For my MAC users, the 'print' command has a built-in pdf output option, so it was easy to implement a 'print to pdf' and attach the output to a 'send mail' script step.

But it doesn't appear there is such a built in option in Vista or XP.

There appear to be numerous 'free' pdf printers for Windows out there. I would like to recommend one to my Windows users. Is this a case of 'you get what you pay for' or are they any good? Any one in particular?

My needs are simple - 'print' to a named pdf file so I can create an email message with the pdf as an attachment.

If I can recommend one for them to use, I can build the parameters into a no-dialog print script step rather than train them how to use a full-dialog print.

Thanks in advance.

I've tried about 1/2 a dozen of the 'free' pdf printer options for Windows, and none of them work like the MAC print/save as pdf command.

I need the pdf printer to be able to store the file name in the 'print' script step like it does on the MAC so I can attach it to an email in the next step of the script. I do NOT want my users to have to go through a 'name the file' step. Since the naming in all these pdf printers appears to be outside FileMaker, there would be no way to grab the name for the 'send mail' step that follows the 'print'.

Do any of the Windows pdf printers (at any cost) do this like the Mac print option does?

Save to PDF was introduced in FMP 8.0 cross platform and independent of the operating system. It's not through the print dialog, it's a separate command. The pdfs are a bit bloated in 8.0, they got better in 8.5.

FMP 9.0 introduced the ability to append to pdf files. So pages from multiple layouts can be saved into the one file.

Exactly what I needed! I guess if I'd done my development first on the Windows side, I might have found the script step, but since I do it on the MAC side, 'save to pdf' was an option in the 'print' script step and I didn't need 'save to pdf'. I figured it was a windows limitation when I was working on the windows side.

THanks!