print to PDF problem

[biggocharley]

I am running the community edition on linux mint 9 (Isadora). when I print to a file (pdf) I am able to read the pdf drawing with the linux doucment viewer, but it can not be read by adobe 9.5 in Windows XP. either locally or as a email attachment. This is a new problem --just seemed to crop up --I have not had this problem in the past. In fact we have emailed drawings in pdf format to clients without issue --until now. Any idea what would cause this?

[clive]

I am running the community edition on linux mint 9 (Isadora). when I print to a file (pdf) I am able to read the pdf drawing with the linux doucment viewer, but it can not be read by adobe 9.5 in Windows XP. either locally or as a email attachment. This is a new problem --just seemed to crop up --I have not had this problem in the past. In fact we have emailed drawings in pdf format to clients without issue --until now. Any idea what would cause this?

What PDF converter are you using in mint?

[biggocharley]

I am using the PDF printer installed in mint. But initially I used the "print to file" option in the qcad print dialog. I have been doing some experimenting -testing both and it seems that the pdf printer installed in mint is working at least part or the time. but it seems that the "print to file" option does not . I will keep playing around testing both of these approaches and if I make progress I will post the results

[clive]

I am using the PDF printer installed in mint. But initially I used the "print to file" option in the qcad print dialog. I have been doing some experimenting -testing both and it seems that the pdf printer installed in mint is working at least part or the time. but it seems that the "print to file" option does not . I will keep playing around testing both of these approaches and if I make progress I will post the results

Hi bggocharley

I use cups-pdf for printing to pdf, it is in the repository and hasn't failed me yet.

You could always install it and see if you get different results when using adobe reader!

[biggocharley]

I am using the PDF printer installed in mint. But initially I used the "print to file" option in the qcad print dialog. I have been doing some experimenting -testing both and it seems that the pdf printer installed in mint is working at least part or the time. but it seems that the "print to file" option does not . I will keep playing around testing both of these approaches and if I make progress I will post the results

Hi bggocharley

I use cups-pdf for printing to pdf, it is in the repository and hasn't failed me yet.

You could always install it and see if you get different results when using adobe reader!

This is what I was referring to when I mentioned the pdf printer installed in mint. It is the cups-pdf printer. I had always assumed that the option "print to a file" in qcad print dialog also used the cups-pdf, but apparently not. Live and learn --Thanks for your feedback

[clive]

Yes -"print to file" is using your cups pdf printer - I`m sure.

So I think cups pdf is working OK because you stated in your first post -"when I print to a file (pdf) I am able to read the pdf drawing with the Linux document viewer".

So I`m thinking the problem lies between your outputted PDF from QCAD and Adobe reader! Some how.

Of course you could for a small fee upgrade to Pro version

[biggocharley]

Yes -"print to file" is using your cups pdf printer - I`m sure.

So I think cups pdf is working OK because you stated in your first post -"when I print to a file (pdf) I am able to read the pdf drawing with the Linux document viewer".

So I`m thinking the problem lies between your outputted PDF from QCAD and Adobe reader! Some how.

Of course you could for a small fee upgrade to Pro version

Cups-pdf produces a pdf doc that is readable by both the linux document viewer and Adobe acrobat reader when I choose PDF Printer from the print dialog in qcad but when I choose "print to file" option the resultant PDF doc is readable by the Linux document viewer but NOT with Adobe Acrobat (in Windows XP and Windows 7). I have tried this over and over with the same results. I'm going to continue working on this --I'm thinking of reinstalling Qcad.

[clive]

Yes -"print to file" is using your cups pdf printer - I`m sure.

So I think cups pdf is working OK because you stated in your first post -"when I print to a file (pdf) I am able to read the pdf drawing with the Linux document viewer".

So I`m thinking the problem lies between your outputted PDF from QCAD and Adobe reader! Some how.

Of course you could for a small fee upgrade to Pro version

Cups-pdf produces a pdf doc that is readable by both the linux document viewer and Adobe acrobat reader when I choose PDF Printer from the print dialog in qcad but when I choose "print to file" option the resultant PDF doc is readable by the Linux document viewer but NOT with Adobe Acrobat (in Windows XP and Windows 7). I have tried this over and over with the same results. I'm going to continue working on this --I'm thinking of reinstalling Qcad.

Yes I suppose you could try re-insatalling, its worth a try! Let us know what happens!

[biggocharley]

Yes -"print to file" is using your cups pdf printer - I`m sure.

So I think cups pdf is working OK because you stated in your first post -"when I print to a file (pdf) I am able to read the pdf drawing with the Linux document viewer".

So I`m thinking the problem lies between your outputted PDF from QCAD and Adobe reader! Some how.

Of course you could for a small fee upgrade to Pro version

Cups-pdf produces a pdf doc that is readable by both the linux document viewer and Adobe acrobat reader when I choose PDF Printer from the print dialog in qcad but when I choose "print to file" option the resultant PDF doc is readable by the Linux document viewer but NOT with Adobe Acrobat (in Windows XP and Windows 7). I have tried this over and over with the same results. I'm going to continue working on this --I'm thinking of reinstalling Qcad.

Yes I suppose you could try re-insatalling, its worth a try! Let us know what happens!

I did that (reinstalled). Results were the same. Output readable with the linux document viewer but not with Adobe Acrobat.

I also did this:
Ubuntu Maverick is installed on a separate partitiion on my machine. The "print to file" gave the same results -- the linux document viewer read the output pdf ok. (Oddly, and I can't explain this --the cups-pdf printer is not installed on my Maverick installation but as I said the "print to file" option still produced a pdf doc readable with linux but not with Adobe Acrobat on windows XP) Now I'm really lost!!

I have a feeling that the solution is doing to turn out to be something simple.

[clive]

Are you using Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader to view the PDF files?

[clive]

biggocharley

I`ve been thinking about this and I did a little experiment myself with QCAD version 2.2 instead of Version 3. This is what I`ve found out:

1.When you print to PDF the program will use the PDF converter/reader that you have assigned by default (if you have only one PDF program on board -well then of course it will only use that!).

2.When you print to file -the program will use the "DEFAULT" printer you have assigned, whether this is your normal printer you use or a PDF program you have made the "DEFAULT".

>I tested this out on the desktop (windows 7-64) but I`m sure it will be the same on my laptop (Ubuntu 11.10).

3.When I printed to file in QCAD 2.2 it used my "DEFAULT" printer (Canon) and the files were sent to the QCAD documents folder. I navigated to this folder and tried to open them -they wouldn`t open -just like yours because the print to file option I selected used the printer that was assigned as the default - canon and not a PDF printer program!

[clive]

So to summarise I think its a printer set up issue with "print to file" -in other words you need to set a default printer to use with print to file, either your standard printer or a PDF printer (cups etc.).

Hope this makes sense

[biggocharley]

So to summarise I think its a printer set up issue with "print to file" -in other words you need to set a default printer to use with print to file, either your standard printer or a PDF printer (cups etc.).

Hope this makes sense

It does make sense so I changed the default printer to PDF, rebooted, started qcad and got the same results as before.

[clive]

So to summarise I think its a printer set up issue with "print to file" -in other words you need to set a default printer to use with print to file, either your standard printer or a PDF printer (cups etc.).

Hope this makes sense

It does make sense so I changed the default printer to PDF, rebooted, started qcad and got the same results as before.

Well its all very strange why this is happening for you. All I can say is that I`ve tested and used this function on the "pro" versions and all seems OK for me on either Windows or Ubuntu.
To be honest I rarely use the "print to file" option anyways as in the "pro" versions I just use the PDF Export function with no problems (for me anyway!). Not sure whether there is even that function in the "Community" version?

Anyways - I guess if the "print to PDF" function is kind of working for you, you`ll have to use that, unless anyone else has any more suggestions for you.

I have to be honest though I think that with the "pro" version you will get a better performance, obviously I don`t know your financial situation but it would at least be worth trying out the "pro" trial!

[biggocharley]

So to summarise I think its a printer set up issue with "print to file" -in other words you need to set a default printer to use with print to file, either your standard printer or a PDF printer (cups etc.).

Hope this makes sense

It does make sense so I changed the default printer to PDF, rebooted, started qcad and got the same results as before.

Well its all very strange why this is happening for you. All I can say is that I`ve tested and used this function on the "pro" versions and all seems OK for me on either Windows or Ubuntu.
To be honest I rarely use the "print to file" option anyways as in the "pro" versions I just use the PDF Export function with no problems (for me anyway!). Not sure whether there is even that function in the "Community" version?

Anyways - I guess if the "print to PDF" function is kind of working for you, you`ll have to use that, unless anyone else has any more suggestions for you.

I have to be honest though I think that with the "pro" version you will get a better performance, obviously I don`t know your financial situation but it would at least be worth trying out the "pro" trial!

Thanks for your help and your advice. I'll give it some thought. For the time being I can live with using the cups pdf printer directly (vs "print to file"). Maybe I'll stumble on the solution later --if so I will post it here.