How to print multi page thread

[orion]

Some threads are very thought intriguing and I would like to print them to read later or archive as a pdf for future reference. Case in point is an excellent Sapien post on Money as Debt. I realize there is the print thread feature and 30 threads per page but I still need to combine the various pages into 1 pdf file. Is there a fix to this or could a fix be made? Thanks

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: How to print multi page thread

Some threads are very thought intriguing and I would like to print them to read later or archive as a pdf for future reference. Case in point is an excellent Sapien post on Money as Debt. I realize there is the print thread feature and 30 threads per page but I still need to combine the various pages into 1 pdf file. Is there a fix to this or could a fix be made? Thanks

How about copying and pasting the HTML source for each page in the thread into a single local .html file on your disk, and then loading that file into your browser to read, or using some html to pdf converter software tool on the resulting local .html file. Don't take -all-- the HTML off each page, just the portion containing the actual 20 posts for that page. One can pick off this portion of the entire web page in Firefox by (1) selecting that portion of the page, then (2) using the "View Selection Source" option on the right click mouse menu. A little bit of HTML fixing up might be needed along the way to get your local .html file to display as desired.

[ggirod]

Re: How to print multi page thread

I would like to print them to read later or archive as a pdf for future reference.

Here is the method I use when reading long articles that I downloaded at a hotspot later off line ...

Create a file for the lengthy document on your desktop. With your default browser open the first page and click save as from the file menu. Navigate to the folder you created and name the first page something, like the date-1.html or whatever will help you deal with it later. It will save all the graphics, etc in subdirectories and the whole page will be readable offline anytime. Then proceed to do the same thing with the remaining pages, naming each uniquely, probably with -n where n is the page number. After you are done you can zip the folder to save space or whatever, and you are good to go. To print, I believe (not personally tested) you can select all of the .html files together and drop them on the printer object and it will launch browsers for all the pages and print the whole mess automagically.

As for saving in .pdf, here is something I have done with variable success. If the pages are opened and saved in Firefox, then you can open them later in Open Office as .html documents and export them as .pdf files. I think you can possibly do the same for MS Office with a recent enough version having saved them in IE. Your success may vary, but it is worth a try if you are really motivated and want .pdf files.

The other alternative is to just bookmark the pages (they keep their addresses permanently) and just get them when you need them. That way, subsequent comments are there when you next open them - I am sometimes surprised how many oldie but goodie threads come back to life periodically.

[orion]

Re: How to print multi page thread

Thank you guys for the suggestions. I think I pretty much am doing this already by going into print thread view, changing to 30 posts per page, using pdf program to convert/print, and then using pdf program to combine the various pages.

I was hoping there was a magic 1 button solution or TPTB at iTulip would say great idea and create a 1 button solution :rolleyes:

[don]

Re: How to print multi page thread

Thank you guys for the suggestions. I think I pretty much am doing this already by going into print thread view, changing to 30 posts per page, using pdf program to convert/print, and then using pdf program to combine the various pages.

I was hoping there was a magic 1 button solution or TPTB at iTulip would say great idea and create a 1 button solution :rolleyes:

The one-button solutions ended along with cheap credit ;)