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By Using GhostScript
How to create PDF files
Your legacy print jobs can be exported in PDF files simply by selecting any Windows PDF writer as destination printer (Acrobat Distiller, eDocPrinter, Pdf995 etc.). There is nothing additional to install on the PC.
In addition, you can also have your jobs exported in PDF files by using GNU Ghostscript. In this case the PDF file can be created with or without user intervention, you can encrypt it, set the permissions, an optional password to open it at a later time, and you can also choose to automatically send it via e-mail.
Creating PDF files via GhostScript
GNU Ghostscript is an interpreter for the PostScript ™ language and the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), distributed with the GNU General Public License (GPL), which allows free use, and free copying and redistribution under certain conditions (including, in some cases, commercial distribution).
You can find more information and the source code of GNU Ghostscript at http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost.
Please note that GNU Ghostscript is not the same as AFPL Ghostscript. The former is distributed by the Free Software Fundation, while the latter is also known to work with PRINTFIL, but is distributed under the Aladdin Free Public License (AFPL)
- Download the Win32 version of GNU Ghostscript from http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost and install it.
If you don't install it in the default path, you may be required to add its BIN directory to the Windows search path.
- Configure the "Printfil" virtual printer, as described on the previous chapter.
All done !, you can now generate PDF files from PRINTFIL simply selecting the "Printfil" printer.
If you configure PRINTFIL to show a preview of the print job, the Print button will be disabled, while the Pdf button will be enabled. Once clicked, the Pdf button will ask the user for the name of the PDF file to generate and eventually its permissions (see "secure PDF" below). The E-Mail button, in addition to create the PDF file, will automatically attach it to a newly created e-mail message.
If you configure PRINTFIL not to show the preview, a file with the same name as the ascii file (and PDF extension) will be created without user intervention, with the default permissions. For example, if your ascii text file is c:\spool\file.txt , the PDF file will be created as c:\spool\file.pdf
If you want to create it with a different file name/path, you can specify it in the optional CFG file (row n.13)
If you want to automatically send the PDF file via e-mail you have to use the optional CFG file (row n.12)
By the CFG file you can also choose to automatically open the file by using the standard PDF reader (for example Acrobat Reader), so that it can be used as an alternative to the Printfil's integrated preview.
Please see Chapter 3 about how to use the optional CFG file.
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