Computer Hope

Software => Computer software => Topic started by: timrob on September 06, 2007, 11:01:50 AM

Title: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: timrob on September 06, 2007, 11:01:50 AM
Does anybody know of a Windows program that prints a webpage to PDF?  I've tried Adobe, Nova, UltraPDF, Primo, and a couple others with no luck.  The text always prints out, but where the text overlays the graphics, the graphics are not printed.  I can use the "alt+print screen" trick, but that has it's limitations.
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: soybean on September 06, 2007, 09:22:26 PM
Hmmm ... well, I printed this page using PrimoPDF.  http://home.earthlink.net/~dderolph/Yahoo!.pdf (http://home.earthlink.net/~dderolph/Yahoo!.pdf)  Looks OK, doesn't it? 
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: timrob on September 07, 2007, 10:52:21 AM
I printed this page with Adobe and it's missing the background color and some of the boxes.  This page isn't so bad. 

I have a web based HTML program that I would like to do sreen prints from.  The program has a lot of text overlaying pictures.  The pdf files don't look anything like the webpage.
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: soybean on September 07, 2007, 11:22:03 AM
Specifically what Adobe program are you talking about? 

Quote
I have a web based HTML program that I would like to do sreen prints from.
What program is that?  If you want to "print" a web page to a PDF file, why aren't you doing this from a web browser?  That's how I did it.
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: timrob on September 07, 2007, 03:46:29 PM
I used Adobe Acrobat 5.0.

It is from the browser.  It's program run through Internet Explorer.  You click a button and it would load different a different HTML file and run some code in the background.
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: Comp Guy on September 07, 2007, 04:29:39 PM
You may need to update your version of Adobe Reader. To do that, click here (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html).
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: soybean on September 07, 2007, 04:49:41 PM
He said Acrobat, not Reader.  Acrobat is the PDF creation software and is not free; Reader is simply a reader and is free to everyone.

timrob, I'll be away from my computer for awhile but I'll get back to you later on this. 
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: Comp Guy on September 07, 2007, 05:03:46 PM
My mistake :P
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: soybean on September 07, 2007, 05:24:09 PM
My mistake :P
No problem. 

Actually, we need some clarification from timrob.  Adobe used to call the reader Adobe Acrobat Reader; this was maybe version 5 and prior, as I recall.  Then, they renamed it simply Adobe Reader, perhaps to avoid confusion with Adobe Acrobat, the PDF creation program. 

Having re-read timrob,s last reply, it seems he is, indeed talking about the Reader.  If he's still using version 5, he obviously hasn't updated for quite a long time.  The current version is  8.1.

timrob, if you're still using version 5 of the reader, why haven't you updated it?  Check System requirements (http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/productinfo/systemreqs/) first.
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: Comp Guy on September 07, 2007, 05:52:23 PM
lol, I knew I had gotten that right!!! ;)
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: timrob on September 10, 2007, 09:15:46 AM
I'm using Adobe Acrobat Writer & Distiller 5.0.  Adobe Reader 7.0.  I also tried Adobe Reader 5.0. 

I don't think it's the reader that's the problem.  I think that the writer just can't overlay text on graphics.
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: soybean on September 11, 2007, 08:15:53 AM
If you had Adobe Reader 7.0, why would you install an older version, Adobe Reader 5.0? 

What reader(s) do you now have installed?  Does/do it/they work?  In other words, can you view PDF files?

Why did you mention Adobe Acrobat Writer & Distiller 5.0?  I see no need whatsoever to mention them.  You need a PDF reader to view the PDF once you've created it.  And, you need a PDF converter program that will "print" a web page to PDF. 

Back in your first post, you mentioned Adobe [Adobe what?], Nova, UltraPDF, Primo.  By Primo, I presume you mean PrimoPDF.  Is that right?  Exactly what PDF converter programs do you now have installed?

I posted a web page, i.e. HTML file, that I successfully printed to PDF using PrimoPDF.  However, I have experienced problems using PrimoPDF to convert a newsletter of a local organization that contained graphics.  So, I tried pdf995  (http://www.pdf995.com/) and have not encountered problems with it in converting any of the monthly newsletters, which are usually and 10-12 pages and always contain some graphics.
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: timrob on September 11, 2007, 09:47:36 AM
You're getting it backwards.  The PDF writer is the problem.  I tried Adobe Acrobat writer/distiller, Nova, UltraPDF, Primo, etc.  For the program I'm using, none of them can print text overlayed on graphics.  The text prints out, but the graphics don't.  The graphics I'm referring to are GIF files.  The GIF files are used as background. 

Example: a button with text on it uses the GIF file to represent the button shape, then text is overlayed on top. 

I'll try the PDF995.
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: friny on September 11, 2007, 01:58:14 PM
Hi, had you tried with PDFCreator? It's a cool application that helps you to create a PDF document from anything. Also, it's total free (OpenSource).

Try this link: http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/ (http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/) and download the PDFCreator...

I hope it help you

bye
Title: Re: Print HTML to PDF
Post by: Rob Pomeroy on June 05, 2009, 07:06:38 AM
You're getting it backwards.  The PDF writer is the problem.

I doubt it.  I think the problem lies in the print engine of the browser.  I suspect you'll get different results with different browsers.  I've not tried them all, but generally I've not found a browser that can print (or create a PDF) in a way that accurately reflects what it renders.  I usually resort to screen captures...