Best PDF Printer

[overkill4]

Hi all,

What's the best free PDF printer you've used? I need to create some batch PDF files (50+). I need something so that I can just schedule a task and not have to give any input after that.

CHeers


60% of the time, it works every time.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

"Best" is always too subjective.

Some good ones are;
PDF995
CutePDF
Adobe PDF

If you have the SW Premium or Professional package you should be able to use the Task Scheduler and SWs built in PDF writer.

 

[vigildesign]

If you are posting here, I would assume you have Solidworks. This only works with Solidworks drawings. Try the Batch PDF Creator
macro at:

http://www.goengineer.com/support/downloads.aspx

Make sure all your drawings are up to date.

 

[Heckler]

I really like

http://www.pdf995.com/

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SWx 2007 SP 4.0 & Pro/E 2001
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

This post contains no political overtones or undertones for that matter and in no way represents the poster's political agenda.

 

[mx2street]

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/

It's PDF Creator over on Sourceforge. Very fast and flexible.

Tony

IBM Intellistation Z Pro
Dual Xeon 5160
Nvidia Quadro FX 4500
10GB RAM
XP x64
Solidworks 2007 SP4.0 x64
Solidworks 2008 SP0.0 x64

 

[roguewrench]

DeskPDF, it was cheap and works well.

CJ Goodrich
Product Design Engineer
Leatherman Tool Group
Portland, Oregon

 

[J-C]

I can't get the GoEngineer version to work......and it was so nice of them to password protect the file so you can't see why it's not working or modify it to your needs.

Jason

SolidWorks 2007 SP4.0 on WinXP SP2
SolidWorks 2008 SP0.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[Theophilus]

Like Heckler, I also use PDF995. However, I don't do batch prints. But the cool thing is that you can print any document to PDF format with this--no watermarks or anything else--and it's free. (Take that, Microsoft. Would it be so difficult to add this to Office seven years ago?)



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[pdybeck]

Jeff,

Microsoft tried to add native pdf support to Windows and Office and got hammered for it. I believe they actually had it in some beta builds. There is a double standard against them. Apple has native pdf and no-one cries about Apple trying to take over pdf, but when Microsoft goes and tries to add it, everyone comes out of the woodwork. Now Microsoft is going to be pushing its XPS file format. Some interesting things about it. Not sure it will make a dent, but still interesting. I think it will support 3D as well, and given Dassault's recent partnership with Microsoft it may not be a bad thing for SolidWorks. SolidWorks 2008 can print/create/output XPS files and eDrawings 2008 will view them. I think in Windows Vista, anyone can view these files b/c its part of the .Net 3.0 framework. As I have heard it explained, XPS is the raw print file that printers will use to print documents and its fidelity is expected to be excellent. As for pdf creators, I have tried a bunch. I have run across fidelity problems with the free ones that I have tried (pdf995 and cutePDF). We purchased and use Bluebeam. I really like its pdf viewer (Revu) with its editing capabilities. Much better price than Adobe as well.

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/xps/default.mspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML_Paper_Specification

 

[StefanHamminga]

Actually the PDF and XPS functionality can be added to Office 2007 with a simple (and small) download from MS. Works great! They also support the ISO PDF/A standard.

I always used PFDCreator (tony gave you the link), but the SW built in 'safe as PFD' works better, smaller filesizes and better searchability (it stores more info as text instead of bitmaps).

Stefan Hamminga
EngIT Solutions
CSWP/Mechanical designer
Searching Eng-Tips forums

 

[Theophilus]

So is the PDF format proprietary (such as Apple's property)? OpenOffice has PDF capacity built-in. If not proprietary, I think Microsoft should keep it. XPS should be interesting. Maybe it will take off better than the Zune or Vista?



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[StefanHamminga]

Allmost anyone may implement PDF support, but Adobe still has the right to deny license to someone (as they did with Microsoft, as the plugins would directly compete with Adobe products, according to Adobe).

XPS certainly looks interesting, especially since the IE plugin to view it allready works pretty good.

Stefan Hamminga
EngIT Solutions
CSWP/Mechanical designer
Searching Eng-Tips forums

 

[pdybeck]

As it looks right now, XPS is somewhat tied to Vista. As vista useage takes off, and it will eventually, then XPS may move along with it. I'm sure the EU is unhappy with XPS. They are always unhappy.

Pete

 

[StefanHamminga]

Please... Let's keep the EU out of this...

XPS works fine under XP, I actually tested it to see where it stands as a PDF replacement in XP x64 and the IE plugin worked well.

The file format does need a lot of work before it becomes as versatile as PDF, but I woudn't write it off. Microsoft can sometimes create very good products (and sometimes they seem to do well below average)...

Stick to PDF for the time being.

Stefan Hamminga
EngIT Solutions
CSWP/Mechanical designer
Searching Eng-Tips forums

 

[overkill4]

Wow some very passionate responses.

Thanks for all the feedback.



60% of the time, it works every time.

 

[pdybeck]

Sorry for the reference to the EU. Just frustrated with everything getting held up. Yes XPS works fine under Vista. I have been trying it here and there with the viewer in IE 7 and eDrawings 2008. I was making the comment that use of XPS, if it takes off at all, probably won't occur until Vista gets more traction in the business world. I would make a guess that Vista is mostly being used in home instances right now, and not that much in businesses yet.