Print to File Defaults

[dstein]

I searched for this but was surprisingly unable to find an answer.

How can I change the default settings of the "Print to File" option in the print dialog? I would like the default file type to be PDF instead of PS, and I would also like to change the default location. Please let me know how I can modify these settings. Thanks.

[oldfred]

Install CUPS-PDF in Synaptic
it says - Documents are written to a configurable directory (by default to ~/PDF)

[dstein]

Thanks oldfred. I've installed CUPS-PDF in the past, after it was no longer included in the distribution. However, I'm looking for a way to modify the settings of the "Print to File" option in the print dialog.

[kaibob]

...How can I change the default settings of the "Print to File" option in the print dialog? I would like the default file type to be PDF instead of PS, and I would also like to change the default location...

See post 2 in the following thread:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1043339

This worked in Hardy; I assume (but don't know) that this would also work in Intrepid.

[davegk]

No, that didn't work in Jaunty 64-bit. Changed the values suggested, plus the page size in both locations, but the "Print to File" still defaults to ps file format, /user_name/ location, and most annoyingly, to US Letter size page of resulting [pdf] file.

Why is the whole pdf handling subject is almost totally ignored in Ubuntu? Solutions available are remarkably primitive and inflexible: CUPS-PDF with no file name and location choice, not to mention font handling, resolution, CMYK-RGB etc; "Print to File" with no apparent way to change default file type and location).

I think that PDF handling is a very important matter, especially for those of us, recently converted , who are accustomed to production and editing of pdf files of various quality/size/purpose - from pre-press to low-res for email etc. We really need something like Acrobat Pro for Linux

Still, on a more down to Earth note - lets get back to the OP question: how do we change the default file type and location for the "Print to File"?

[Camilia]

I am a newbie thus might be wrong, but can't you change the end before you save it manually?

[davegk]

I am a newbie thus might be wrong, but can't you change the end before you save it manually?

Of course, you can. But that wasn't the question

Actually, I have found a way to do this (after a lot of digging and cursing)

Here's what I did (step-by-step, for someone like myself):
1. In Firefox, type "about:config" in address bar
2. Type "file" in Filter bar - you will see all your printers listed with option "Print to File"
3. Change print_to_filename - output location/file_name.extension for ALL of your printers to be the same - your desired file type and destination, in my case: /home/user_name/Documents/web.pdf Changing this for just printer_PDF and printer_Print_to_File won't work (well, it didn't in my case).

While we're on the subject of printing defaults, here's how I corrected paper size (from US Letter to A4) for the pdf prints:
1. Same as above
2. In Filter, type "paper"
3. Change print.postscript.paper_size from "Letter" to "A4"
4. Further down the same page, there will be settings for all your printers in the format: print.printer_ABCD.print_paper_name - change "na-letter" to "iso-a4".
5. If the values for paper width and height are wrong, correct them too - i.e. 210 and 297 instead of 215 and 279. In my case these values were correct, but Print to File would still print in US Letter size, until I changed those mentioned in No.4

[krivine]

Thanks; for me on Jaunty, running FF 3.0.15, I can change the default location only if I specify the file type as 'PDF'. In other words, specifying ~/PDF/mozilla.pdf works, but if I specify ~/PDF/mozilla.ps, FF ignores it, and defaults to ~/.ps.

Bizarre, and annoying.

[Ubuntist]

Thanks a lot, davegk!

This had been driving me crazy for quite a while. The default behavior is something worthy of Microsoft, I hate to say.

Now I just wish we could get a better file browser built into the print-to-file command. The current one is fine if you want to print to a file in one of the default directories, but to print to another directory you first have to select "Other..." and *then* you can start browsing to the directory you want. Why can't it just be like Nautilus?

[airtonix]

Of course, you can. But that wasn't the question

Actually, I have found a way to do this (after a lot of digging and cursing)

Excellent.

Now do it again for google chrome and it's variants.