Note that you get a few more options tabs if you select Properties when pdfFactory is highlighted as your printer than you do when you see the tabs from the pdfFactory preview screen. Specifically ‘Metrics’, which allows you to set the margins, and ‘Graphics’ which allows you to vary the compression to be used for graphics in the pdf.
This could happen if the email client you are using is not MAPI compatible or if the default email client has not been defined. To set the default email client, access the Defaults Programs item in the Windows control panel and set the default email there. We determine the default email using these registry keys:
HKCU/Software/Clients/Mail
HKLM/Software/Clients/Mail
The pdfFactory Send button will not work with web-based email programs such as Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo Mail. Yahoo Toolbar and other add-in will allow MAPI connectivity. Please contact the appropriate site for details.
When installing Outlook 365 on a computer that previously had Outlook 2010, the following error can occur:
MAPISendMail: Failed to submit message. Attachments to the message exceeded the size limit set by your Administrator.
To fix,delete the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\
Existing PDFs can be revised by opening them in a reader and resending to pdfFactory.
To print multiple files (batch printing):
- Open the Printers/Faxes folder in the Windows Start menu and set the default printer to pdfFactory.
- Open the pdfFactory Printing Preferences (right-click the pdfFactory icon) and turn off the dialogue box display in the Setup tab.
- Open a Windows folder containing the files and group select them.
- Right click and select the “Send to” menu and then select pdfFactory.
This will print all the files to pdfFactory. pdfFactory will create a PDF file in the autosave directory for each file. You can create a separate version of pdfFactory to do this.
Click the “Create using current job” button and name the letterhead.
Step 2: Set the desired letterhead option. The letterhead pages will be repeated in sequence with any document pages unless one of the items below is selected:
- Print on first page only – this option applies to single page letterheads only. Checking this box means that the letterhead will be printed on the first page of the document and not on subsequent pages.
- Do not repeat first letterhead page – this option applies to two page letterheads only. It indicates the first letterhead page is to be printed only on the first document page and the second letterhead page should be printed on all subsequent document pages. Note: letterheads with multiple pages must be a single print job. Either send both pages to print or if sent separately combine them into a single job in pdfFactory using the cut and paste feature.
- Always apply entire letterhead – this option is used when the letterhead may be longer than the document. For example, an invoice letterhead could be created that has a blank first page and “terms and conditions” on the second page. When printing a single page invoice, the terms page would be printed on the second page.
- Simulate multi-part letterhead – this option will repeat a document page for each page of the letterhead.
Close pdfFactory Pro. Your letterhead can now be accessed from the Jobs tab.
To add a date and time stamp to a signature.
Use the Text entry [A] CTRL+ALT+T
type <date> <time>
Click elsewhere and the actual date and time will appear.
Paste a signature next to this and
click on the Snapshot icon the dotted box, CTRL+ALT+S. and drag a box arount the date and signature.Then drag the box to the NOTE list on the left of the pdffactory window.
Click on the main menu and security to encrypt the file. You can choose the encryption method as follows. First click on the settings icon (top left of menu bar [ALT+T]) and tick “show advanced settings in the security dialogue”. After this click the settings menu again and select “security“. Security settings can be accessed by clicking on the Lock icon in the status bar when a secure PDF file is created.
pdfFactory uses the strongest available encryption method (256-bit AES). If the PDF file level was explicitly set, pdfFactory will create a secure PDF file using the strongest encryption method that is compatible with the PDF file level.
The security settings affect the PDF file level as follows:
128-bit RC4: PDF 1.4
128-bit AES: PDF 1.6
256-bit AES: PDF 1.7
Encrypted metadata requires PDF 1.6 or above, regardless of which encryption method (AES or RC4) is used in the PDF file.
pdfFactory chooses the best PDF level based on the contents of the file. If a specific PDF level is desired it can be selected in the Settings/General dialog box or in the menu located in the main status bar. Note that if one of the PDF/A levels is selected then secure PDF files cannot be created.
Some security settings in pdfFactory (encryption method, metadata, and master password) are hidden by default. These settings can be accessed by checking the option “Show advanced settings in the Security dialog” which is located in the Settings/General dialog box.
In order to reinstall the products as though for the first time, follow these steps:
1. Delete my documents/pdf files/fp*.ini (pdfFactory) or my documents/fineprint files/fp*.ini (FinePrint)
2. Uninstall the product from either the Control Panel or from the Uninstall option in the program group in the Start menu
3. Reinstall the product
Problem: On duplex printers, pages print upside down and on the backside of the paper.
Solution: Check the “landscape/portrait produces vertical flipping” box in the Advanced dialogue.
Problem: The pages are correct but I have to re-order them manually when the booklet is finished printing.
Solution: check the “print pages in reverse” option in the Advanced dialogue. You should only need to do this if you are using an inkjet or other printer where the pages must be re-ordered when the printing process is completed.
If your pages are printed without reordering when not using FinePrint, do not use the reverse pages option. Once this is corrected, try toggling the flip pages option in the manual duplex area.
Problem: When doing manual duplex, the backsides of the sheets do not have the correct pages.
Solution: Try toggling the “print pages in reverse” option in the Advanced dialogue and try again. Use a 4 page document to experiment.
The registry keys below comprise the SDK for pdfFactory. Some of the keys do not exist by default and should be created before they are used.
Setting the display mode
Note: Substitute “pdfFactory” for “pdfFactory Pro” if you do not have the Pro version installed.
HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\FinePrinters\pdfFactory Pro \PrinterDriverData\ShowDlg
HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\FinePrinters\pdfFactory Pro\PrinterDriverData\PdfAction
ShowDlg PdfAction Description
1 n/a show UI after spooling
2 0 do not show UI, do not email, do not view PDF file
2 1 do not show UI but view PDF file
2 2 do not show UI but put PDF file in an email
2 3 do not show UI but execute a program*
This does not affect any open HDCs into the pdfFactory printer.
Note: the values above are of type DWORD, not string. The display can also be set interactively using the pdfFactory Preferences in the Windows Printers folder.
*Program name is placed in the PrinterDriverData section using the Exec key. %1 is the full pathame of the PDF file.
Display Mode Override
If for some reason the ShowDlg setting does not “stick”, “forced override” mode is available. For example, to set mode 2, PdfAction 1, set the following in the registry:
HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\FinePrinters\pdfFactory Pro\ShowDlg = 2
HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\FinePrinters\pdfFactory Pro\PdfAction = 1
Note: The forced override setting is the standard location for this setting without minus the “PrinterDriverData” subkey. In forced override mode, the setting affects ALL applications and it cannot be changed from the UI until you change it in the registry. so do not use this setting unless absolutely necessary.
Setting the filename
The output filename where the PDF will be saved can be set using these registry keys:
HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\OutputFile
HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\OutputFilePerm
This only works for display mode 2 (shown above).
OutputFile is used once and then erased. When the OutputFile key is erased, it signals that the PDF has been created and can be acted upon by the calling application. If you want to print a sequence of files to pdffactory, here is the procedure in pseudeocode:
while (not done)
{
set OutputFile to desired full path name
print document to pdfFactory
wait until OutputFile is cleared
}
OutputFilePerm is used every time, and is not erased after use. Existing files at the
destination with the same name are overwritten without prompting.
Setting the default path
HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\JobsDir
HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\AutoSaveDir
Example: Here is a batch file that turns off the dialog box and uses OutputFilePerm to specify the name and location of PDF using pdfFactory. For pdfFactory Pro, substitute the appropriate key names.
To run this file, copy the lines below to a .bat file and execute it in a DOS command window. Note that PublishSettings is called to signal open applications to refresh their printer settings.
@echo off
reg.exe add “HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\FinePrinters\pdfFactory\PrinterDriverData” /v ShowDlg /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f
reg.exe add “HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\PublishSettings” /v pdfFactory /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg.exe add “HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6” /v OutputFilePerm /t REG_SZ /d “c:\MyFile.pdf” /f
cls
echo.
echo Now start an application (e.g. Word, Wordpad, etc.) and print a
echo document to pdfFactory.
echo.
echo You will not get the pdfFactory dialog box, and your document will be
echo saved to c:\MyFile.pdf.
echo.
echo To return pdfFactory to normal behavior, just press any key.
echo.
pause
reg.exe add “HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\FinePrinters\pdfFactory\PrinterDriverData” /v ShowDlg /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg.exe add “HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\PublishSettings” /v pdfFactory /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg.exe delete “HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6” /v OutputFilePerm /f
Combining jobs into a single PDF
The CollectJobs registry setting is used to combine jobs when the dialog box is turned off .
HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\FinePrinters\pdfFactory Pro\CollectJobs
First set the output filename using OutputFilePerm. Set the CollectJobs value to the number of print jobs you want to combine. Each time pdfFactory receives a print job it decrements the counter. The counter value should be checked to ensure that it has been decremented before the next job is sent. When all the jobs have been collected and converted to PDF the counter is set to zero. Make sure you clear the OutputFilePerm key if normal operation should follow the job collection.
Example:
set OutputFile to desired full path name
set CollectJobs to desired number of jobs
while (Collectjobs != 0)
{
print document to pdfFactory
wait until CollectJobs is decremented
}
If the number of jobs to be combined is unknown, set CollectJobs to a large number. When all documents have finished printing, set CollectJobs to -1 (0xffffffff) and print another job (which will be ingored) to flush the jobs to a single PDF.
Execute a command line
pdfFactory can be set to execute a command when the PDF is ready. Set the command line in the pdfFactory Printing Preferences in the Windows Printers folder. Check the “Do not show dialog” and then select the “execute a command” option. An example command line is c:\myapp.exe %1 where %1 is the full pathname of the PDF.
pdfFactory Pro Email Settings
When you click on the “Send…” button in pdfFactory it creates an email message in your default email client with the Attachment field set to the name of the PDF file.
the newly created email message will be empty except for the Attachment field (i.e. no To, Cc, or Bcc recipients, no Subject, and no message body).
pdfFactory will create the message in your default email client but will not send it. You will need to explicitly send the message yourself when you are ready to do so.
In pdfFactory Pro, you can alter this behavior via the Email Settings dialog, or by setting registry values. To access the Email Settings dialog, click on the “Email” tab on pdfFactory Pro’s Settings tab. Email settings are stored in the registry:
HKCU\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\FinePrinters\pdfFactory Pro\Email.
Supported registry values are:
To (REG_SZ) – a list of intended recipients. The list items are separated by the standard Windows list separator (e.g. comma) as specified in the Control Panel International applet
Cc (REG_SZ) – a list of CC recipients. See the EmailTo section above for a description of the list format.
Bcc (REG_SZ) – a list of BCC recipients. See the EmailTo section above for a description of the list format.
Subject (REG_SZ) – subject of the email
Message (REG_SZ) – body of the email message. NOTE: you can use hard carriage returns and tabs in the message body, but in order to set those values in a registry string you must do it programmatically and not through REGEDIT. REGEDIT does not support those characters in a .REG file.
ViewMessage (REG_DWORD) – nonzero to view the message in the default email client before sending it. Zero causes the message to be sent immediately without viewing it. NOTE: the actual timing of when the message is sent depends on your email client. If you do not have your email client configured to send messages immediately, then the message generated by pdfFactory will go immediately into the Outbox but will not be sent until your email client actually transmits the messages queued up in the Outbox.
Here is a sample from REGEDIT which sets the To and Subject fields and the message body, and instructs the email client to send the message immediately:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory6\FinePrinters\pdfFactory Pro\Email]“To”=”dick@fineprint.com,jane@fineprint.com”
“Subject”=”here are the sales figures”
“Message”=”Hi guys, here are the latest numbers.”
“ViewMessage”=dword:00000000
Creating Page Tag variables
Page tag set components (headers, footers, watermarks) can be set using SYSTEM environment variables. In the Stamps tab, set the stamp string to <%env_var%> where env_var is the name of the SYSTEM environment variable. For example:
<%temp%> would display the system temp directory.
