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how do I save as a PDF?

  • 2 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 8 views
  • Last reply by THUFIR

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The adobe plugin will display a file correctly, and it will print correctly. However, selecting "print to file" generates, not a PDF, but a PCL type file:


thufir@dur:~/Documents$ thufir@dur:~/Documents$ file mystery.pdf mystery.pdf: HP Printer Job Language data thufir@dur:~/Documents$ thufir@dur:~/Documents$ pdfinfo mystery.pdf Syntax Warning: May not be a PDF file (continuing anyway) Syntax Error: Couldn't find trailer dictionary Syntax Error: Couldn't read xref table thufir@dur:~/Documents$ thufir@dur:~/Documents$ head -n 2 mystery.pdf %-12345X@PJL @PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = HBP thufir@dur:~/Documents$


how do save this as a PDF? Was it a PDF when Adobe reader read it, or was that something else? Was it always a PJL file?

HBP is "Host Based Printing" which makes me think that host is generating non-human readable data. Yet, if the Adobe Reader plug-in can read it, correctly, and send it to the printer, it must be, at some point, either postscript or something similar for fonts....

How do i get the text data? This is on Windows XP. I'm suspecting that even "print to pdf" with PDFCreator will still result in gibberish...

The adobe plugin will display a file correctly, and it will print correctly. However, selecting "print to file" generates, not a PDF, but a PCL type file: thufir@dur:~/Documents$ thufir@dur:~/Documents$ file mystery.pdf mystery.pdf: HP Printer Job Language data thufir@dur:~/Documents$ thufir@dur:~/Documents$ pdfinfo mystery.pdf Syntax Warning: May not be a PDF file (continuing anyway) Syntax Error: Couldn't find trailer dictionary Syntax Error: Couldn't read xref table thufir@dur:~/Documents$ thufir@dur:~/Documents$ head -n 2 mystery.pdf %-12345X@PJL @PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = HBP thufir@dur:~/Documents$ how do save this as a PDF? Was it a PDF when Adobe reader read it, or was that something else? Was it always a PJL file? HBP is "Host Based Printing" which makes me think that host is generating non-human readable data. Yet, if the Adobe Reader plug-in can read it, correctly, and send it to the printer, it must be, at some point, either postscript or something similar for fonts.... How do i get the text data? This is on Windows XP. I'm suspecting that even "print to pdf" with PDFCreator will still result in gibberish...

All Replies (2)

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On Linux there is usually possibility to get a PDF file (Output: PDF) available. Are you using that choice? If you print to an HP printer that supports PCL then you likely get output in that print language. So make sure to select the correct printer output.

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the file came to me as-is, unfortunately.