and writing PDF files out of the box.
Reading files is achieved via Preview, so if you double-click on a PDF file in Finder, it launches Preview and you can wade in on your PDF.
Even cooler is the ability to create PDF files directly from your Word or Excel (or any other) documents. Choose the Print option and instead of printing the document, click the "Save as PDF" option, give it a name and file destination, and your PDF is ready to roll.
But the coolest of all, is that you can use the same technique to save entire web pages. That beats any Save As HTML or Save As Web Archive trick. When you want to save a web page that you're reading, hit Command-P and choose the Save as PDF option again. It's the best way to send someone a web page. Using a site's built-in "Email this page" link often sends only a link to the page, not the page itself. And some sites require the reader to register and log-in. And others might have browser-specific quirks. Yet others have pages that expire after a few days or depend on complicated ASP variables in the URL to display the right page. Sending the page as a PDF eliminates all these hassles for the recipient and is easy as pie for the sender.
It's also a handy way to save any web receipts that you get if you purchase online and the site solemnly advises you to "Print this page for your records."
Pretty Damn Funky!
posted by Warble at 8:06 PM
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