Calc: PDF export vs. print to a PDF printer

users
#1

Hi Everyone,

at the moment, I have taken a look only on mailing list, but I have not seen nothing relating. I am speaking about the difference in Calc between pdf exporting a multi-sheet ods document (a spreadsheet document) and printing it in a pdf printer (software printer).

The file -> print dialog change in Calc with respect to Writer, Impress, Draw, ... and is able to choose among selected sheets, cells or all and then all pages or only some of them. When you pdf export there are not that useful capabilities...

Or am I loosing something?

What is the problem? Native pdf export my maintain some formatting or features of the source document (like URL, PDF Forms, ...) that you may loose also cutting a pdf.

What do you think about? Is there some extensions to do this and/or are we planning to integrate something like this in the Calc pdf export dialog?

Have All a sunny day,

Carlo

#2

Carlo:

I'm not sure what you mean: the pdf export dialog on my system is the same
in Calc as it is in Writer.

On the initial "General" tab, you have the choice of "Range: All | Pages |
Selection" which would seem to be what you are looking for. There are also
options on that same tab (under "General") for pdf forms and such things.

Can you give your LibreOffice version number and your operating system
version? Or am I not understanding your problem?

Frank

#3

What version of LibreOffice are you using?
That way we will know if the features you are asking about is already part of a more current version.

What is you OS? Windows, Linux, IOS?

What software printer do you use?

For me, I use doPDF for Windows and CUPS-PDF on Ubuntu Linux [14.04 - 15.10]. I have not gone through as much as you have with creating PDF files that have thing like fillable forms and other possibilities.

I tend to use PDF files when I use my printers in borderless paper sizes, since LO's printer options do not have that option[s]. Recently, I upgraded to 5.0.5 on this Ubuntu 15.10 laptop. I have not tried 5.1.x yet to see if the features in the printing properties are no longer unusable. Since this problem started several versions ago, I wonder what is needed to return them to being usable.

#4

Hi Frank,

I will try to explain better:
1. suppose we have a *multi-sheet* Calc document (ods file);
2. when you go to print preview, you see only the current sheet (print preview) and the page numbers are consequently assigned;
3.1. if you have *to print* (on paper or on a pdf printer) *only some pages* of the *current* (selected) sheet, in the *print dialog window* you can choose the sheet and than (and also!) the page range (that is *coherent* with the print preview one!);
3.2. if you have *to export* natively the pdf of only some pages of the current sheet *you have to* (you ought to), after having seen the print preview, select the associated area, go to file menu -> Export in PDF... and and then choose selected area in the *Export to PDF dialog window* (as you, Frank, have just pointed out).

I hope to have explained better the trouble.

What do you think?

Carlo

p.s. My systems are:
1. _hp notebook_
- Microsoft Windows 10, 64 bit, build 1511, ita gui, daily updated;
- LibreOffice 5.1.1.3 (is not a typo, but the RC3 of the upcoming 5.1.1), Win_x64;
-- custom install -> full Optional Components selected;
-- Italian help installed;

2. _assembled middle tower pc_
- debian stretch, AMD64, daily updated, kernel 4.3.5 SMP;
- distro native LibreOffice 5.0.x uninstalled and purged;
- vanilla (TDF) LibreOffice 5.1.1.3, deb, x86-64;
-- deb ita lang pack;
-- deb ita help pack.