OSX Automator Workflows ======================== .. contents:: :local: Automator Service to Make PDF from Multiple PNGs ------------------------------------------------- Refs ~~~~~~ * http://miriamposner.com/blog/use-automator-to-combine-your-research-photos-into-one-pdf/ Using *Make PDF from PNGs* Automator Service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #. Open folder containing PNGs to combine in Finder.app #. Arrange the order and then select PNGs #. `ctrl-click` the selection to get contextual menu, choose `Make PDF from PNGs` #. After a second or so (depending on number of PNGs) a dialog will appear to enter the basename (without .pdf) of the output PDF. #. After entering the name the new PDF will appear on the Desktop Creating *Make PDF from PNGs* Automator Service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #. Open Automator, choose *Service* * Select `Service receives: image files` in `any application` * Drag `Library > PDFs > New PDF from Images` action from 2nd column into empty 3rd column * Drag `Library > Files & Folders > Rename Finder Items` * click through the warning as this is a new file * select `Name Single Item` from the list and in `Options` tab select `Show this action when the workflow runs` * Save workflow as `Make PDF from PNGs` and exit Automator.app Modifying *Make PDF from PNGs* Automator Service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Find it:: delta:~ blyth$ mdfind "Make PDF from PNGs.workflow" /Users/blyth/Library/Services/Make PDF from PNGs.workflow delta:~ blyth$ Page Sizing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Existing PDF from PNGs is making all pages 1024x768 Automator Service to Combine Multiple PDFs -------------------------------------------- Using *Combine PDFs* Automator Service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #. Open a folder containing PDFs to combine in Finder.app. #. Adjust the Finder order as desired #. select the PDFs to be combined, and `ctrl-click` on them, the `Combine PDFs` service should appear beneath Tags. #. a `Rename Finder Items` dialog will appear, select a name (basename only, no .pdf extension) and hit **Continue** and the combined PDF should appear on Desktop Creating *Combine PDFs* Automator Service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow along: * http://www.documentsnap.com/how-to-combine-pdf-files-in-mac-osx-using-automator-to-make-a-service/ #. Open Automator, choose *Service*, * Select `Service receives: PDF files` in `any application` * Drag `Library > PDFs > Combine PDF Pages` action from 2nd column into the empty 3rd column * Drag `Library > Files & Folders > Rename Finder Items` * a warning comes up, about using a copy instead of a rename. Its OK however as we are dealing with a newly created PDF, so agree to the rename * select `Name Single Item` from the list and in `Options` tab select `Show this action when the workflow runs` * NB to give more space in 3rd column, close the disclosure triangles on the actions * Drag `Library > Files & Folders > Move Finder Items` into the 3rd column * leave destination at default location of `Desktop` #. Now `File > Save..` and enter name for the Service: `Combine PDFs` and exit from Automator.app * NB exiting is necessary, as without it the Service does not appear in contextual menu after having selected some PDFs Modifying *Combine PDFs* Automator Service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Find and open, need quotes for both find and open as name contains a space:: delta:~ blyth$ mdfind "Combine PDFs.workflow" /Users/blyth/Library/Services/Combine PDFs.workflow delta:~ blyth$ open "`!!`" open "`mdfind "Combine PDFs.workflow"`" Creating *Flatten_PDF* Automator Service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * wanted to be able to combine a multiple page PDF eg a 2 page PDF with front/back scans positioned not to overlap into a 1 page PDF with front/back scans on same page But seems no Automator action can do this. * manual way is to use Keynote and drag the PDFs into it, and then print as PDF