Switchboard: Office/E-mail to PDF
To allow you to save emails in PDF format, pdfaPilot offers a range of options for converting text and attachments into a “standard” PDF or the long-term archiving format PDF/A.
A wide range of settings are available for managing text and attachments.
Open the Switchboard
In pdfaPilot standalone, open the switchboard via Tools > Switchboard in the menu or use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+2.
If you are using pdfaPilot as an Acrobat plug-in, you can open the switchboard via Plug-Ins > pdfaPilot <version number> Switchboard.
The “E-mail to PDF” Action
The “E-mail to PDF” action is part of the “Office” group.
Click on the E-mail to PDF symbol to open the settings window:
Settings
- You can select an E-mail document to process by clicking “Browse” and selecting an email file from the window that opens.
- The Use Template section lets you select the appropriate version for the email program used (Apple Mail, Basic, Outlook or Thunderbird)
- pdfaPilot offers a range of options under Convert to. The basic choice is between converting to PDF or PDF/A. The list also offers a range of options for handling attachments (as original / PDF / PDF/A / additional PDF pages).
- The check box lets you specify whether to embed the original email file.
- Click Execute to start the conversion process.
- PDF: Embed attachments as original
Generates a regular PDF document and embeds any attachments from the email in the generated PDF document in their original format. - PDF: Embed attachments as PDF
Generates a regular PDF document. If the email has attachments they are converted into PDF documents and then embedded in the generated PDF document. - PDF: Embed attachments as original and PDF
Generates a regular PDF document. If the email has attachments they are converted into PDF documents. The result of the conversion to PDF and the original attachments are both embedded in the generated PDF document. - PDF: Add attachments as additional pages
Generates a regular PDF document. If the email has attachments they are converted to PDF and appended at the end of the converted PDF document as additional pages. - PDF/A-1: Add attachments as additional pages
Generates a PDF/A-1 document. If the email has attachments they are converted to PDF and appended at the end of the converted PDF/A-1 document as additional pages. This is the only option for PDF/A-1 because the PDF/A-1 standard does not allow embedded files (whatever they are). - PDF/A-2: Embed attachments as PDF/A
Generates a PDF/A-2 document. If the email has attachments they are converted into PDF/A-2 documents and then embedded in the generated PDF/A-2 document. - PDF/A-2: Add attachments as additional pages
Generates a PDF/A-2 document. If the email has attachments they are converted to PDF and appended at the end of the converted PDF/A-2 document as additional pages. - PDF/A-3: Embed attachments as original
Generates a PDF/A-3 document and embeds any attachments from the email in the generated PDF/A-3 document in their original format. - PDF/A-3: Embed attachments as PDF/A if possible
Generates a PDF/A-3 document. If the email has attachments they are converted into PDF/A-3 documents and then embedded in the generated PDF/A-3 document. If conversion to PDF/A is not possible for a particular attachment it is embedded in its original format instead. - PDF/A-3: Embed attachments as original and PDF/A
Generates a PDF/A-3 document. If the email has attachments they are converted into PDF/A documents. The result of the conversion to PDF/A and the original attachments are both embedded in the generated PDF/A-3 document. - PDF/A-4: Embed attachments as PDF/A
Generates a PDF/A-4 document. If the email has attachments, they are converted into PDF/A-4 documents and then embedded in the generated PDF/A-2 document. - PDF/A-4: Embed attachments as additional pages
Generates a PDF/A-4 document. If the email has attachments, they are converted to PDF and appended at the end of the converted PDF/A-4 document as additional pages. - PDF/A-4f: Embed attachments as original
Generates a PDF/A-4f document and embeds any attachments from the email in the generated PDF/A-4f document in their original format. - PDF/A-4f: Embed attachments as PDF/A if possible
Generates a PDF/A-4f document. If the email has attachments, they are converted into PDF/A-4 documents and then embedded in the generated PDF/A-4f document. If conversion to PDF/A is not possible for a particular attachment it is embedded in its original format instead. - PDF/A-4f: Embed attachments as original and PDF/A
Generates a PDF/A-4f document. If the email has attachments, they are converted into PDF/A documents. The result of the conversion to PDF/A and the original attachments are both embedded in the generated PDF/A-4f document.
Result
- pdfaPilot will then report that processing is complete.
- The resulting PDF or PDF/A file will then be shown in the file window.
The “E-mail to PDF” Action for batch processing
The E-mail to PDF Action can also be used for batch processing.
To do so, click on the Batch button after applying the settings in the Action window.
- The batch processing dialog allows you to select the folder containing the files to be processed.
- Once this is done, click Start.
The resulting files will be stored in a folder named Successful, located in a timestamped sub-folder in the original files’ directory.