(help) print to email?

Posted by: lastdan

(help) print to email? - 03/08/2004 04:20

I run a small auto repair shop and I would like to be able to email repair orders. I seem to remember that there was an app that would load itself like a printer driver such that you could choose it when printing an invoice and it would convert it to an email that could then be sent using what-ever email program you use.
XP os with either thunderbird or outlook express.

any suggestions or recommendations?

many thanks,
-dan
Posted by: Roger

Re: (help) print to email? - 03/08/2004 05:25

If you install Adobe Acrobat, you can print to PDF, which you can then email.
Posted by: ricin

Re: (help) print to email? - 03/08/2004 05:29

I'd recommend printing to PDF and mailing that.

Edit: Crap, that's what I get for not submitting the post before getting a drink.
Posted by: Shonky

Re: (help) print to email? - 03/08/2004 06:14

The two previous suggestions are perfectly valid except they cost money. If you don't want to spend anything I'd suggest CutePDF Writer It's free even for commercial use. It uses GNU ghostscript underneath. Quite easy to setup too. And from their webpage:

Quote:
FREE for personal and commercial use! No watermarks! No Popup Web Ads!


Only thing it doesn't do is integrate quite as well with things like M$ Word etc where Adobe Acrobat creates clickable TOC etc.

From the sounds of things, this would suit your needs just fine for one or two page quotes/invoices etc. Doesn't "print to email" directly but I don't think Acrobat does either. It merely prompts you to save a file which you can then email.

I have it installed and use it regularly. Hasn't played up on me yet.
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: (help) print to email? - 03/08/2004 13:10

Of course, all of these options involve creating a PDF file and emailing it, which is certainly a lot more overhead for the server and the recipient than if it just emailed plain text or even HTML.

Not that I have a better solution.
Posted by: lastdan

Re: (help) print to email? - 03/08/2004 15:17

thanks !!!!
it looks like cutepdf will do the trick.

I'll only use it a few times per week, and the pdf it makes is only ~20KB.
Posted by: SonicSnoop

Re: (help) print to email? - 03/08/2004 20:27

I know you said your using the pdf solution but you could also create a server that has a web server and mail server and make a web page form you fill out and when you submit it have it send off the info to who ever you want by email. just an idea. may take a lot of work to set up but not too hard i dont think.