"Print To PDF" in Windows Chad Austin (aegis@aegisknight.org) 2001.09.22
One of MacOS X's biggest selling points is that you can print from any program and generate a PDF file. There's no reason we shouldn't be allowed to do this in Windows!
First, get Adobe's generic PostScript printer driver for Windows at http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/pdrvwin.htm.
Install it on the FILE: port.
Second, download and install GhostScript 7.00 from http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/AFPL/get700.htm.
If you installed it into C:\gs, add C:\gs\gs7.00\bin and C:\gs\gs7.00\lib to your PATH. In Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, edit your C:\autoexec.bat and look for a line that looks like SET PATH=blah;blah;blah. Change it to SET PATH=C:\gs\gs7.00\bin;C:\gs\gs7.00\lib;blah;blah;blah. If the line doesn't exist, simply add SET PATH=C:\gs\gs7.00\bin;C:\gs\gs7.00\lib to the top of the file. In Windows NT, 2000, or XP, look in the Advanced tab of your system control panel, and click on Environmental Variables. In the System Variables box, there should be a PATH variable. Select it, click Edit, and add the previously-mentioned directories to the front.
Now that everything is installed and (hopefully!) working correctly, try to print a test document from a program of your choice. If you choose the Generic PostScript Printer, a little dialog box will appear on your screen asking you to type the output filename. Type "C:\output.ps". To convert that file to PDF, open a command prompt (in NT/2000/XP, click Start, Run, and type "cmd". In 95/98/ME, type "command") and enter the following commands:
C: cd \ ps2pdf output.ps
You should now have a PDF file in the root directory of your C drive. Now rename the file to something more descriptive, and do whatever you like with it!