PDF output is searchable with Adobe Reader but not with Mac Preview - Page 2

enigma2k · 01-23-2019, 07:34 PM

I converted an epub file to pdf with the newest version of calibre (on MacOS Mojave) but still got the same "old" results: when I try to copy some text from the converted .pdf I get a blank string. (I can highlight the text normally in preview or skim app).

Is there a new setting in calibre to activate (or a plugin) so one is able to copy the selected text within the preview/ skim app (without getting a blank string)?

In ebook-viewer copy/paste work without a problem but not in the preview & skim apps.

asleyam · 01-23-2019, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enigma2k

I converted an epub file to pdf with the newest version of calibre (on MacOS Mojave) but still got the same "old" results: when I try to copy some text from the converted .pdf I get a blank string. (I can highlight the text normally in preview or skim app).

Is there a new setting in calibre to activate (or a plugin) so one is able to copy the selected text within the preview/ skim app (without getting a blank string)?

In ebook-viewer copy/paste work without a problem but not in the preview & skim apps.

There is a princepdf plugin for calibre but I think its only for the windows version.
I use MacOS so I run the Sigil Princepdf plugin and have multiple copies of it installed, with each one set to different pdf formatting.
Conversions in Sigil using Prince have no issues with copying text or search in Preview .

anon_me · 07-02-2019, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pkoetsie

I had the same issue with a couple of PDFs that were created with Calibre, and managed to fix it by transforming them using Ghostscript.
I ran the following command to have Ghostscript recreate the PDFs:
gs -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile="<New PDF file>" "<Original PDF file>"

This worked for me and it had to be very specifically written (i.e. must use quotes even for paths that don't have spaces, etc in them).

Make sure the the source and destination are places the GhostScript command will have access to. I had permissions issues in the beginning even when running under my own user account. Got it working when I moved the file(s) to my Public folder and gave "everyone" Read & Write access.

I also had to add the -dPrinted=false option to keep the links functional

Final command...

Code:

gs -dNOPAUSE -dPrinted=false -dBATCH -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile="/Users/<your username here>/Public/outputfile.pdf" "/Users/<your username here>/Public/inputtfile.pdf"

PeterFs · 02-19-2021, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pkoetsie

I had the same issue with a couple of PDFs that were created with Calibre, and managed to fix it by transforming them using Ghostscript.
I ran the following command to have Ghostscript recreate the PDFs:
gs -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile="<New PDF file>" "<Original PDF file>"

A few years later, however I can confirm that this works. Ghostcript has been around for around 20 years to my knowledge, although I would like to know exactly what it does when it recreates a PDF?

I has also tried to convert some Apple Preview non-searchable PDF's to PDFA in Acrobat Professional preflight/standards. This did not work for my original text PDF, although it worked for the Ghostscript processed PDF. This suggests that Ghostscript repaired, or at least stnstandarised the PDF, in some way.

Overall, unless I find that Ghostscript reduces the quality of PDF's, this appears to be an excellent solution.

PeterFs · 02-19-2021, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anon_me

I also had to add the -dPrinted=false option to keep the links functional

Final command...

Code:

gs -dNOPAUSE -dPrinted=false -dBATCH -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile="/Users/<your username here>/Public/outputfile.pdf" "/Users/<your username here>/Public/inputtfile.pdf"

I did not need to add this option to keep the links.

BetterRed · 02-19-2021, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterFs

Ghostcript has been around for around 20 years to my knowledge …

Been around for 30-40 years - my team was using it in the late eighties.

BR

PeterT · 02-19-2021, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Been around for 30-40 years - my team was using it in the late eighties.

BR

Wowser. I see it was first released on August 11, 1988!

BetterRed · 02-19-2021, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

Wowser. I see it was first released on August 11, 1988!

Wowser as I know it

I would have thought a bit earlier. My team included two recent 'escapees' from the USSR; a very bright Russian and an even brighter Ukrainian - knowing them they probably got a beta copy, or helped develop it when I wasn't watching.

At a lunch with the local Cisco head-honcho he thanked me for allowing them to fix the problems in the BGP section of Cisco's router software - I didn't know they were doing it. They also wrote an RFC that was contributed under Cisco's banner, but I knew about that - I asked them to do it. Most of the kit in our lab was on permanent loan from suppliers.

Anyone remember the name of Cisco's router software back then.

BR

DNSB · 02-19-2021, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Anyone remember the name of Cisco's router software back then.

As far as I recall, William Yeager's NOS became the core of Cisco's IOS used in routers. Cisco's early switches used CatOS (Catalyst Operating System).

BetterRed · 02-20-2021, 06:16 AM

Well that memory cell is working, today at least. I thought it was IOS, but then thought "Nah - must have been sumfing else."

We had a couple of small Cisco switches - just for us. But we were mainly interested in WANs, the corporate network was SNA with a lot of Frame Relay, IP over it was a bit of a fizzer. Our direction was an ATM network - but the business made some disastrous overseas investment decisions and they closed our lab down. Russian George went to IBM Raleigh and Ukrainian George ended up at Atlassian.

GirlScript · 01-11-2024, 05:42 PM

I am new to all this and if anyone can help me I would REALLY appreciate it. I have gone over the GhostScript codes you all posted but in my case, I have transferred all my PDFs and docs to my iCloud due to space limitations. I can readily see all my iCloud files on my laptop. Is there anyway I can write a code with such a destination for GhostScript? Or do the files have to be on my MAC?

True newbie here. Thank you in advance.

01-23-2019, 07:34 PM	#16
enigma2k Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kindle Oasis	I converted an epub file to pdf with the newest version of calibre (on MacOS Mojave) but still got the same "old" results: when I try to copy some text from the converted .pdf I get a blank string. (I can highlight the text normally in preview or skim app). Is there a new setting in calibre to activate (or a plugin) so one is able to copy the selected text within the preview/ skim app (without getting a blank string)? In ebook-viewer copy/paste work without a problem but not in the preview & skim apps. Last edited by enigma2k; 01-23-2019 at 08:24 PM.

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02-20-2021, 06:16 AM	#25
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,323 Karma: 29266456 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	Well that memory cell is working, today at least. I thought it was IOS, but then thought "Nah - must have been sumfing else." We had a couple of small Cisco switches - just for us. But we were mainly interested in WANs, the corporate network was SNA with a lot of Frame Relay, IP over it was a bit of a fizzer. Our direction was an ATM network - but the business made some disastrous overseas investment decisions and they closed our lab down. Russian George went to IBM Raleigh and Ukrainian George ended up at Atlassian.

01-11-2024, 05:42 PM	#26
GirlScript Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2024 Device: none	I am new to all this and if anyone can help me I would REALLY appreciate it. I have gone over the GhostScript codes you all posted but in my case, I have transferred all my PDFs and docs to my iCloud due to space limitations. I can readily see all my iCloud files on my laptop. Is there anyway I can write a code with such a destination for GhostScript? Or do the files have to be on my MAC? True newbie here. Thank you in advance.