Brian.... incredible words of wisdom! Thank you so much.
:-)~MIKE~(-:
On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 6:41 PM, Brian Cluff <
brian@snaptek.com> wrote:
> I forgot about a different method I recently discovered for getting an
> editable, vector based, perfect copy of a PDF with open source tools.
>
> Install pdf2svg and convert your pdf to an svg like:
> pdf2svg input.pdf output.svg 1
> Where 1 is the page number you want to edit.
>
> pdf2svg is one of the only programs that I have found that converts the
> fonts within the PDF to vector objects.
>
> This will give you the most accurate version of the document while still
> allowing for the document to remain vector based.
>
> Things to note, it does it conversion in a VERY efficient manner that can
> make editing a little awkward if you don't know what is going on.
>
> Since all the fonts are converted to vectors, it would be very inefficient
> to draw every letter over and over again so pdf2svg only create each letter
> object once and then all future occurrences of it are just references to
> the original letter object in a new location/size.
>
> This makes it so that the document won't be editable in the usual sense
> where you can just select text and type what you want in it's place.
>
> What you can do is select whatever characters you want and delete them,
> and then use inkscape to type what you want in it's place.
>
> If you want to edit the actual characters themselves you can find the
> master letter and edit it and the changes will be copied to all other
> occurrences. If you just want to edit a single letter you will have to
> break the parent child relationship (Shift + Alt + D) before inkscape will
> allow you to edit it.
>
> The pdf2svg documents don't appear to work with libreoffice's SVG filter.
> It appears libreoffice doesn't support cloned objects, do the documents
> import without any visible text.
>
> One last thing to note is that this method will also strip any other forms
> from the document, so if the document used to be able to be filled out via
> pdf viewers, they won't be able to after the conversion.
>
> Brian Cluff
>
> P.S. Did yo know that (Open|Libre)office are excellent at creating
> electronically fillable PDF forms? So with scribus from what I hear, but
> I've never used to for that purpose, so I can't verify the output.
>
>
> On 05/30/2013 11:11 PM, Michael Havens wrote:
>
>> I'd swear I asked this but it isn't in the archives. Hans said something
>> about acrostar but that was 7 years ago and I was wondering if anything
>> new (better)has come about that allows us to input text onto a pdf. (the
>> hans comment was in a thread with the words 'fillable' and 'pdf' in the
>> subject)
>> :-)~MIKE~(-:
>>
>>
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~MIKE~(-:%0A>%20%0A>%20%0A>%20On%20Fri,%20May%2031,%202013%20at%206:41%20PM,%20Brian%20Cluff%20<brian@snaptek.com>%20wrote:%0A>%20%0A>%20>%20I%20forgot%20about%20a%20different%20method%20I%20recently%20discovered%20for%20getting%20an%0A>%20>%20editable,%20vector%20based,%20perfect%20copy%20of%20a%20PDF%20with%20open%20source%20tools.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20Install%20pdf2svg%20and%20convert%20your%20pdf%20to%20an%20svg%20like:%0A>%20>%20pdf2svg%20input.pdf%20output.svg%201%0A>%20>%20Where%201%20is%20the%20page%20number%20you%20want%20to%20edit.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20pdf2svg%20is%20one%20of%20the%20only%20programs%20that%20I%20have%20found%20that%20converts%20the%0A>%20>%20fonts%20within%20the%20PDF%20to%20vector%20objects.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20This%20will%20give%20you%20the%20most%20accurate%20version%20of%20the%20document%20while%20still%0A>%20>%20allowing%20for%20the%20document%20to%20remain%20vector%20based.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20Things%20to%20note,%20it%20does%20it%20conversion%20in%20a%20VERY%20efficient%20manner%20that%20can%0A>%20>%20make%20editing%20a%20little%20awkward%20if%20you%20don't%20know%20what%20is%20going%20on.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20Since%20all%20the%20fonts%20are%20converted%20to%20vectors,%20it%20would%20be%20very%20inefficient%0A>%20>%20to%20draw%20every%20letter%20over%20and%20over%20again%20so%20pdf2svg%20only%20create%20each%20letter%0A>%20>%20object%20once%20and%20then%20all%20future%20occurrences%20of%20it%20are%20just%20references%20to%0A>%20>%20the%20original%20letter%20object%20in%20a%20new%20location/size.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20This%20makes%20it%20so%20that%20the%20document%20won't%20be%20editable%20in%20the%20usual%20sense%0A>%20>%20where%20you%20can%20just%20select%20text%20and%20type%20what%20you%20want%20in%20it's%20place.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20What%20you%20can%20do%20is%20select%20whatever%20characters%20you%20want%20and%20delete%20them,%0A>%20>%20and%20then%20use%20inkscape%20to%20type%20what%20you%20want%20in%20it's%20place.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20If%20you%20want%20to%20edit%20the%20actual%20characters%20themselves%20you%20can%20find%20the%0A>%20>%20master%20letter%20and%20edit%20it%20and%20the%20changes%20will%20be%20copied%20to%20all%20other%0A>%20>%20occurrences.%20%20If%20you%20just%20want%20to%20edit%20a%20single%20letter%20you%20will%20have%20to%0A>%20>%20break%20the%20parent%20child%20relationship%20(Shift%20+%20Alt%20+%20D)%20before%20inkscape%20will%0A>%20>%20allow%20you%20to%20edit%20it.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20The%20pdf2svg%20documents%20don't%20appear%20to%20work%20with%20libreoffice's%20SVG%20filter.%0A>%20>%20%20It%20appears%20libreoffice%20doesn't%20support%20cloned%20objects,%20do%20the%20documents%0A>%20>%20import%20without%20any%20visible%20text.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20One%20last%20thing%20to%20note%20is%20that%20this%20method%20will%20also%20strip%20any%20other%20forms%0A>%20>%20from%20the%20document,%20so%20if%20the%20document%20used%20to%20be%20able%20to%20be%20filled%20out%20via%0A>%20>%20pdf%20viewers,%20they%20won't%20be%20able%20to%20after%20the%20conversion.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20Brian%20Cluff%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20P.S.%20Did%20yo%20know%20that%20(Open%7CLibre)office%20are%20excellent%20at%20creating%0A>%20>%20electronically%20fillable%20PDF%20forms?%20%20So%20with%20scribus%20from%20what%20I%20hear,%20but%0A>%20>%20I've%20never%20used%20to%20for%20that%20purpose,%20so%20I%20can't%20verify%20the%20output.%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%0A>%20>%20On%2005/30/2013%2011:11%20PM,%20Michael%20Havens%20wrote:%0A>%20>%0A>%20>>%20I'd%20swear%20I%20asked%20this%20but%20it%20isn't%20in%20the%20archives.%20Hans%20said%20something%0A>%20>>%20about%20acrostar%20but%20that%20was%207%20years%20ago%20and%20I%20was%20wondering%20if%20anything%0A>%20>>%20new%20(better)has%20come%20about%20that%20allows%20us%20to%20input%20text%20onto%20a%20pdf.%20(the%0A>%20>>%20hans%20comment%20was%20in%20a%20thread%20with%20the%20words%20'fillable'%20and%20'pdf'%20in%20the%0A>%20>>%20subject)%0A>%20>>%20:-)~MIKE~(-:%0A>%20>>%0A>%20>>%0A>%20>>%20------------------------------**---------------------%0A>%20>>%20PLUG-discuss%20mailing%20list%20-%20PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.**org<PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org>%0A>%20>>%20To%20subscribe,%20unsubscribe,%20or%20to%20change%20your%20mail%20settings:%0A>%20>>%20http://lists.phxlinux.org/**mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss<http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss>%0A>%20>>%0A>%20>>%0A>%20>%20------------------------------**---------------------%0A>%20>%20PLUG-discuss%20mailing%20list%20-%20PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.**org<PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org>%0A>%20>%20To%20subscribe,%20unsubscribe,%20or%20to%20change%20your%20mail%20settings:%0A>%20>%20http://lists.phxlinux.org/**mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss<http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss>%0A>%20>%0A>%20---------------------------------------------------%0A>%20PLUG-discuss%20mailing%20list%20-%20PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org%0A>%20To%20subscribe,%20unsubscribe,%20or%20to%20change%20your%20mail%20settings:%0A>%20http: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