Creating A PDF Document From Any File

I'm working on a Mac and I can create PDF-forms from any file…
Converting a file to PDF on a Mac can be done by a 7 years old child.
You probably mess something !
;-)

all I get is a note saying "Acrobat cannot recogmise the file format ...

All I DO - as a 50 year old computer veteran try to open a file from my iMac and that should not be so complicated since I have a couple of years experience and despite of my age.

But maybe you are right. wait ...

... OK, I borrowed amy neighbors 6 year old son and he did the same as I did and got the same error message, ... so what's you message to us now?

He is underage? He must be 7?

This forum sucks like many others ... all you get is arrogant "assuming" answers instead of some constructive answers.

That's the "PRO" world of the 21st century, right!

Well - I leave this shit to you self-announced losers PRO! no time to listen to this shit

Open any file in any soft > Command-P (File menu > Print)
You'll see a big "PDF" button, even without glasses…

I can't believe that a 50 year old computer veteran can't find the "Help" menu on a iMac nor in Acrobat…
You're really funny !

I don't know if forums sucks more or less than you, but you're obviously a rude old boy !

;-)

Of course, this assumes the file can be printed. There is a lot of content that now includes multimedia information which might not be printable to paper. Then there are also a properties like 'transparency' that not all versions of PDF support, that is, display or print. There are any number of web pages that can be printed to a PDF but not converted to an interactive PDF.

Heck not all web browsers can display Internet content.

Just because Microsoft, Apple, or Steve Jobs calls something a standard does not make it a standard. The only PDF standard is [url=http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=51502]ISO 32000[/url]. [url=http://www.planetpdf.com/enterprise/article.asp?ContentID=Is%5FPDF%5Fan%5Fopen%5Fstandard&gid=8033]Is PDF an open standard?[/url] by Duff Johnson is the CEO of Appligent Document Solutions.

Perhaps you can tell us what type of problem you're experiencing when creating the PDF on your Mac? What Mac OS are you running?

Hi Ikassuba
Thanks for your reply

I have too many issues with Acrobat (9.2 pro) running on iMac 10.6.2 Snow Leopard (7 months old now).

The first one is, whenever I try to create "Any" pdf, following "File > Create PDF > From file" and then try to open a .numbers / .pages / even a jpg or whatever, I get an error saying that Acrobat doesn't recognise the file. In fact, all these file extensions are but associated with Acrobat, My Word!Exporting, e.g. a .pages document as PDF is possible and I can open it then in Acrobat, but if I had any form / field on the pages document, it would not have accepted the fields. I need to add the fields manually in Acrobat again.

Saving the document then and securing it with a password to restrict the receiver from editing the fields ... forget it. After receiving the PDF on my old PC, I can even edit the fields in the very old version of Acrobat 6. (Hence, what's the fuzz about password protecting the PDF file) Yet, if I keep the PDF file on my Mac, I sure cannot edit the fields unless I unprotect the file. (And here again, I don't need this security on my own computer. Why would I restrict myself from working on my own computer?) OK, I admit, I could allow other people to work on my computer and wanted to avoid them accessing certain file, sure. But wouldn't it make more sense to have this kind of protection for files I create and then send to clients? It's a bit of a joke, really, such a cheap security function in such a highly priced and praised software.

Then again, someone suggested to look into "saving the PDF as a JPG" Yes, sure. first I go through all the trouble to create a PDF and then turn it into a gif or jpeg. That makes sense. (I can do that without spending a dime and within a split second by just taking a screen shot of my .pages or any file. faster, cheaper, and better quality.

Overall, I must say, ideas creating Acrobat, went plentiful into, the outcome of the product is the worst I'd ever experienced. I work with hundreds of different software, cheaper and much more sophisticated and ... they DO work!

No, ask me if I'd ever buy it ever again or worse .. recommend it? God forbid! ;-)

Thanks

The first thing you should be aware of is that in Snow Leopard, the Acrobat team replaced the functionality of the Adobe PDF printer with an Automator function in the Print dialog called Save as Adobe PDF. It appears in the PDF menu at the bottom of the Print dialog. Is this the command you're using to create a PDF?

Basically this is because the Mac OS v10.6 enhanced security features prevent Adobe’s PDF Printer from functioning as it did in previous versions.

Are you referring to Exporting from Word or InDesign? I'll assume Word (because of the form fields). There are certain structures that the Auto Form Recognition command in Acrobat 9 will look for. If you're interested in more details, you can check out the following tutorial [url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/designing-forms-auto-field-detection-adobe-acrobat]Designing forms for auto field detection in Adobe Acrobat[/url].

If the form is from MS Office, would you consider using a different program like OpenOffice.org to convert the form to a PDF?

[url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/blogs/pdftrainer/openoffice-acrobat-form-design-tool]OpenOffice as an Acrobat Form Design Tool[/url] by Carl Young
[url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/blogs/pdftrainer/more-open-office-pdf-form-design-tool]More On Open Office As A PDF Form Design Tool[/url] by Carl Young
[url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/blogs/tedpadova/opensourceorg-pdf-forms]OpenSource.org PDF Forms[/url] by Ted Padova

Hello Ikassuba / gkaiseril

Thank you both for your replies !!!

No, I don't use any Microsoft software at all. I only work with "iWork" software such as; Pages or Numbers. Here is a screenshot of what I am talking about ... http://wemseo.com/downloads/pdfform.png

This "pages" was created on my iMac. I can export it as a PDF but when doing so, the fields are basically dead. Trying to open Acrobat 9-Pro and then go to "File > Create PDF > From File" and chose the "pages" document, Acrobat will tell me that the file format is not recognizable and I get an error. In fact, however, if I check the file associations with Acrobat, both; .numbers and .pages file extensions ARE associated with it!If I open the PDF, which I created by exporting my pages file, in Acrobat and chose "Forms > Add or edit form fields" I get this notice popping up ...
"Currently there are no form fields in this PDF. Do you want Acrobat to detect form fields for you?"
If I say yes, then Acrobat indicates exact all the fields.

Now I have but to set up each field again, using Acrobat. No problem with that. It cost me extra time but I am happy to do.

However, as mentioned, when I now try to secure the PDF using Acrobat' built in "Security" feature and I chose to set it up that one would need to enter a password for editing the fields, save the PDF again and then send it to my client (in this case it is the invoice) - my client on a PC (99%) can use any version of Acrobat and all the fields would be editable, just like there wasn't any password at all!

Hope I makes more sense now ... ;-)

Thanks again in advance!

Acrobat doesn't recognize the Pages or Numbers extensions because it's not one the standard supported formats for use with the File > Create PDF > From File ... command. You can see the supported formats listed in the Open dialog for this command under the Files of Type: pulldown.Can you post a snapshot of what you're seeing under File > Properties > Security tab?

Well - I found a work around but this is only a half a solution

1. I save the Pages document as a post script
2. Thereafter I open it ad save it again as a PDF
3. I open the PDF in Acrobat 9-Pro and change (add) all the fields I had as in the original Pages document.
4. I save the PDF ... without applying any security encryption.
5. I send it to a PC using Acrobat 6
6. I can apply, of course, any changes to the fields

... BUT - I cannot save the document now, having applied a password for opening restriction (allow print only)

it gives me an error "The document could not be saved. There was a problem reading this document (23).

7. If I apply any "Password Encryption" in Acrobat 9-Pro (same restriction - allow only printing but no changes of the PDF) and then send it to the PC with the Acrobat 6, I cannot even open the PDF because of some
"Bad encrypted dictionary"

Hence, no matter what I do, I will never be able to send this document to any client!

Either I send it so he/she can apply any changes - or
I sent it encrypted and then they cannot even "View" it

Which - makes Acrobat a worthless piece of software! Good experience and a waste of at least 48hrs in time ... multiply this by USD100/hr (special Adobe rate) ... Adobe owns me a lot of money! ;-) But, I write it off as experience and as a good marketing idea for Adobe!

Thank you

In step 1, try printing (not saving) your file to PostScript.

... there is no "print to PS option, only save as PS! ???

You need to add a generic PS print driver to create the PS file for distiller. Maybe the PS file that is generated has a number or errors or is not in the correct syntax.

As mentioned earlier, OpenOffice.org has a suite of office type programs that are available at no cost and come in versions for MacIntosh, Windows and UNIX/LINUX and has a 'Export as PDF' with many options.

gkaisril ... Thanks, I'll definitely look into the OpenOffice.org !