Virtual Printer -- PDF-XChange Editor

[bawldiggle]

Today on a browser web-site I was advised to use a virtual printer to print web pages.

I have never heard the term "virtual printer".
Now after a few hours of of web-searches, I have a few clues but not many.
- does that make me clueless ?

I want to print emails and web-pages to PDF
Can Editor be listed as a virtual printer in "Print" dialog ?
- if so how would I do that ?

Thank you

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hello bawldiggle,

You are not clueless as you've come to the right place.
Our PDF XChange Lite and PDF XChange Standard are virtual printing drivers, and the Lite is included with every Editor license.

Regards,
Stefan

[we travel pc]

Hello bawldiggle,

You are not clueless as you've come to the right place.
Our PDF XChange Lite and PDF XChange Standard are virtual printing drivers, and the Lite is included with every Editor license.

Regards,
Stefan

How do you get the lite version? I installed the editor but do not see the option of installing the lite version. I currently use Acrobat Printer but would like to try the X-Change version.

[Willy Van Nuffel]

In Windows, via the Start-button and the menu, you can go to the list with "Devices and Printers".
Normally when you File > Print from whatever application, you print to a real printer and the result comes out on paper.
When people talk of a "virtual" printer, instead of printing the result on paper, it prints the result in exactly the same way to a PDF document.

So, when you install the PDF-XChange Lite printer (via the link here above, presented by Tracker support), it will add an extra printer to your list of "Devices and Printers" and then from whatever program, when you do a File > Print, you will be able to print to the "virtual" printer called "PDF-XChange Printer 2012" (or a similar name). It will ask you for a name and a place to create a PDF-document.

It acts almost in the same way as the "Adobe PDF" printer.

[bawldiggle]

Hi Stephan

Does the "Lite" that comes with paid "Editor" save/print bookmarks and links from the source ?

I have been using PDF24 PDF as a virtual printer but it only images. Bookmarks are not "saved"
- I discovered this when I tested free PDF-XChange Editor vs. PDF24
- bookmarks and links in PDF web pages displayed and saved with free PDF-XChange Editor are saved.
- where as PDF24 (via Browser > File > Print > PDF24 PDF ... only saves an image, no bookmarks (really useful on 180 page docs, not!)
- mozilla addon "Print pages to PDF" (via web-page tab context menu) sometimes saves bookmarks and sometimes saves links

If the "Lite" that comes with paid "Editor" performs as thoroughly as free "Editor" in PDF-web pages ... I am sold !

Can I create PDFs from MS-Word (or Libre Office docs) using paid Editor ?
- I am about to partly turn some of my office PCs and laptops over to Linux

So many "freebies" (not PDF-XChange) are coming with crapware and sneakware.
- today one such program I was trialing in a virtual drive was quarantined by my AV Bitdefender

There is no such thing as a free lunch ... unless we scrounge around in garbage.

Just doing my homework

[Paul - Tracker Supp]

HI bawldiggle,

The Editor cannot convert web pages to PDF, only save pages that are already PDF and displayed in our Editor plugin for your web browser. To convert a web page to PDF using Lite will not create Bookmarks I'm afraid, that is a Standard feature. In fact from your description it is Standard that you want as it has an Add-In for MS Office for converting to PDF with

• Bookmarks that can be generated based on document structure
• Clickable links
• Table of Contents
• Advanced compression
• Digital Security features

Standard also includes an Add-In for IE (Not Chrome or Firefox I'm afraid) that also does advanced Web page conversion.

Both products are free to try, they will water mark your PDF documents but all the features are available so you could easily test and compare Lite and Standard.

I do think Standard is what you are looking for, Lite is essentially what would be on paper but in PDF form, Standard has the interactive capabilities you speak of.

I hope that helps.

Sincerely

[bawldiggle]

@ Paul

Thank you for your response (sorry for the delay, rather hectic here)

Is Standard a separate "buy" to Editor purchase ?

In Standard will it create a PDF file from MS Word Reader ?

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi bawldiggle,

That's right - Standard is separate and can be purchased on its own, or with the full PDF-XChange Pro. Do please note that, if purchased on its own, a license for the Editor is not included.

Standard does include the MS Office add-in, so you do have more flexibility when it comes to the creation of PDFs through MS Office documents.

Cheers,

[bawldiggle]

Thank you Will

• My apologies for not acknowledging and thanking you for your last post 7 months ago
  - my better half's health has been a huge distraction since Sept-2014
  - it has been a long hard road

I have finally got my head around (I hope) what I want to do with PDF and virtual printing to PDF
Please correct me if I am wrong ...

1. Editor Pro does NOT virtual print
2. Lite and Standard DO virtual print -- but only MS Office docs
3. Lite does NOT virtual print Bookmarks
4. Standard DOES virtual print Bookmarks
5. Free Lite adds PDF-XChange watermark
6. Lite bundled with Editor Pro does not add PDF-XChange watermark
7. Standard and Lite only virtual print MS Office docs
8. PDF-XChange products do not virtual-print HTML web pages (ie, non-PDF web-pages )
9. PDF-XChange products do not virtual-print emails

Would PDF-XChange Tools be an older program than Viewer and Editor
- I notice Tools comes with Editor integrated
- the comparison chart headers scroll out of view ... difficult to remember which column is which (my reptilian brain)

Thank you

-----
EDIT
-----
Just discovered ...
1. PDF-XChange Tools
2. the products comparison chart
... it all takes some absorbing.

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi Bawldiggle,

Not problem at all! That's never a good experience, for either of you, I hope your partner is well now?

Editor Pro does NOT virtual print

- Correct

Lite and Standard DO virtual print -- but only MS Office docs

- Not quite. PDF-XChange Lite is just the virtual printer and is technically capable of printing to PDF from any application that can print, but it will not generate interactive features like bookmarks, links, etc.

XChange Standard is a little different. It is a bundle of 3 different products: the PDF-XChange Printer 2012 that is the more advanced (has more features) version of the Lite printer; Office2PDF, which is a batch conversion application that can handle Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and HTML files that are being handled by Internet Explorer; and finally, the MS Office Add-in. The MS Office add-in is what Paul referred to, which integrates itself into the toolbar of MS Office applications and, generally speaking, offers a better and more advanced conversion of MS Office docs. to PDF. It's important to keep in mind that Standard isn't just the advanced printer, but also contains Office2PDF and the MS Office toolbar add-on.

Lite does NOT virtual print Bookmarks

- Correct

4. Standard DOES virtual print Bookmarks

- Correct. It generates these bookmarks based on font/text in the document. These parameters are obviously set by yourself, from within the preferences of the printer.

Free Lite adds PDF-XChange watermark

- That's right. Any of our products, when used without a valid license, will watermark the document on saving, when licensed features are used. In the Editor, these are marked by a 'PRO' icon. With all of the other products (Lite, PDF-Tools and Standard [XChange PRO being abundle of Standard, the Editor and PDF-Tools]) will always watermark the document without a license.

Lite bundled with Editor Pro does not add PDF-XChange watermark

- That's right. This is because a license for the Editor is also a license for PDF-XChange Lite.

Standard and Lite only virtual print MS Office docs

- Explained above.

PDF-XChange products do not virtual-print HTML web pages (ie, non-PDF web-pages

- As long as you have an application that can open and render the file (for HTML, this is any web browser), and it has an option to print, we can print it and convert it

PDF-XChange products do not virtual-print emails

- Similar to above. If you have an application that can open and render the file, and this is true of any file type that can be rendered, and the application has an option to print, we can print it and convert it.

Would PDF-XChange Tools be an older program than Viewer and Editor

- PDF-Tools is essentially a batch manipulation application, specifically for PDF's, though it can convert .txt and some images to PDF too. It will also scan to PDF.

- I notice Tools comes with Editor integrated

- This is the same idea as Lite and the Editor. A license for PDF-Tools is also a license for the Editor

Hope this clears things up for you