Unsure if this is exactly and Epicor or Windows issue, but we’re having an issue where when we preview a PDF, we can copy and select text within the PDF.
But when we send the file to a “save as pdf” printer like the Microsoft Print to PDF, it generates what looks like a scanned PDF, we can’t select or highlight text in this file.
What program are you using to view the PDF?
Adobe PDF
Adobe PDF viewer in both cases of Print Preview and Print to PDF? Have you tried the Adobe PDF “printer”? Perhaps try saving the preview print as PDF field from within Adobe?
So the use case here is that we have a printer driver that does some file redirection based on a hidden text field when saving the PDF file, but from what we’ve been seeing is that when saving a file as a PDF through the print dialogue it generates this PDF file where we can’t select any text.
However when we perform a print preview we don’t have this issue and text can be highlighted/selected just fine.
I just tested it here and I see what you’re meaning. At first I didn’t think it was a Epicor type thing but when I did a test print to PDF using another app it’s PDF file was selectable.
Edit, are you using “SSRS Breaking/Routing” to do the PDF printing/email process, BPMs via code or some other method?
None of those are enabled in our report style, there is a breaking/routing that was created but its disabled in this case.
Another thing I noticed, in the print previewed PDF, I can see that fonts are embedded into the PDF, but in the printed PDF, there aren’t any. I feel like this may be the issue.
PDF software has option to “flatten” the file which is related to fonts. Used when emailing around but you don’t want to worry about recipients having to install fonts.
Not too sure, we’re dealing with invoices specifically, when we print preview them they aren’t flattened, and we can select the text within it. But if we print to pdf that’s where our issue happens, just trying to figure out if there’s an option in epicor or SSRS that triggers this.
From the IT side, it appears that Epicor is generating the PDF as a vector-file PDF (with fonts and selection available) but the default save option converts it to a raster-file type (essentially a photograph of the original, just colored dots on a white background). I don’t know if this is an Adobe PDF thing, but I use FoxIt PDF and it saves as a vector-file PDF (so I can still select fonts when I reopen it).
I tried multiple printer drivers and i still get the raster-file type, so I’m leaning towards it being a ssrs/epicor item.
In Epicor reporting, PDF files are generated by SSRS and are the “True/full/vector” PDF format with the text, fonts, images, etc., all imbedded in the file. That version is stored on the SysRptLst Table and that file is presented for “viewing” (uses the application registered with Windows for Opening a PDF).
Windows (and most printers) do not natively know how to “print” that type of PDF file so the Epicor software runs the PDF through a third-party component (PdfPrintingNet.dll) and that component submits the image/raster-file version to the Windows spooler for printing.
Kyle, just wanted to mention that when we some of us were having this issue and others were not, we figured out that if the .pdf display size was small you could not copy and select text, and those who could do so - the .pdf displayed on the screen was larger.
Another odd thing, it seems like when we print our group invoices through invoice entry, it outputs the full/vector pdf, whereas if we print/reprint it individually it outputs the flat pdf.
I am curious if there has been any resolution to this issue?
I have been noticing the same issue when printing individual purchase orders and invoices. This issue makes selecting text from a previously created pdf impossible.
I’ve found that if you are printing to a PDF printer (such as Foxit PDF Printer), you need to select the EMF output format. This will then be converted to a “full” PDF by the PDF printer, instead of one large image.
Interesting, I just tested this and it does appear to solve my issue…