How To: Windows' printer service can be used to send documents to Adobe's online PDF conversion utility, which will then e-mail the docs back.Sometimes you just don't want to download another utility to convert a document to PDF. So you may want to make use of Adobe's Create Adobe PDF Online service.
Free for the first five conversions and about ten bucks per month after that, the service will convert most widely used document formats to the PDF format.
And yes, that includes WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, Publisher, all Adobe formats, JPEG, GIF and AutoCad. (If your format isn't supported, Adobe urges you to convert the document to Adobe Postscript using the Postscript driver.) You will need an Adobe ID and password to begin using the service.
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Converting via the Web site is easy enough. But, if you want to circumvent your browser and send your documents via Windows' printer service, here's how.
Sorry, Mac users, the Mac operating system can't do IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) over a SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connection just yet. And for you lucky Windows users, it will help if you're using Windows 2000 or XP.
To print directly from your computer, first make sure you have access to Create Adobe PDF Online with your Adobe ID and password. Once you do, you can close your browser and perform this setup. (You will not have to use your browser for converting again.)
In Windows XP, select "Printers and Faxes from the Control Panel." From the File menu, select "Add Printer."
The Add Printer wizard will open. Click "Next" on the first screen. Then, click the radio button for "A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer." Then click "Next."
Click the radio button for "Connect to a printer on the Internet or on a home or office network." In the "URL" text box, enter "https://pdf.adobe.com/cpdf/Printer?id=DfWKoub31G81AXB3." Then click "Next."
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Click the "No" radio button when asked whether to use this as the default printer; then click "Next." Finally, click "Finish." The process is largely the same with Windows 2000, and you use the same URL.
Once you're all set up, just open the document you want to convert, select the new printer from the print dialog box, and convert away.
The Adobe service will e-mail your documents to you, but you have to specify this option by clicking "Preferences" on the Create PDF site after you log in.
The trial account sets your maximum document size to 100MB or 10 minutes of processing time, and limits you to printing 50 pages at a time.
Have more tips on how to convert documents to PDFs? E-mail associate editor Stephen Bryant at stephen_bryant@ziffdavis.com.
