Virtual PDF printer? Does anyone know of one?

[stevmg]

How do I convert either text or a web page on Safari to .pdf? Every post here talks around the subject, not about it. Spell it out in simple terms. If no such app or bookmarklet exists, let me know. Have iPad 2 & iPad mini with Safari, operating system 6.1

 

[sek]

Hello, I am a new iPad user.

I am really disappointed that it looks impossible to find a virtual PDF printer.

For Windows there are a lot of solutions to this. For example PDF Creator and Classic PDF Editor. With these applications you can create a "virtual PDF printer" that will show up like a real printer in your device list.

After you have installed one (or several) virtual PDF printers you can send all of your printing to this virtual printer. Instead of printing to paper, the virtual printer save all output as PDF files in selectable folders on your hard disk and/or removable memory stick. You can print from any application, from webpages and so on.

I think that Jpmboy is looking for something similar for iPad.

The PDF files can be sent or transferred (for example by email) to an other computer for printing to paper (MOST PEOPLE DONT NEED THE PAPER VERSION).

For those who are interested to find out how a real "virtual PDF printer" work I suggest that you contact somebody who has a Windows computer and can show you.

I hope that some software developer will create something similar for the iPad.

I have sent some suggestions to Dar-Soft who has created the app "PDF Printer for iPad". Unfortunately this app is NOT a real "virtual PDF printer".

 

[Jpmboy]

Hello, I am a new iPad user.

I am really disappointed that it looks impossible to find a virtual PDF printer.

For Windows there are a lot of solutions to this. For example PDF Creator and Classic PDF Editor. With these applications you can create a "virtual PDF printer" that will show up like a real printer in your device list.

After you have installed one (or several) virtual PDF printers you can send all of your printing to this virtual printer. Instead of printing to paper, the virtual printer save all output as PDF files in selectable folders on your hard disk and/or removable memory stick. You can print from any application, from webpages and so on.

I think that Jpmboy is looking for something similar for iPad.

The PDF files can be sent or transferred (for example by email) to an other computer for printing to paper (MOST PEOPLE DONT NEED THE PAPER VERSION).

For those who are interested to find out how a real "virtual PDF printer" work I suggest that you contact somebody who has a Windows computer and can show you.

I hope that some software developer will create something similar for the iPad.

I have sent some suggestions to Dar-Soft who has created the app "PDF Printer for iPad". Unfortunately this app is NOT a real "virtual PDF printer".

Finally, someone who actually gets it has not been completely brainwashed by Apple. AppRey had an app available thru the appstore until 4Q2012. Apple pulled it, likely because of it's "big white" mentality. Apprey still has a website which describes the excellent pdf printer that Apple squashed. I can down load the app from appRey, but iTunes BLOCKS the installation of the components even if you go at this manually. Very frustrating.

I really do like the iPad, too bad apple is paying more attention to angry birds than productivity apps that help us go paperless. Funny, my droid had a pdf printer from day one.

I have yet to find a virtual printer for iOS6.

 

[Jpmboy]

How do I convert either text or a web page on Safari to .pdf? Every post here talks around the subject, not about it. Spell it out in simple terms. If no such app or bookmarklet exists, let me know. Have iPad 2 & iPad mini with Safari, operating system 6.1

Apple refuses to permit its user community access to this software. It was available, and later banned.

 

[Jpmboy]

here's the AppRey wedsite: Virtual PDF Printer | AppRey

 

[sek]

After several weeks of searching for a solution for the iPad "virtual PDF printer" on several internet forums I will give up.

Thanks also to Jpmboy for all effort to help us find it.

AppRey support answered: Thanks for interesting in our app, Apple don't allow us to use their AirPrint feature.

It looks that Apple allow the use of AirPrint ONLY for hardware printers like hp, canon, brother etc.

I finally have got the advice to try Save2PDF from EuroSmartz.

The Save2PDF app is NOT a "virtual PDF printer", but it make it possible to create PDF files in an odd way (compared to the easy methods in windows).

I have so far tested to create PDF files with Save2PDF from both secure (https://) and unsecure (http://) web sites.

Save2PDF has its own web browser and I suggest you to use this instead of Safari on the iPad if you want to print (save) to PDF files. The Save2PDF browser has a "PDF" button.

In Safari, if there is a "print button" inside the web application, for example a bank account or a time table, the "print button" will not work.

When you touch the "print button" the iPad will show you some dialogs to choose printer, then searching for printers, and finally "No AirPrint compatible printers found ...."

Instead of touching the "print button" you must edit the URL field and put the letter "z" in front of https:// (like zhttps://) or in front of http:// (like zhttp://)

If you use this editing of the URL in Safari it will open up the Save2PDF browser and you can choose to preview the page(s) you want to print (save) to PDF.

However, if the web page is a https:// site you will be thrown out from your login and must login once again in the Save2PDF browser.

That is why I suggest you to use the Save2PDF browser instead of Safari. You can set up (or import) favorites also in the Save2PDF browser. And also use the "PDF" button!

The Safari browser is a little bit like an application without facilities. No printing, no flash support and so on.

Save2PDF is NOT an optimal solution, but it will at least give you the opportunity to use the iPad as a business tool and not only as a toy.