Get Ready to Save a Lot of Time: Using the Web Wizard as an OpenOffice/Microsoft Office PDF Batch Convert Program

Note: If you're not familiar with PDF, read this post. If you do a lot of online publishing of your PDFs, see this post to take advantage of links.

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Psst! Do you like PDF?

Do you like easy, free ways to convert to PDF?

Do you have a bunch of PDF files you need to convert at once? I'm talking PDF batch convert.

Do you need to convert web pages to PDF?

And are you the type who doesn't mind just a bit of a hack to get cool results?

Then you are going to love this feature.

You might not have noticed a PDF Batch Convert feature in OpenOffice.org 2.0. That's because it's a Web page wizard, under File > Wizards > Web Page. This is OK—the Web wizard has some really cool features for web publishing but I'm all about PDF so that's what I'm concentrating on.

All right. Here we go. We're going to start the Web wizard, select the OpenOffice.org files you want to convert to PDF, specify where the output goes, ignore the extraneous HTML files in the output directory, and have ourselves a really dandy PDF batch convert process.

1. Choose File > Wizards > Web Page. You'll get this window. (Click it to see a larger image if you want.)

2.  Just click Next.

3. Now you'll see the window where you put the files to convert to PDF.  (Click it to see a larger image if you want.) Just click Add and find the files—Writer files, whatever you want. You can select all the files in the directory at once; just hold down Ctrl and select.

4. Now you say, convert these to PDF for me, please. For each file, select it and in the dropdown list, select the format to convert to. Select PDF for press for higher quality.

5. When you've specified PDF for each, click Next a few times to get to the last window.
6. Specify the directory where you want the PDF files created.

7. Then just click Finish.

8. The PDFs will be created in the directory you specified—but inside a Content directory, along with an index.html file and other stuff.

9. Just open the content directory, and you'll see your PDFs.

Isn't it slick? I think it's great, and wanted to make sure you know about it since I just stumbled upon it on my own.

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Now, there's a teeny issue. On my Windows desktop, but not my laptop, this doesn't work.It works the first time but not the second time.  A message pops up saying the files aren't there, and to run repair.  Running Repair  doesn't work. The bug has been filed but not a lot of people get it. So if this doesn't work for you, just wait for the next rev, or try it on another machine.

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Tags

OpenOffice.org    pdfconverter    expresspdf    html to pdf   open source   html   web publishing  convert to pdf   convert   education   Microsoft Office  batch  PDF    printing   

Comments

[Miguel Guhlin]

So, does this work on files other than OpenOffice ones?

Thanks,
Miguel
http://www.mguhlin.net/blog

[Solveig]

Hi Miguel,
>> So, does this work on files other than OpenOffice ones?

Good point--I didn't emphasize that. Yep, it works with HTML, Word, Excel, Calc, .txt, etc. I can't verify double-verify that right now since I've got the bug noted, on my desktop, and my laptop is running a very long defrag but the dialog box allows you to specify Microsoft files, OpenOffice.org files, graphics, and All Files.

Solveig

[pdf converter]

The PDF format is today the universal standard to share and broadcast electronic documents. Easy Pdf Converter helps you to convert in a few seconds your documents (maps, proposals, reports, notes...) into light and protected PDF files.

http://www.pdf-to-html-word.com/easy-pdf-converter-5.htm

[Varun]

Well, I gave it a try on FC5 and openoffice 2.0 but not luck! I tried converting a Microsoft .doc file but it didint' work using the wizard. contents directory was empty :(
But the same file is convertable if I click on the button "convert to pdf" fromt he toolbar of openoffice... strange!

[lily]

your description is so clearly that I want to have a try.and I do like to recommend one software that you can convert BMP, JPG, GIF, PNG, PCX, TGA, TIF, JPEG2000 and Adobe Photoshop PSD to BMP, TIF, TIFF, GIF, JPG,that is,
AVD Batch Converter,http://www.qweas.com/download/graphics/image_converters/avd_batch_converter.htm
have a good time!

[Alice]

Ok.thanks lily.www.qweas.com, The website can search software features a
discount price to facilitate inquiries.

[Tyler]

Thanks for this it has help me tremendously. Just so everyone knows I tried to convert about 80 PPT files all at once and it crashed OpenOffice. I then switched to do 10-15 at a time and that worked better. I guess this could have been a system issue as well as the computer I did this one was only a 2.4ghz.

[Ken Walker]

Thanks for this. You are certainly a valuable source of help.

I am trying to convert and html document created in google to a pdf. I took the html code for the document and saved it as an .html file and then tried to run this wizard. I had to tell it where to find my java which requires a restart of openoffice. That seems to have worked (using kubuntu). But then when I go through the wizard, I get to step 2. Document and the drop down for Export File Format has only one option: Original file format. I wanted PDF. Is there a trick, something I need to install perhaps, that will add the options I need?

[lily]

Do you want to have a good music software? please try this software Fx Magic Music,
Fx Magic Music is a useful Windows audio converter and player that can convert to and from many of the most popular Windows sound formats, play most Windows audio format files with the integrated player.
you can find it here http://www.qweas.com/download/audio_mp3/audio_editors/fx_magic_music.htm

[TestKing]

Thanks for this. You are certainly a valuable source of help.

[nadya]

wow super thanks for this! really really great help! wooohoooo!