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Photos / Graphics Software
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Photo and imaging software is used to edit and compose raster images; Adobe Photoshop dominates the market. Common actions include cropping, slicing, retouching, color replacement, masking and erasing. Other programs include GIMP, Serif PhotoPlus, Pixlr, PhotoScape, Picasa and IrfanView.
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In this tenth video of my Xpdf series, I discuss and demonstrate the PDFtoPS utility, which converts a PDF file to PostScript (PS). Also, it provides an option allowing creation of an Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) file. It performs its functions via a command line interface, making it suitable for use in programs, scripts, batch files — any place where a command line call can be made.
You may have already downloaded the Xpdf tools while watching one of my earlier videos in the series, but there has since been an upgrade from Version 3 to Version 4 and there is a new download site:
https://www.xpdfreader.com/download.html
Visit that site and download the pre-compiled Windows binary ZIP archive, then unzip it.
Go to the folder where you unzipped the downloaded ZIP file and find the doc folder.
Go into the doc folder and find the plain text file called pdftops.txt.
Open it with any text editor, such as Notepad, and read it. This is the documentation for the PDFtoPS tool.
Create a test folder.
Copy pdftops.exe from the unzipped bin32 folder into your test folder.
Copy a sample PDF file into your test folder.
Open a command prompt window.
Navigate to your test folder.
Issue a DIR command in the command prompt to be sure that only two files are in it - the PDFtoPS executable and the sample PDF file.
Issue the following command in the command prompt:
pdftops TestFileName.pdf…
1. Download the software
You may have already downloaded the Xpdf tools while watching one of my earlier videos in the series, but there has since been an upgrade from Version 3 to Version 4 and there is a new download site:
https://www.xpdfreader.com/download.html
Visit that site and download the pre-compiled Windows binary ZIP archive, then unzip it.
2. Locate the documentation folder for the Xpdf utilities
Go to the folder where you unzipped the downloaded ZIP file and find the doc folder.
3. Read the documentation for the PDFtoPS tool
Go into the doc folder and find the plain text file called pdftops.txt.
Open it with any text editor, such as Notepad, and read it. This is the documentation for the PDFtoPS tool.
4. Set up a test folder
Create a test folder.
Copy pdftops.exe from the unzipped bin32 folder into your test folder.
Copy a sample PDF file into your test folder.
5. Set up a command prompt for testing
Open a command prompt window.
Navigate to your test folder.
Issue a DIR command in the command prompt to be sure that only two files are in it - the PDFtoPS executable and the sample PDF file.
6. Run the PDFtoPS utility to create the PostScript file
Issue the following command in the command prompt:
pdftops TestFileName.pdf…
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In this ninth video of my Xpdf series, I discuss and demonstrate the PDFtoPPM tool, which converts a PDF file to color portable pixmap (PPM) format, grayscale portable graymap (PGM) format, or monochrome (black & white) portable bitmap (PBM) format. It creates a separate image file for each page of the PDF file. It does this via a command line interface, making it suitable for use in programs, scripts, batch files — any place where a command line call can be made.
You may have already downloaded the Xpdf tools while watching one of my earlier videos in the series, but there has since been an upgrade from Version 3 to Version 4 and there is a new download site:
https://www.xpdfreader.com/download.html
Visit that site and download the pre-compiled Windows binary ZIP archive, then unzip it.
Go to the folder where you unzipped the downloaded ZIP file and find the doc folder.
Go into the doc folder and find the plain text file called pdftoppm.txt.
Open it with any text editor, such as Notepad, and read it. This is the documentation for the PDFtoPPM tool.
Create a test folder.
Copy pdftoppm.exe from the unzipped bin32 folder into your test folder.
Copy a sample PDF file into your test folder, preferably one with numerous pages.
Open a command prompt window.
Navigate to your test folder.
Issue a DIR command in the command prompt to be sure that only two files are in it - the PDFtoPPM executable and the sample PDF file.
…
1. Download the software
You may have already downloaded the Xpdf tools while watching one of my earlier videos in the series, but there has since been an upgrade from Version 3 to Version 4 and there is a new download site:
https://www.xpdfreader.com/download.html
Visit that site and download the pre-compiled Windows binary ZIP archive, then unzip it.
2. Locate the documentation folder for the Xpdf utilities
Go to the folder where you unzipped the downloaded ZIP file and find the doc folder.
3. Read the documentation for the PDFtoPPM tool
Go into the doc folder and find the plain text file called pdftoppm.txt.
Open it with any text editor, such as Notepad, and read it. This is the documentation for the PDFtoPPM tool.
4. Set up a test folder
Create a test folder.
Copy pdftoppm.exe from the unzipped bin32 folder into your test folder.
Copy a sample PDF file into your test folder, preferably one with numerous pages.
5. Set up a command prompt for testing
Open a command prompt window.
Navigate to your test folder.
Issue a DIR command in the command prompt to be sure that only two files are in it - the PDFtoPPM executable and the sample PDF file.
…
This is the eleventh — and final — video of my Experts Exchange Micro Tutorials on the Xpdf utilities. The first video is an overview of the command line tools. The next nine videos are tutorials on all them:
PDFimages - Extract Images from PDF Files
PDFtoText - Convert PDF Files to Plain Text Files
PDFinfo - Retrieve Page Count and Other Information from PDF Files
PDFdetach - Detach Attachments from PDF Files
PDFtoPNG - Convert a Multi-page PDF File into Separate PNG Files
PDFfonts - List Fonts Used in a PDF File
PDFtoHTML - Convert a PDF File to HTML
PDFtoPPM - Convert a PDF File to PPM, PGM, PBM
PDFtoPS - Convert a PDF File to PS (PostScript)
This last video in the series discusses xpdfrc, which is the single configuration file that Xpdf uses for all nine utilities. It provides an enormous number of options, allowing extensive control of the tools, such as character mapping, font configuration, PostScript control, rasterizer settings, text control, and much more.
You may have already downloaded the Xpdf tools while watching one of my earlier videos in the series, but there has since been an upgrade from Version 3 to Version 4 and there is a new download site:
https://www.xpdfreader.com/download.html
Visit that site and download the pre-compiled Windows binary ZIP archive, then unzip it.
Download the Symbol and Zapf Dingbats fonts from the same page.
Go to the folder where you unzipped the downloaded ZIP file and find the doc folder.
…
PDFimages - Extract Images from PDF Files
PDFtoText - Convert PDF Files to Plain Text Files
PDFinfo - Retrieve Page Count and Other Information from PDF Files
PDFdetach - Detach Attachments from PDF Files
PDFtoPNG - Convert a Multi-page PDF File into Separate PNG Files
PDFfonts - List Fonts Used in a PDF File
PDFtoHTML - Convert a PDF File to HTML
PDFtoPPM - Convert a PDF File to PPM, PGM, PBM
PDFtoPS - Convert a PDF File to PS (PostScript)
This last video in the series discusses xpdfrc, which is the single configuration file that Xpdf uses for all nine utilities. It provides an enormous number of options, allowing extensive control of the tools, such as character mapping, font configuration, PostScript control, rasterizer settings, text control, and much more.
1. Download the software and fonts
You may have already downloaded the Xpdf tools while watching one of my earlier videos in the series, but there has since been an upgrade from Version 3 to Version 4 and there is a new download site:
https://www.xpdfreader.com/download.html
Visit that site and download the pre-compiled Windows binary ZIP archive, then unzip it.
Download the Symbol and Zapf Dingbats fonts from the same page.
2. Locate the documentation folder for the Xpdf utilities
Go to the folder where you unzipped the downloaded ZIP file and find the doc folder.
…
Hello Everybody,
Please see attached Adobe Illustrator file (CC 2019)
I have an image that includes an alpha channel. I want to bevel only the area that is NOT the alpha channel.
Specifically it is an arm that I want to give a slight bevel around the edges. I tried 3d effect but that incorporates a grey "box' as a part of the effect.
I might also want to include a drop shadow -- but only around the edges of the arm -- not the square alpha channel.
So I need to isolate the arm from its alpha channel.
Hopefully it's probably a pretty simple solution -and the attached Illustrator file should make things clear....
Here's a link to the illustrator file LINK TO ILLUSTRATOR FILE -- in Dropbox
Thanks
Rowby
Please see attached Adobe Illustrator file (CC 2019)
I have an image that includes an alpha channel. I want to bevel only the area that is NOT the alpha channel.
Specifically it is an arm that I want to give a slight bevel around the edges. I tried 3d effect but that incorporates a grey "box' as a part of the effect.
I might also want to include a drop shadow -- but only around the edges of the arm -- not the square alpha channel.
So I need to isolate the arm from its alpha channel.
Hopefully it's probably a pretty simple solution -and the attached Illustrator file should make things clear....
Here's a link to the illustrator file LINK TO ILLUSTRATOR FILE -- in Dropbox
Thanks
Rowby
Bootstrap 4: Exploring New Features
Learn how to use and navigate the new features included in Bootstrap 4, the most popular HTML, CSS, and JavaScript framework for developing responsive, mobile-first websites.
Microsoft Office Picture Manager was included in Office 2003, 2007, and 2010, but not in 2013 or 2016. Now that Office 2019 is here, the bad news is that it is still missing, but the good news is that the same no-cost method that works to install it with Office 2013 and 2016 also works with 2019.
I previously published an Experts Exchange video Micro Tutorial that describes how to scan documents to a PDF file using an excellent, free product called Foxit Reader:
How to scan to a PDF file with free software
N.B.: As with any "free" software, there may be restrictions, which are always specified in the software's licensing agreement, typically known as the End-User License Agreement (EULA). I encourage you to read the entire EULA of this product to be certain that you are in license compliance.
This new video Micro Tutorial shows where to download the free Foxit Reader and explains how to use it to place a date-time stamp on a PDF file.
Visit the website for Foxit Reader at Foxit Software:
https://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf-reader/
Select the language and O.S. from the drop-downs, then click the big, red Download button:
After downloading, run the installer.
The installer creates a Foxit Reader program group with a shortcut to the Foxit Reader program.
Click the shortcut to run Foxit Reader.
After opening a PDF file, click the Comment menu.
Click the drop-down on the Stamp button.
Click one of the five pre-defined Dynamic Stamps, all of which have a date-time stamp.
Position the mouse wherever you want the stamp and click to place it.
Click the drop-down on the Create button.
Click Create Custom Dynamic Stamp.
Select a Stamp Template and fill in the options in the dialog box.
Click Add.
Click OK.
…
How to scan to a PDF file with free software
N.B.: As with any "free" software, there may be restrictions, which are always specified in the software's licensing agreement, typically known as the End-User License Agreement (EULA). I encourage you to read the entire EULA of this product to be certain that you are in license compliance.
This new video Micro Tutorial shows where to download the free Foxit Reader and explains how to use it to place a date-time stamp on a PDF file.
1. Download and Install the Free Version of Foxit Reader
Visit the website for Foxit Reader at Foxit Software:
https://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf-reader/
Select the language and O.S. from the drop-downs, then click the big, red Download button:
After downloading, run the installer.
2. Run Foxit Reader
The installer creates a Foxit Reader program group with a shortcut to the Foxit Reader program.
Click the shortcut to run Foxit Reader.
3. Put a pre-defined date-time stamp on the PDF
After opening a PDF file, click the Comment menu.
Click the drop-down on the Stamp button.
Click one of the five pre-defined Dynamic Stamps, all of which have a date-time stamp.
Position the mouse wherever you want the stamp and click to place it.
4. Create a custom date-time stamp
Click the drop-down on the Create button.
Click Create Custom Dynamic Stamp.
Select a Stamp Template and fill in the options in the dialog box.
Click Add.
Click OK.
…
This article discusses and shows how to use some of the excellent features in a Freeware app called "IrfanView" that (going by questions I've received) many people seem to overlook or just don't know about. Enjoy...
Active today
Most experts at EE want to solve problems, not make their answers look pretty.
Active today
Most experts at EE want to solve problems, not make their answers look prettySure and I'm not for a second advocating that everyone should go around spending time on their questions and answers just to make them look pretty. That would be silly. Some may want to go to such efforts and that's fine too. It's all up to the individual where questions are concerned.
As the very first heading in my article states - "Create nicer looking borders in Articles submitted to Experts Exchange"
Asking and answering questions isn't the only thing that Experts Exchange is about. It's also a learning center. A place to share your knowledge and in turn, also learn from your fellow peers.
So this article is "mostly" aiming at those who write tutorials, how-to's and other types of articles, who may want to take a little bit of pride in how their work is presented to the world. I edit many articles at EE and I wrote this because I've been asked the question many times. Now rather than write the same answer multiple times, I can just point future askers with a link to this article. Make sense?
Thanks for your comment.
Regards, Andrew
I've published three five-minute Experts Exchange video Micro Tutorials that describe terrific features in an excellent, free PDF product called PDF-XChange Editor:
How to rotate pages in a PDF with free software
How to OCR pages in a PDF with free software
How to password-protect a PDF with free software
PDF-XChange Editor has many other features in its free version, but, unfortunately, it cannot do scanning — you must purchase one of its non-free versions to get scanning functionality. Fortunately, there's another excellent, free PDF product that can perform scanning — Foxit Reader. However, the free Foxit Reader cannot do OCR, so you'll want to keep the free PDF-XChange Editor for its OCR capability, and add Foxit Reader for its scanning capability. The combination of the two products will allow you to create searchable PDFs (aka PDF Searchable Image files) with your scanner, utilizing free software.
N.B.: As with any "free" software, there may be restrictions, which are always specified in the software's licensing agreement, typically known as the End-User License Agreement (EULA). I encourage you to read the entire EULA of these products to be certain that you are in license compliance.
In order to scan, Foxit Reader requires an …
How to rotate pages in a PDF with free software
How to OCR pages in a PDF with free software
How to password-protect a PDF with free software
PDF-XChange Editor has many other features in its free version, but, unfortunately, it cannot do scanning — you must purchase one of its non-free versions to get scanning functionality. Fortunately, there's another excellent, free PDF product that can perform scanning — Foxit Reader. However, the free Foxit Reader cannot do OCR, so you'll want to keep the free PDF-XChange Editor for its OCR capability, and add Foxit Reader for its scanning capability. The combination of the two products will allow you to create searchable PDFs (aka PDF Searchable Image files) with your scanner, utilizing free software.
N.B.: As with any "free" software, there may be restrictions, which are always specified in the software's licensing agreement, typically known as the End-User License Agreement (EULA). I encourage you to read the entire EULA of these products to be certain that you are in license compliance.
In order to scan, Foxit Reader requires an …
Photos / Graphics Software
2K
Solutions
3K
Contributors
Photo and imaging software is used to edit and compose raster images; Adobe Photoshop dominates the market. Common actions include cropping, slicing, retouching, color replacement, masking and erasing. Other programs include GIMP, Serif PhotoPlus, Pixlr, PhotoScape, Picasa and IrfanView.
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Photos / Graphics Software
