Microsoft print to pdf and links

[GeorgBC]

How to keep links in f.ex. mail active after having used the Microsoft Print to pdf function to create a PDF-file of the mail.

One cannot use the link in the created pdf-file, if the url was not shown in the mail being printed to PDF.

[John T Smith]

You do not seem to be asking about an Adobe program

Please post the name of the program you use so a Moderator may move this message to that forum

[GeorgBC]

I suspect that the Adobe routine behind is Adobe pdf and Acrobat destiller.

[Test Screen Name]

This isn't an Adobe issue, but I can tell you anyway: PDF printers don't keep links. The advice is: NEVER PRINT PDF TO PDF. Why would you do this strange thing?

[GeorgBC]

I do not print pdf to pdf. I do print mails to pdf. I have seen active links in pdf document generated from for exampel word, so I am wondring why it does not work printing a mail containing links to pdf.

[Dave Merchant]

There are two things going on. First, how the PDF is created:

• If software (Word, etc.) exports to PDF (e.g. via a Save As menu), it can include the interactive parts of the document such as links, tables of contents etc. no matter how they are visually represented.
• If it prints to PDF then all the interactivity is lost, and you only get a dumb visual representation of the document. It's effectively just an electronic sheet of paper.

Then you have to look at how the PDF is viewed - some software (Acrobat/Reader included) will automatically turn all the text URLs and email addresses into clickable hotspots, even if there are no links defined in the PDF itself. That only happens where the visible text contains something recognizable. You can disable this feature in the preferences, but it can confuse people into thinking there are real links embedded in the PDF when there are not.

[GeorgBC]

Thank you - very much Dave Merchant

That was my fear. 

I wil ask Microsoft to include a save as to file-type pdf in mail programs.

[John T Smith]

You still have not answered... what ADOBE program are you using to create the PDF?

If you are using a Microsoft program, or an email program, this question needs to go in a forum for that program

[GeorgBC]

The problem does exist whether I am using the "Adobe pdf" printer routine to print a document to a PDF file or I am using the "Microsoft Print to pdf" print routines to write a document or mail to a PDF-file.
I suppose that conversion routine behind is the Adobe distiller routine.

One can use, as you probably know, the Adobe pdf or Microsoft print to pdf from whatever program at the computer to convert a document to a pdf-file. These two routines is selected in the print dialog for each program.

[Test Screen Name]

By the way "I suppose that conversion routine behind is the Adobe distiller routine." - no, the technology is all belonging to Microsoft in this case. If you want Distiller you have to license Acrobat. PDF is not owned by Adobe, and anyone can write software to work with it, good or bad.

[GeorgBC]

I do infact have license to Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat destiller.

But let us stop this for now.

Thank you for your effort.

[Nancy OShea]

Hyperlinks in e-mail are coded in HTML.  Without the underlying HTML code, everything is just plain text.  Evidently, that's what's happening when you convert mail to PDF.  The conversion is wiping out the HTML code.

[try67]

When you print to the Adobe PDF printer you lose a lot of information, especially . If possible, you should use the PDF Maker plugin, instead.