Need to be able to clip PDFs directly from a browser to evernote

[CMagnuson 7]

Evernote community,

Each time I try to clip a PDF document from the web it will only clip the URL. I need to be able to clip the PDF document itself so that when I am using the iPad it will cache the document and allow me to work without an internet connection.

Thanks for any help you can provide,

Chris

[Karyudo 0]

I don't know if this would work for you, but I do it frequently. I will save the pdf file to my desktop and then simply drag it into a new note on Evernote. I can then name and tag it accordingly. Is this too cumbersome?

In a word, yes! It seems unnecessarily fiddly to have to do that, when clipping a whole web page or portion thereof is pretty much a one-click solution.

Also (and this is not a criticism you should take personally), I find that any time somebody uses "simply" in their instructions on how to use software, the instructions will not be as simple as they could be if the software in question just worked better.

[bausk 2]

Kathy,

 

this is a normal behavior for the Chrome extensions. The extension needs access to your browser window to be able to retrieve the information it needs.

 

As for PDF clipping, I now recommend using the standard Evernote Clipper. The latest version allows to clip PDFs just like my extension, so you don't really need both.

[kathy281 0]

Direct PDF clipping is sort of non-trivial from software POV. I made a Chrome extension that takes care of this. At least while the Google server it uses is not overloaded.

http://discussion.ev...df-to-evernote/

 

In re:  Clip PDF to Evernote extension

 

I wonder about the note that appears when I click "Add to Chrome".  It says:  Add Clip to Evernote?  It can:  Access your data on all websites; Access your tabs and browsing activity.  That sounds pretty invasive, but maybe it is a standard warning that Chrome adds to all extensions?

 

This Jing image may work to illustrate what I see:  http://screencast.com/t/1ybk5F3F8

 

No insult intended - just trained to be cautious.

Thanks!

[bausk 2]

Direct PDF clipping is sort of non-trivial from software POV. I made a Chrome extension that takes care of this. At least while the Google server it uses is not overloaded.

http://discussion.ev...df-to-evernote/

[MikeMalaika 0]

As a complete beginner to Evernote (embarking on a PhD at some ridiculously old age and in need of memory props!) am delighted so far, but totally flummoxed by the lack of some basic things. The lack of a PDF clipper is about the most basic of all - a huge amount of academic literature on the web is in PDF format, and you need to be able to clip, tag and annotate in one go. So thanks for the workaround but PLEASE EN can we implement this direct clipping ASAP?

[Owyn 457]

@schmam

Tools -> Import Folders

https://support.ever...questionID=1284

[schmam 1]

I'd like to use the "create an import folder" work-around but I don't understand how to create an import folder. When I checked Win7 support, all I could find was how to change settings for importing images and videos. Can someone direct me?

[dlu 628]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

[jamse 0]

+1 for being able to clip PDFs using the standard Chrome clipper (and thanks also to those who provided the Import Folder workaround!).

As well as tagging and naming, which others have mentioned, there are a couple of other reasons why I would find it helpful if the standard clipper would grab a PDF rather than just its URL:

• The ability to pre-pend the clip with a comment is helpful (and would be particularly helpful for a PDF, as I could note down the particular pages I was interested in).
  
• It would record the URL of the clipped PDF (which, of course, using the clipper achieves, but using the workaround doesn't).
  

So, with tagging and naming that makes four solid reasons in support of this feature request - I commend it to the developers!

[jefito 5,589]

The feature request is fine; it would definitely be more convenient if the web clipper would send the entire document, or at least provide the option to do so. But even useful improvements may take some time to implement, so for now, you have the workarounds suggested (step 0.5?? ).

[Karyudo 0]

Not bad, of course, but here's what would be better:

0. Agitate in forums for improvements to Evernote that would allow saving of PDFs directly from a browser, via 'Clip to Evernote' plugin.

1. Navigate to PDF in browser.

2. Use 'Clip to Evernote' button to save PDF to Evernote.

Obviously, I'm on Step 0, and it might be a while before we can get to Step 2...

[Wern 246]

Well, the whole process is indeed very simple, similar what others have already suggested.

1. Create an import folder on your harddisk drive

2. Specify that import folder in EN (TOOLS >> Import Folders)

3. Let's say you are using Firefox (Chrome or others are similar) for your browsing: Install the FoxitReader plugin (or similar) in FF

4. You can open .pdf files now directly from your browser (you probably already have that kind of setup)

5. After the .pdf file is open, just do a SAVE AS, give it a name and save it to the Import Folder you created beforehand.

Your new pdf file will land automatically in EN.

This may sound complicated. But once you have set this up, it is really 2 clicks and you are done.

Wern

[idoc 400]

I don't know if this would work for you, but I do it frequently. I will save the pdf file to my desktop and then simply drag it into a new note on Evernote. I can then name and tag it accordingly. Is this too cumbersome?

[jefito 5,589]

I send them to a separate Import notebook, and tag later on. It's not a big deal for me; in fact, it's easier because I can do my tagging for any imported notes in one session. I can see where it might not work for others, though.

[Karyudo 0]

I don't feel [using import folders] is an acceptable solution as I need to be able to tag the pdf at the time when I am importing it and I don't want to have to go back and do that as an asynchronus step.

I would agree with this, and add that I'd like to be able to clip a PDF directly to Evernote (without using kludgy import folders) because I use multiple computers where I'd sometimes like to be able to nab PDFs while browsing.

[CMagnuson 7]

Thank you all for the suggestion to use import folders. I don't feel this is an acceptable solution as I need to be able to tag the pdf at the time when I am importing it and I don't want to have to go back and do that as an asynchronus step.

I work from an iPad frequently and when I am viewing a pdf in the safari browser there is a "view in evernote" button at the top right corner of the screen that imports the full pdf into a new evernote and allows me to set its tags. The idea that the workflow for adding pdfs is easier from safari on an iPad than from the full range of applications and browser plugins I have installed on my pc seems odd.

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

On Windows, you can create an import directory for Evernote, and save PDFs there from your browser. I do this often.

I'm new to Evernote so I don't understand exactly what you mean here. Could you give a bit more detail and/or break down the actual steps you take to do this

thanks fro any help you can provide

[doyddy 0]

On Windows, you can create an import directory for Evernote, and save PDFs there from your browser. I do this often.

I'm new to Evernote so I don't understand exactly what you mean here. Could you give a bit more detail and/or break down the actual steps you take to do this

thanks fro any help you can provide

[Owyn 457]

On Windows, you can create an import directory for Evernote, and save PDFs there from your browser. I do this often.

OT - do you have a "trick" on how to do this directly into google docs? TIA

AFAIK there is no way to have Google Docs monitor the status of a desktop folder.

https://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1251338&topic=1247871&rd=1

[katahdin 8]

On Windows, you can create an import directory for Evernote, and save PDFs there from your browser. I do this often.

OT - do you have a "trick" on how to do this directly into google docs? TIA

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

On Windows, you can create an import directory for Evernote, and save PDFs there from your browser. I do this often.

Me too.

[jefito 5,589]

On Windows, you can create an import directory for Evernote, and save PDFs there from your browser. I do this often.