PDF Quirks

[kevinthoule]

We recently installed Filemaker Pro 8 Advanced on two Dual 1.8 GHz G5 macs running OS X 10.4.2, and Filemaker Pro 8 on a Dual 1Ghz G4 running OS X 10.4.2. On all three machines, using the PDF services selections by pushing the PDF button in the Print dialog box is resulting in significantly larger PDF files.

Using the same database and the same four records in the same layout, the resulting PDF created using either 'Save as PDF...' or 'Mail PDF' in Filemaker Developer 7 results in an 840 KB file. Following the exact same process in Filemaker Pro 8 Advanced results in a 1.8 MB file. Filemaker 8's new 'Save/Send Records as PDF...' menu command or script step creates a 345 KB file.

Using 'Save/Send Records as PDF...' in Filemaker 8 first creates a PDF file in whatever location you specify, then attaches it to an email, resulting in us having to move the unneeded file to the trash after creating and sending the email. When a new email message is created in Apple's Mail version 2.0.3, the preset email signature does not appear in the new message and the signature menu in the new message window is set to "None". Also, when using Filemaker 8's new Save/Send PDF features, the 'Create email with file as attachment' selection is not restored in the 'Save Records as PDF' dialog box when the program is quit and restarted.

We were using the 'Mail PDF' selection in the Print dialog PDF menu regularly because it simply attached a PDF of the records directly to an email, without creating a separate pdf file anywhere on the computer. But now those file sizes are unmanageable, and the interface quirks between Filemaker 8's new Save/Send as PDF feature and Apple Mail are undesirable.

Comments or suggestions?

[Zero Tolerence]

Create the smaller file, then simply create an Applescript to delete the file when your done with it.

[kevinthoule]

Create the smaller file, then simply create an Applescript to delete the file when your done with it.

I wondered about something like that, but since I'm not well-versed in Applescript, I wasn't quite sure how to proceed.

Edited October 31, 2005 by Guest