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A
Anonymous
March 16, 2012
Question

PDF Output: Why is "PDF Review" styled different than "Generate PDF"?

  • March 16, 2012
  • 1 reply
  • 783 views

I am new to RH.  I have imported a folder of HTML files (used in an Eclipse Help plugin) into RH9 for HTML as a project. My goal is to produce a PDF document.

When I generate a PDF from Printed Documentation in the Single Source Layouts pad, many styles are incorrect. I've tried generating to Word and from there to PDF with the same effect.

However, when I use Create PDF for Review from Project Manager the styles shown in the PDF (fonts, alignment, etc) are nearly perfect! Is the PDF Review option using a different CSS?

I have tried exploring the CSS specified in the Generate PDF flow, but I am unable to make changes, perhaps due to my massive state of confusion.  So I'm losing hope that I could manually tweak to CSS that I think I use in the Generate PDF flow to appear like the "PDF Review" flow. I specified the same CSS used in the Eclipse Help system, but evidently there must be some defaults built into the Eclipse viewer that are not specified in the CSS we use.

Thanks in advance,

Charly in SJ

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1 reply

Peter Grainge
Community Expert
Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 16, 2012

Look at the dialogs when you generate. You will see options to apply a Word template or a different CSS to the one(s) you use in your topics. That could result in what you are seeing.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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A
Anonymous
March 17, 2012

"PDF for Review" doesn't give you an option to apply a different CSS or template...  only one dialog where you can apply a filter (Complete/In Progress/etc) and select/unselect specifc topics.  So I assume PDF for Review uses the stylesheet linked in each topic.

I'll doublecheck, but I'm pretty sure this is the same CSS that I set up for my Printed Documentation layout too.  It must be related to how PDF for Review bypasses Word. I have not tried to adjust Word style mappings, but it sounds like that might be what I need to do, if I want to have the other benefits of using the single source layout method (like page break control, etc.)  I've reviewed your tutorial on Printed Documentation but I must admit that I cannot get even basic appearances correct (like paragraphs, which appear to be mapped to Word's Normal (Web)!)

This might be an esoteric aside, but here goes:  I imported these files directly as they are used in an Eclipse help plugin, along with the CSS they use. Yet somehow the output generated by PDF for Review inserts breadcrumbs for each topic, even though this feature is not implemented in the CSS linked in the topic.  Breadcrumbs appear to be rendered on the fly by the Eclipse Help Engine (via another CSS that is not referenced by the CSS linked inside the topic). How is this so?

Charly in SJ

Peter Grainge
Community Expert
Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 17, 2012

Here's what I think is happening. You say PDF review is good but printed documentation gives wrong styles. You also say you assume PDF review uses the Stylesheet (CSS) for each topic, yes it does. Now if that is giving the correct styles it tells you that is what you need when you generate printed documentation.

When you use a Word template you will get very different styles unless you have set up the template to mirror your CSS. Using the Map to CSS option you have two choices, you can select None when each topic will be printed according to the CSS attached to the topic or you can select one of the CSS files available in the project.

I suspect that if you select the None option, you will get the same as you are seeing in the PDF review.

If your document is not going to be worked on by anyone, such as a training department using it as a based document, then the CSS options are fine. If others will be working on it, then the Word template option is better as lists will be true lists and headings will be true heading styles.

See Printed Documentation on my site.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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