Stamp from PDF file

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pigster
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Stamp from PDF file

Post by pigster »

Hello everyone!

I have an existing PDF file, created years ago in Acrobat, that I use for stamping. All pages contain one item. If I place this PDF file in "C:\Program Files\Tracker Software\PDF Editor\Stamps" it gets picked up by X-Change Editor and each page becomes a stamp in the Stamps palette. However when cretaed in Acrobat, I could name the pages and add IDs, and in the stamp palette in X-Change Editor I can see the name and in the "Stamp Tool Properties" the Stamp ID (e.g.: #SomeID). So everything works fine, each page is converted to a stamp.
My problem is, that I want to add a new stamp to this existing PDF file (but with X-Change Editor of course). I created a PDF file with the new stamp graphic and inserted this new PDF as a new page into the existing stamp PDF file. After saving and exiting the program and starting again, the new stamp is not shown in the stamp palette. Maybe the problem is that I couldn't add a name and ID to the new stamp page as I could do it in Acrobat.
Is there a way to add name and stamp ID to the new PDF file, so that it behaves the way it should (in Acrobat was it something with Templates)? Or I am doing something wrong?
(Windows 10, PDF-XChange Editor Plus version 9.3, build 361.0)
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Paul - Tracker Supp
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Re: Stamp from PDF file

Post by Paul - Tracker Supp »

HI pigster,

have you seen this? https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... Stamp-Tool
And this: https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... ers-to-use

That should give you the background understanding needed. You are pretty much there, the thing that is missing is that each page needs to be added using the "Add new stamp from..." tool.. Each page needs a special flag set to be recognised as a stamp.

Yes, when the flag is set then each page in a PDF becomes a stamp, the entire PDF the "Collection". That is the default behaviour as dictated by the ISO, so we honour that.

I think you just need to add your new stamp using the Stamp Palette, "Add New" tool to make this work:

https://www.pdf-xchange.com/fckfiles/im ... -46-53.png
Best regards

Paul O'Rorke
Tracker Support North America
http://www.tracker-software.com
pigster
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Re: Stamp from PDF file

Post by pigster »

Hi Paul!

Yes I was aware all of what you've written. My thoughts were, that I could just plainly add a new page to the Stamp PDF file and maybe there would be some page properties to make the page work as a stamp (maybe you could add such properties?). But I see that it works not this way.
There is an issue though (maybe only my pc) and this was the reason why I couldn't make it work as you described:
The "Add new stamp from..." tool works for me only when my custom pdf is placed in the "per user" stamps folder: %appdata%\Tracker Software\PDFXEditor\3.0\Stamps
In the All Users stamps folder %ProgramFiles%\Tracker Software\PDF Editor\Stamps it is not possible to add a new stamp to the existing collection (the custom pdf file). It is not shown in the dropdown. Maybe some permission issue. When the file is in the "per user" stamp folder I can add new stamps to it.
My last question: is it possible to change the ID of the new stamp? I would like to have some "nice" IDs like "#CheckmarkGreen" and not the cryptic ones that get generated. It would be more readable when scripting. I could do it in Acrobat...
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Paul - Tracker Supp
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Re: Stamp from PDF file

Post by Paul - Tracker Supp »

Hi pigster,

indeed it is due to permissions that you can only use the Stamp Palette to create stamps in %appdata%. Users have only read permissions to %programfiles% The solution is to put the stamp collection in %appdata% add the new stamp, then with the Editor closed and using admin rights move the new stamp file from %appdata% to %programfiles%.

Regarding the second question, that is not possible currently in the Editor. I asked the Dev Team leader about it, mentioning that you said you could do this with Adobe and it wasn't apparent to us how to even do it. If you want to show us how you do it in Adobe I can take that to him, but I do not think it's about to change things.
Best regards

Paul O'Rorke
Tracker Support North America
http://www.tracker-software.com
pigster
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Re: Stamp from PDF file

Post by pigster »

move the new stamp file from %appdata% to %programfiles%.
This is what I figured too.

Regarding IDs:
In Acrobat it can be done with page templates. Maybe this post helps:
http://khkonsulting.com/2014/03/creating-pdf-stamp-file-scratch/

You can find a file attached that I created with page templates as described in the above post years ago and then modified (deleted pages from it) in X-Change-Editor and the IDs still work.
stamps-with-id.pdf
(156.5 KiB) Downloaded 20 times
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Paul - Tracker Supp
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Re: Stamp from PDF file

Post by Paul - Tracker Supp »

Hi again pigster,
This is what I figured too.
Did it work then?

Regarding this:
Regarding IDs:
In Acrobat it can be done with page templates. Maybe this post helps:
http://khkonsulting.com/2014/03/creatin ... e-scratch/

You can find a file attached that I created with page templates as described in the above post years ago and then modified (deleted pages from it) in X-Change-Editor and the IDs still work.
I have to read through that and then discuss it with the dev team. I didn't get a chance to do that today, I expect to have some feedback for you about this tomorrow.

cheers
Best regards

Paul O'Rorke
Tracker Support North America
http://www.tracker-software.com
pigster
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Re: Stamp from PDF file

Post by pigster »

Hello again.
This is what I figured too.

Did it work then?
Yes it worked this way.

Regarding Stamp ID and templates. It's not all that big of a problem, I was just wondering, whether I could do it.

I tried, this and I can get all the template IDs (stampID) listed:

Code: Select all

var t = this.templates;
for (i = 0; i < t.length; i++){
console.println(t[i].name);
}
However, when I'm trying to create a template from script in X-Change Editor, so that I could give it a name, it's not working.
t is undefined, no matter how I modify cName or nPage. The method createTemplate is recognized, because I get an error, if I misspell it:

Code: Select all

var t = this.createTemplate({cName:"#myStampID=Stamp Label", nPage:0});
console.println(t.name);
Examples are based on the Acrobat Javascript API Reference.
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Paul - Tracker Supp
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Re: Stamp from PDF file

Post by Paul - Tracker Supp »

Hi pigster,

this would be because we do not currently support the method createTemplate(). We agree we should, so it will be added. I have raised the associated Support Request and this item will be delivered at the Development Team Leader's discretion.

Currently I have no ETA for this, but am hopeful it will be in the next scheduled build in a few months time.

RT#6109: Feature request :: Editor :: add support for JS API createTemplate() is for internal use only, but it is your reference to send us in case you are looking for an update.
Best regards

Paul O'Rorke
Tracker Support North America
http://www.tracker-software.com
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