Topic: Convert html file to pdf for mac

[6pairsofshoes]

The ink for my printer is only slightly less expensive than unicorn's blood, plus I can buy the book used for $10.  The problem is being able to extract sections in order to make them available/accessible to students.  That's why I need pdf.

When I used AdobeAcrobatPro, the conversion worked but it gave the information of the directory path and my computer at the bottom of every page, which was not ok.  Then, I tried the Print under File Menu via Firefox and it saved it but the file was corrupted.  In Safari, using the same technique, it also included the directory path on the bottom of every page.

I'll try calibre and see what happens...  Worked like a charm.  Thanks!

[mishca09]

Yay! Glad it worked out.

[dweez]

Not sure if you understood christ or not 6pairs, but most OS' (Windows, Mac, and Linux) have the option to print to a file, in this case, print it to a PDF file as long as you have some PDF reader installed (or it got the PDF print driver somewhere).  He didn't mean to actual paper.

I'm confused now as to what you meant when you mentioned your printer ink.

[6pairsofshoes]

I assumed he meant that I should print the document.

When I attempt to open the document via the Finder, it opens in Firefox, and I'm right back in the world of problems where I have to jump through the same hoops.  So converting doesn't work that way unless you have some extra cool secret way I don't know about.

[mishca09]

When the print dialog box comes up usually in the button left corner you should seethe words PDF and if you click it a drop down menu appears and you can select save as PDF or something. So no actual printing involved

[6pairsofshoes]

I understand that.  However, I'm not able to save the html (converted to pdf) file w/o a second program intervening and corrupting it with information not in the book on every page.  It's like reading Mary Had a Little Lamb with an imprint telling you whose computer it was on and what directory the file is contained in as a footer on every page.  It's distracting and not information I feel like sharing publicly.  So I opted for calibre.

[xtopave]

If you hit print, then in the bottom left of the print dialogue is a button that says "PDF". Hit that, and choose "Save as PDF" from the list that comes up.

Save the pdf wherever you choose in the save dialogue that results.

PDF printing has been built into Mac OS X since the get go, with no helper programme required (Mac OS X screen display language is (or was) pdf.)

Quoting for 6p just in case the post is deleted.

[6pairsofshoes]

I understand that.  However, I'm not able to save the html (converted to pdf) file w/o a second program intervening and corrupting it with information not in the book on every page.  It's like reading Mary Had a Little Lamb with an imprint telling you whose computer it was on and what directory the file is contained in as a footer on every page.  It's distracting and not information I feel like sharing publicly.  So I opted for calibre.

OK.  I select the file without opening it and try to get the Finder to print it.  It won't.  Period.  In order to print the file, I have to open it.  The default is Firefox.  In Firefox, I see the document.  I hit command + p for print.  I select Save as PDF.  It saves as pdf.  Then I open the new pdf file and on every page the name of the computer and the drive path is encoded.  This is not acceptable for a document intended (in whole or part) for public distribution.

Am I missing something?

[smokester]

Is it possible for you to up he file somewhere, and link to it so people here could give it a bash for you?

I could enable attachments temporarily if need be.

[6pairsofshoes]

Thanks, smokes.  I used calibre and had no trouble converting the file that way.  I'm just perplexed by the suggestions about using the Finder to print the document.  It's an html doc, so the only way to access it is through a browser program.  I'm happy to give you a go at it, just so you can see why it's giving me trouble via the methods suggested by dweez and chris.

[smokester]

I missed out step 1. (I assumed that you were already reading the html book in something)

1) Open the file in whatever your html book-reader application of choice is.

Then 2) Follow my last post.

If your html reader is Safari, uncheck the "print headers and footers" check box in the print dialogue.

The usual...

[6pairsofshoes]

Ah.  My default printer view does not show this window so it took a little futzing to get it to show, but once I unchecked the boxes, the conversion was fine.  No more annoying headers/footers.

Thank you, chris.