Automating Acrobat Distiller from VBA (Word 2002)

[RexB]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for a way to automate PDF creation via Acrobat Distiller out of Word 2002 using VBA. I want to maintain the structure that Distiller lends well formed documents over the flat file PDF Writer creates. Calling ConvertToPDF out of PDFMaker.dot makes the exact thing I'm looking for, but I'd like to circumvent the prompt for a target location. Can anyone suggest a method that can direct these PDF's to a specified directory while avoiding the File|Save dialog ConvertToPDF pops up? I can't say I've seen anything in the Acrobat SDK that speaks to this.

Thanks in advance,

Rex

[jscher2000]

While you're waiting, try some searches here in the Lounge. Not sure if this exact question has been debated, but it sounds familiar.

[Andrew Lockton]

There are several possible avenues to explore - none of which I have actually tested.
1. PlanetPDF have provided code here
2. Create the files as Printer Spool files and dump them into a Watched Folder so Distiller will automatically create them
3. I also have untested code which I thought I got from this forum but I can't find it now. It involves creating an entry in the registry before running the distiller to automatically assign a filename. If your first two options fail then let me know and I can dig out that code.

With the first two options, I can't recall whether using distiller will maintain your hyperlinks. I don't have Acrobat here to test it either.

Other possibilities worth exploring are the Acrobat SDK available from Adobe or looking at what Acrobat Server can do for you.

[RexB]

Andrew,

I would be very interested in learning the registry keys and values to set a target path. I haven't found anything that relates to this and the SDK's been very little help.

Thanks,
Rex

[Andrew Lockton]

I haven't tested this code but appears to do what you require. I was sure that I got it from this lounge (but now can't find it here) and am including the introduction to allow some sort of notice as to where the codes origins lie.

The code is attached as a text file.

[RexB]

Thanks for the assistance, Andrew. Unfortunately, this doesn't do what I needed. After further research, it looks like what I want to do isn't possible. Adobe does not support any type of automation for PDFmaker.dot, and that's the only method they provide for creating the fully tagged PDF's I'm looking for. They give some samples of how to add bookmarks to completed PDF's, but it's all in C++. Oh joy, time to go learn another language.

Thanks again for the help to everyone,
Rex