a Mac question - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

dd3953 · 06-30-2006, 09:57 PM

okay, i didn't find a thread with this question, but if there is one ((& i just didn't see it, let me know))

now to the question:
i have a G4 iBook ((OS 10.4.6)). I am looking for an program ((freeware would be AWESOME)) that will turn my .txt, .rtf, and .doc files into .pdf.

i have found two programs already. one of them is made just for Mac and works with the Automator, but i can't seen to get to do what it is supposed to do.

so i downloads a Bee product called Text to PDF.app, there is three problems with this program:
1: it doesn't not convert my page breaks ((so everything runs together))
2: it doesn't convert my fonts ((so everything comes out in Times, i hate Times))
3: all my pictures disappear.

is there any programs out there that you know of, that would convert everything, fonts, line/page breaks, and pitcures ((and that will work with my lovely Mac))

i downloaded OpenOffice.org. it works great, my pictures & my line/page breaks are there. but all of my fonts ((from pages, text edit, & word)) do not transfer over to OOo . . . . so there is a way, if you are not picky about yout fonts . . . i went from 87 fonts to about 20 & none of them are "cool."

the problem is: i am picky about fonts . . .

so the search continues

Redlemon · 07-04-2006, 12:55 PM

Every program on a Mac can print to a PDF. It is built into the Print dialog.

cyrnel · 07-04-2006, 01:23 PM

You generally need to tell PDF converters to include fonts. The defaults often do not in an effort to save space/bandwidth at the expense of device portability. Check page setup for an "include fonts" option.

dd3953 · 01-31-2008, 05:08 PM

Do you have to have Adobe or something to open PDF as text? Or something that you can change?

spindles · 01-31-2008, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd3953

Do you have to have Adobe or something to open PDF as text? Or something that you can change?

Yes, you need Adobe Acrobat (not the reader obviously) to edit an existing PDF file. It is possible for the original PDF creator to lock the PDF file in Acrobat so that you can't change it though.

Redlemon · 02-01-2008, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd3953

Do you have to have Adobe or something to open PDF as text? Or something that you can change?

You can use Preview (which comes with your Mac) to open the PDF (it should do that by default). Click on the letter A in the toolbar to get a selection cursor. You can then copy the text out to a word processor for editing. You can also use the dotted-outline box in the toolbar to copy graphics.

dd3953 · 10-05-2010, 03:04 AM

New Question (related to the old) How do you take a number of PDFs and turn them into one document? Can my Mac do that or do I need to download something else?

(By the way, thanks for the other tips and directions, they worked just fine.)

Baraka_Guru · 10-05-2010, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd3953

New Question (related to the old) How do you take a number of PDFs and turn them into one document? Can my Mac do that or do I need to download something else?

(By the way, thanks for the other tips and directions, they worked just fine.)

You probably need Adobe Acrobat for that. There's a feature called "Combine Files," where it allows you to take multiple files/images and make it into one document. I think this includes more than just PDFs.

There is also "Create PDF" from the File drop-down menu, where "From Multiple Files" is an option.

This is in Acrobat; I'm not sure Reader can do any of this. Probably not.

There are programs and services that "merge" PDFs. I'm not familiar with any, however. Just Google "merge pdfs" and see what turns up.

Redlemon · 10-05-2010, 06:37 AM

Actually, you can do it with the built-in application Preview.

10.5: Use Preview to merge or create multi-page PDFs - Mac OS X Hints

Baraka_Guru · 10-05-2010, 06:39 AM

Oh, wow. Nice find, Redlemon.

God, I love OS X.

Redlemon · 10-05-2010, 06:56 AM

Preview needs a new name. It has huge amounts of power hidden inside it, and most people just use it to view PDFs.

Baraka_Guru · 10-05-2010, 06:59 AM

Yeah, you're probably right. It's even worse for me because I have Adobe Acrobat Professional, so all my PDFing goes through there, plus the PDF print option in the OS.

I only use Preview as a quickview tool for images; it's set as that as default.

dd3953 · 10-06-2010, 03:05 AM

Redlemon, if I had 10.5, this would be great. Just one more reason for to wish I had a newer machine.

Baraka, I have tried a number of google searches, and found a number of downloads that say they would, and either they really don't, or I can't get them to work. While Abode is great, I need something cheaper than that (and free would be great, but I don't think that's gonna happen).

Redlemon · 10-06-2010, 04:56 AM

You can load 10.5 on that machine, can't you? It was 10.6 that required Intel.

dd3953 · 10-06-2010, 05:44 PM

No, I was going to, but the Mac man told me that it wouldn't be worth it because of my RAM - which is like 512 or something.

ASU2003 · 10-06-2010, 09:40 PM

You should be able to find some 3rd party RAM for not a lot of money.

YaWhateva · 10-06-2010, 10:56 PM

1GB of ram is the max for a G4 iBook I believe. It's really cheap but I don't know if it would help all that much for a 10.5 upgrade.

06-30-2006, 09:57 PM	#1 (permalink)
dd3953 Psycho: By Choice Location: dd.land	a Mac question okay, i didn't find a thread with this question, but if there is one ((& i just didn't see it, let me know)) now to the question: i have a G4 iBook ((OS 10.4.6)). I am looking for an program ((freeware would be AWESOME)) that will turn my .txt, .rtf, and .doc files into .pdf. i have found two programs already. one of them is made just for Mac and works with the Automator, but i can't seen to get to do what it is supposed to do. so i downloads a Bee product called Text to PDF.app, there is three problems with this program: 1: it doesn't not convert my page breaks ((so everything runs together)) 2: it doesn't convert my fonts ((so everything comes out in Times, i hate Times)) 3: all my pictures disappear. is there any programs out there that you know of, that would convert everything, fonts, line/page breaks, and pitcures ((and that will work with my lovely Mac)) i downloaded OpenOffice.org. it works great, my pictures & my line/page breaks are there. but all of my fonts ((from pages, text edit, & word)) do not transfer over to OOo . . . . so there is a way, if you are not picky about yout fonts . . . i went from 87 fonts to about 20 & none of them are "cool." the problem is: i am picky about fonts . . . so the search continues __________________ [Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ] Last edited by dd3953; 07-01-2006 at 10:03 AM.. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

07-04-2006, 12:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
Redlemon Devoted Donor Location: New England	Every program on a Mac can print to a PDF. It is built into the Print dialog. __________________ I can't read your signature. Sorry.

07-04-2006, 01:23 PM	#3 (permalink)
cyrnel Adequate Location: In my angry-dome.	You generally need to tell PDF converters to include fonts. The defaults often do not in an effort to save space/bandwidth at the expense of device portability. Check page setup for an "include fonts" option. __________________ There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

01-31-2008, 05:08 PM	#4 (permalink)
dd3953 Psycho: By Choice Location: dd.land	Do you have to have Adobe or something to open PDF as text? Or something that you can change? __________________ [Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ]

10-05-2010, 03:04 AM	#7 (permalink)
dd3953 Psycho: By Choice Location: dd.land	New Question (related to the old) How do you take a number of PDFs and turn them into one document? Can my Mac do that or do I need to download something else? (By the way, thanks for the other tips and directions, they worked just fine.) __________________ [Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ]

10-05-2010, 06:37 AM	#9 (permalink)
Redlemon Devoted Donor Location: New England	Actually, you can do it with the built-in application Preview. 10.5: Use Preview to merge or create multi-page PDFs - Mac OS X Hints __________________ I can't read your signature. Sorry.

10-05-2010, 06:39 AM	#10 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Oh, wow. Nice find, Redlemon. God, I love OS X. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

10-05-2010, 06:56 AM	#11 (permalink)
Redlemon Devoted Donor Location: New England	Preview needs a new name. It has huge amounts of power hidden inside it, and most people just use it to view PDFs. __________________ I can't read your signature. Sorry.

10-05-2010, 06:59 AM	#12 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Yeah, you're probably right. It's even worse for me because I have Adobe Acrobat Professional, so all my PDFing goes through there, plus the PDF print option in the OS. I only use Preview as a quickview tool for images; it's set as that as default. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

10-06-2010, 03:05 AM	#13 (permalink)
dd3953 Psycho: By Choice Location: dd.land	Redlemon, if I had 10.5, this would be great. Just one more reason for to wish I had a newer machine. Baraka, I have tried a number of google searches, and found a number of downloads that say they would, and either they really don't, or I can't get them to work. While Abode is great, I need something cheaper than that (and free would be great, but I don't think that's gonna happen). __________________ [Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ]

10-06-2010, 04:56 AM	#14 (permalink)
Redlemon Devoted Donor Location: New England	You can load 10.5 on that machine, can't you? It was 10.6 that required Intel. __________________ I can't read your signature. Sorry.

10-06-2010, 05:44 PM	#15 (permalink)
dd3953 Psycho: By Choice Location: dd.land	No, I was going to, but the Mac man told me that it wouldn't be worth it because of my RAM - which is like 512 or something. __________________ [Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ]

10-06-2010, 09:40 PM	#16 (permalink)
ASU2003 immoral minority Location: Back in Ohio	You should be able to find some 3rd party RAM for not a lot of money.

10-06-2010, 10:56 PM	#17 (permalink)
YaWhateva Friend Location: New Mexico	1GB of ram is the max for a G4 iBook I believe. It's really cheap but I don't know if it would help all that much for a 10.5 upgrade. __________________ “If the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush administration again.” - Bill O'Reilly "This is my United States of Whateva!"