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 General: when do you give up? Or DO you?

Or...is it *fair* to give up? For example, I have a website, on which the client insists that PDFs be included. (Incidentally, the PDFs could be more appropriately be handled as one-page HTML files!)

Some of the client's customers have ancient releases of Acrobat, and gripe about being unable to handle the PDF files (which I create using OOo...). The client's customers refuse to download a more recent Acrobat.

The client's customers gripe at the client. The client gripes at me.

I'm not a rich man. I can't afford Adobe PDF creation software...

How would YOU proceed? I'm looking for GENERAL answers, not necessarily specifics, please, as I suspect similar cases may arise in the future. Thank you all, in advance, very much for your kind advice!

Started By apfwebs on Aug 22, 2007 at 8:18:30 AM
This message has been edited.

9 Response(s) | Reply

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apfwebs on Aug 22, 2007 at 10:04:37 AM (# 3)

"Ancient" is: The client's customer has Acrobat 4. I have offered the client's customer the direct url to download the most recent Acrobat reader. He refuses.

The client's customer doesn't have Office...he insists upon PDF.

The client himself insists upon PDF, not HTML.

Where (what) is "UA at extra cost"?


BachusII on Aug 22, 2007 at 11:02:57 PM (# 4)

(UA is short for user-agent.)

Acrobat is at version 6 I believe? Versions below v5 (or 5.x) can be supported, but your client has to pay extra for the privilege.
Same as with browsers, older or obscure version/programs can be supported, but it'll cost more.

But have you considered creating the .pdf files "on the fly"? Just add a "view this page as .pdf" link on every page, and let fpdf or similar handle the creation.


bod1467 on Aug 23, 2007 at 3:04:18 AM (# 5)

Acrobat Pro is currently at v7. Reader is at v8.1.

Problems tend to arise when security is used in the PDF file, otherwise earlier versions of reader should be OK with files created by later versions (unless some specific features or fonts are used).

PS - get OpenOffice: this is free software that is near-equivalent to MS Office. It also includes as standard Save As PDF functionality.


apfwebs on Aug 23, 2007 at 9:34:41 AM (# 6)

OOo! Thankks Bachusll for the info on fpdf! That may be just what I need!

bod1467: Yes, OpenOffice (the very latest: I try to keep it fit) is the mechanism I had used, to create the PDF, and the client's customer had not been able, nonetheless, to load it up, so...groan.

It MAY very well be that the fellow has some interfering security software, though I can't imagine it. The file's just plain ol' text!


BachusII on Aug 23, 2007 at 11:02:12 AM (# 7)

Please note that fpdf is getting old. You may want to check the alternatives.
And don't forget to match against your webservers capabilities. Fpdf needs PHP, I thought you ran ASP?


RobinAnn on Aug 23, 2007 at 11:42:58 AM (# 8)
This message has been edited.

...the OFFICIAL RobinAnn Posting Style...
~ bak in the saddle with RA ~

PDFs are so easy to create: easy PDF.

Check out the downloads on one of my clients webpages: sample pdfs -- they don't seem to care much about the watermark... although if they did, I would have them buy the program to remove it.

Sincerely,

RobinAnn
 
webmaster/photoartist
wats up y'all


BachusII on Aug 24, 2007 at 8:42:55 AM (# 9)

Good point, plain print_to_pdf driver.


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