@Lubos: I continue to have compatibility issues at times with PDF files produced by printing from Manager to a virtual PDF printer.
As a workaround, is there a way to add a Save to PDF option wherever there are already Print and Email options? That is, can you make it possible to save the same PDF file that would otherwise be emailed? I’ve taken to emailing myself the PDF file from Manager, but that’s awfully silly.
(I can’t figure out what the underlying printing problem is, but I think it has something to do with how Manager [or Internet Explorer, which appears to provide printing services for Manager] defines the fonts it uses, because my resulting PDF files created with Acrobat Distiller or with Cute PDF have random-character names for the embedded fonts [e.g. 28iku instead of Nimbus Sans] that change every time I print another copy, and the PDF file sizes are all around 3 times larger than the same file created by Manager’s internal driver. Occasionally, trying to print to PDF results in Manager freezing and needed to be killed. Whatever the cause, the internal Manager PDF driver appears to be much more efficient and robust, so I would like to be able to print directly to it without having to resort to emailing.)
When printing to a PDF driver (Adobe or Cute), each page of each report generates its own random-character font names, and each of these “fonts” gets embedded in the resulting PDF file. My 12-page G/L Transaction report has 24 fonts embedded in the 0.3 MB file, even though the report really only uses 2 fonts (Nimbus and Nimbus Bold) – and even though there’s really no reason to embed an Arial-like font in the first place. There’s no reason a 12-page, double-spaced, text-only report should be anything even close to 0.3 MB in size; the same report emailed from within Manager is only 47 kB. (And no, I don’t have Embed All Fonts checked in my PDF driver settings.)
According to Adobe Acrobat’s Audit Space Usage function, 86% of the resulting file is taken up by fonts:
The main issue is that Manager doesn’t generate PDF files locally. PDFs are generated on 3rd-party server. If I would remove dependency on this 3rd-party server, Manager installation size would instantly balloon to 50 MB which I don’t like.
There is some solution I’m eyeing at which would allow Manager to generate PDFs locally and would increase installation size by only 5 MB. But it’s not as simple. It is definitely something I want to do sooner or later.
Once Manager is able to generate PDFs locally, there will be Save as PDF button.
Thought: Can the added weight of local PDF production be put in a “plug-in” resource that can be downloaded separately from Manager but installed in the same location and called by Manager when needed? The PDF plug-in would be downloaded once (perhaps automatically by Manager, on first use) and would not be part of the Manager installation file, nor would it need to be downloaded every time Manager is updated.
That’s something I was also considering. Basically user would have to install wkhtmltopdf from wkhtmltopdf. This is the software which is used by remote server to generate PDFs right now.
It will take me a while to recover from the small seizure I had from trying to read the name of the file
Sounds like a good idea, and it’s not without precedent. Even Cute PDF requires that the user also download and install Ghost Script, for example.
If you could somehow make it optional, that would prevent all sorts of support issues. (If WTF-whatever is installed locally, activate the Print to PDF button, and also rely on it for Email generation. If WTF-whatever is not installed locally, suppress the `Print to PDF button, and use the 3rd-party cloud service for Email generation.)
Hi,
First of all, thank you for an excellent product…its really a great alternative to Quickbooks online…fact is, I use QBO for my business, but for my HOA I chose to use Manager. Now I’m thinking I’ll switch to Manager for both. Anyway, this PDF business…I know its tricky (I’m a developer too…and that automation stuff is hard to get working right on multiple platforms), but I’m just adding in another vote for it.
I had Nitro PDF installed and noticed when I printed to the PDF printer, the reports come out with a blank first page. So I tried pdfcreator…same thing. Do you know why this is? Can I fix it with something in the settings?
I’d also vote for the PDF internally-generated option…even if the install size increases. For financial use, having PDFs is quite handy…almost necessary as reports have to be sent to Attorneys, Accountants, Clients, etc…and most prefer a PDF attachment.
Anyway, if you have a solution to that blank first page issue please let me know, and thanks again!
Ok, more on this issue…
So, if I use the desktop version, I get the blank first page…and if I use the Server version, with IE, I get the blank first page when printing to either of my installed “PDF Printers”. However, if I use Chrome, with the server version, and use the Chrome print dialog box, rather than the system print dialog, and then choose Save as PDF, it works fine.
So, for now, since I was going to buy the Server version anyway, its not as big of an issue for me, but I’m just reporting it for your information.
Hope it helps!
