Hello,
I need to convert PDF files to PostScript in a Workflow process. The only way I know in PlanetPress Workflow is to output the PDF through a Windows printer driver but there I have to set a fixed page size. The challenge is to take over the page size of the PDF because every PDF can have a different page size.
Is there a way to convert PDF files to PostScript and keep the page size?
Maybe there`s an alternative way to convert PDF to PostScript in Workflow?
Every idea is welcome.
Thanks,
Thomas
Have you tried using a Printer Queue Output to the PlanetPress Printer driver? It doesn’t require you to setup a default paper size as in the Print Using a Windows Driver plugin.
I have tried that before and now tried it again, but the result wont be PostScript, its PDF.
What I have done:
Process 1: Send PDF to Printer Queue Output (PlanetPress Printer driver).
Process 2: Capture print job from Windows printer queue (PlanetPress Printer) and output the result to a folder.
Begin of the resulted file:
e%-12345X@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = PostScript
%PDF-1.5
%âãÏÓ
7 0 obj
<</Metadata 9 0 R/Pages 1 0 R/Type/Catalog>>
…
Maybe you have an idea what I`m doing wrong!?
The WinQueue Input defaults to creating a PDF from the input, but it would be receiving a Postscript file from the Printer Queue Output (if using a default PlanetPress Driver out)
Just open the properties of the input and uncheck Create PDF
I have unchecked the option Create PDF. I also tried to spool it in EMF Format. In all cases it`s the same result.
Alright, maybe it’s something goofy with your PlanetPress Printer as I’m getting the following to work without issue.
Process1: Folder Capture > Print Using a Windows Driver (PlanetPress Printer)
Process2: Winqueue Input (PlanetPress Printer, do not create PDF, as above) > Send to Folder
The end result is a PS file that Acrobat Distiller will happily convert to PDF again for me.
I’m thinking you may just want to create a new PlanetPress Printer. It sounds like yours may no longer be using a Default Configuration. Just go into the Input step, click New, and set up another one that way. Configure both the in/out to use that instead.
I have created a new PlanetPress Printer as you described but the result will be the same. If I rename the PostScript File I have created through my processes to .pdf it opens in Acrobat like a normal pdf. If I try to convert my PostScript file to PDF with distiller I get an error:
%%[ Error: undefined; OffendingCommand: obj ]%%
Stack:
0
1
%%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
%%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%
The code looks like the conversion takes the original code and just set a new header in the first line. I`m really puzzled.
It would be great if PlanetPress Connect gets more pdf conversion possibilities in the future (like color conversions, pdf-to-ps conversion and so on). We have a lot of industrial customers with special demands on creating print files.
Maybe I have to persuade our customer to install GhostScript to do such processings, but they wont be happy about that because we cant give them official support on that tool.
EDIT:
It would also be helpful if Connect will support own joboptions. I miss that for a long time.
Hi,
I agree to you @thomasweber, if you use separate job to have grouping pdf’s, and then send in PS without using slow windows drivers and spooler, it can be useful to have a converter PDF to PS.
Herve