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(Archived) Save PDF to Evernote on Mac


Matt W

Idea

Hello,

I am using MAc App Store Version 3.3.0 (300201). The Save PDF to Evernote option from the print menu no longer works. The option is still there. When I use it, Evernote becomes the focused application. However, no PDF is saved in Evernote. I believe this only started happening with the most recent version. Since this is the most common way for me to use Evernote, the program is fairly useless without this capability (particularly since decent clipping from the web browser disappeared with Lion).

Is this something you are aware of and have a planned fix for?

Matt

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I am SO angry right now! I have no idea how many receipts and other documents I've thought had safely been preserved by Evernote but actually just went off into the aether! IF you (Evernote) are going to remove functionality... fine... I don't like it, but fine - but don't leave the feature looking active and not giving a freaking ERROR!

Evernote, you have failed me!

What's the big deal here about installing Evernote manually and not through the AppStore? Or are you on MountainLion?

The big deal is operating for a period of time, thinking information is being saved because it fails silently. It's like when your backups aren't working and you only discover it when you need to restore data after a crash. You would want to kill your backup software/hardware/personnel provider.

There's fixing it for now and the future and fixing it for the past.

As for adding "Print to Evernote" or whatever, you can add it by downloading the non-App Store version, installing it to /Applications, and running the following Unix command in the Terminal. This will add an entry in the PDF menu called "Send to Evernote" that will kick off the version installed in /Applications.

ln -s /Applications/Evernote.app ~/Library/PDF\ Services/Send\ to\ Evernote

As for picking up the old receipts and other scanned or printed items, I'm not sure where applications store them. I do see entries in Console such as the following with the sandboxed Evernote, but the files are cleaned up:

Oct 25 10:59:07 Denree.local sandboxd[72296] ([174]): Evernote(174) deny file-read-data /private/var/folders/9f/3fv12ct51fx9bst59z59hpb80000gn/T/printing.72266/Microsoft Word - e-Order_Tracker_Statuses-1.docx.pdf

This Unix command may help recover some of those lost files, but you can see how sketchy it is.


find /private -name \*pdf 2> /dev/null |grep -i print

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As for adding "Print to Evernote" or whatever, you can add it by downloading the non-App Store version, installing it to /Applications, and running the following Unix command in the Terminal. This will add an entry in the PDF menu called "Send to Evernote" that will kick off the version installed in /Applications.

ln -s /Applications/Evernote.app ~/Library/PDF\ Services/Send\ to\ Evernote

@Art, thanks for this—it worked perfectly for me, and is a wonderful addition to my workflow!

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Addendum to my recent post:

While the procedure I outlined above might seem more Evernote-approved, it is essentially equivalent to Art Taylor's post of 25 October which is, in my opinion, better.

The procedure I outlined seems to to nothing more than creaate a symbolic link in "~/Library/PDF Services". The link name is what is displayed in the PDF dialog and my procedure does not allow that link name to be specified - it ends up as "Evernote" or "Evernote.app" and that is what is displayed.

Art's suggestion, entering

ln -s /Applications/Evernote.app "~/Library/PDF Services/Send to Evernote"

from a Terminal window puts the more meaningful "Send to Evernote" in the menu.

I did not need any special permissions (i.e. su or sudo) to do thia.

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There are some excellent solutions here which I will probably implement.

Meanwhile I did a QucikAndDirty Solution that seems to work:

  1. In any applications Print dialog select the PDF drop down menu
  2. The last entry on that menu should say "Edit Menu"
  3. Click it and it will bring up a standard Mac options dialog box
  4. Click on the + sign and the bottom of the list
  5. This should open a finder window, probably in the Applications directory
  6. Select "Evernote.app" from that window and click "Open"

That's it. Now when I click the PDF button in a print dialog box, Evernote shows up as the last choice of the actions listed.

On my machine it just says "Evernote", not "Save to Evernote" or any other phrase that might explain what it is doing. I don't know enough about Mac internals to fix that yet and, in any case, I'll probably switch to some of the more elegant AppleScripts posted here.

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I've found this to be an easy way to get this functionality back:

Open Automator and create a new Print Plugin.

Add a Run Applescript action to the workflow and paste the code from this site, http://www.thoughtasylum.com/blog/2010/5/11/send-to-evernote-on-mac-os-x.html, in to the Applescript code window, replacing what was there.

Save the workflow as whatever you want it to be called in the print menu, perhaps Send to Evernote. When you select print from an app your new action should be available from the PDF drop down.

One note, the applescript sends your print jobs to a notebook called Auto Import. You can use a different notebook by changing the notebook name on line 5 of the Applescript.

This works for me using the latest version of Evernote from the App Store on Mountain Lion 10.8.2.

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Hi,

Could you maybe help me with setting up a watched folder? I've never worked with scripts.

I've copied the script given on the mentioned website and copied it into my script editor. But when I try to save it it'll give me the syntax error 'A on:adding folder items to this_folder after receiving these-itemes can't go after this 1.' What went wrong? I just have to copy the script as it is on the website, right? Or do I need to make any alterations? It starts with '01 on adding...' and ends with '38 beep 1'.

Your help would be much appreciated!

Update:

Save PDF just worked for me. I opened a document in Preview, went to Print, clicked the PDF button in the lower left, and selected Save PDF to Evernote. The direct download version of the app does support this feature.

I'm not very good at Automator but I think it would be possible to create a workflow or service with an assigned keystroke that would to drop file/files onto the icon (?) making it less annoying than dragging files onto small Dock icons - at least I keep my icons small & I hate the dragging. Anyone here an Automator wonk?

Still a newb at using Macs in general, but I have found workflows and scripts online that have helped me significantly with Evernote:

Setting Up Watched Folders on OSX

Sending to Evernote on OSX (via right click)

I have both of these setup but hardly use the Send to Evernote option. I'm always dropping PDFs and other files into an Evernote folder though. It just works. Either of these options will allow you to quickly get files into Evernote.

Let me know if anyone has any questions, and I'll do my best to answer.

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SOLUTION

I've had the same problem. I can't get PDF to Evernote to work (from the print dialogue) in Mountain Lion. And I've found a solution.

Instead of creating a shortcut to the Evernote application in PDF Services (under Library) - instead create aand to a Folder witih Folder actions set up to send the contents to Evernote. This works. The information on these two steps - 1) set up a Folder which will send files dropped in it to Evernote 2) put a shortcut (alias) (or the original folder) in the PDF Services folder - are described in other posts in this forum and elsewhere.

This procedure has the added feature of retaining the files sent to evernote in a folder on your harddrive (till you delete them, of course)

btw - I got to this problem because the Beta of 5 locked me out and I reinstalled Evernote from the App Store. It took ages to redownload my notes and I didn't want to repeat the trauma by downloading the non-AppStore version of the application.

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Update:

Save PDF just worked for me. I opened a document in Preview, went to Print, clicked the PDF button in the lower left, and selected Save PDF to Evernote. The direct download version of the app does support this feature.

I'm not very good at Automator but I think it would be possible to create a workflow or service with an assigned keystroke that would to drop file/files onto the icon (?) making it less annoying than dragging files onto small Dock icons - at least I keep my icons small & I hate the dragging. Anyone here an Automator wonk?

Still a newb at using Macs in general, but I have found workflows and scripts online that have helped me significantly with Evernote:

Setting Up Watched Folders on OSX

Sending to Evernote on OSX (via right click)

I have both of these setup but hardly use the Send to Evernote option. I'm always dropping PDFs and other files into an Evernote folder though. It just works. Either of these options will allow you to quickly get files into Evernote.

Let me know if anyone has any questions, and I'll do my best to answer.

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So - no solution for sending pdf from print menu to Evernote in Mac?

Sorry if someone has already mentioned this - there are 2 less elegant but bearable alternatives - I am runnning Mac OSX 10.8.2 & Evernote 3.3.1:

In Finder (Mac) drag a PDF file onto the Evernote icon in the Dock. Evernote will open & create a new note of the PDF in your default notebook with no tags. Works if Evernote is running or not.

If you keep Evernote Helper running in the Menu Bar - In FInder (Mac) hilight your PDF file & press Cmd-C (Copy) then either either Press Control-Command-V (Paste To Evernote), or, if you have re-assigned that Global Command, click on Evernote Helpr icon in Menu Bar & select Paste To Evernote. Evernote will open & create a new note of the PDF in your default notebook with no tags. Works if Evernote is running or not.

Hope they fix the Print Menu.

I'm not very good at Automator but I think it would be possible to create a workflow or service with an assigned keystroke that would to drop file/files onto the icon (?) making it less annoying than dragging files onto small Dock icons - at least I keep my icons small & I hate the dragging. Anyone here an Automator wonk?

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Hey Everyone,

I realize how frustrating this is, because I experienced the same types of issues using the Mac App Store version of the program. I'm fairly certain that it's the sandboxing requirements of the App Store that are causing the problems. It seems like Apple really doesn't want those apps getting into low level system tasks, and I see what they're getting at. The only problem is that it really hampers certain apps and the power users who use them.

Please try removing the App Store version completely (AFTER synching your notes). And then install the direct download version of the software Metrodon posted (http://evernote.com/...ile=EvernoteMac). This is the version I have running now and it works great with an Automator workflow I have. The workflow takes anything dropped into a specific folder and creates a note in Evernote. When I get home, I'll try the "Save PDF to Evernote" feature. I've never used that specific functionality before.

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I would like to download Evernote from this site and not from the App Store. I spent much time in the summer over the Save problem. I was sent the direct link to the download the app and everything was fine. I now have a new computer and would like to install Evernote but can't find the link. Please help! Thanks.

I had the same problem until I remembered to try right clicking. Go the Evernote download page and instead of clicking (left clicking) on the link, right click on it and select "Save Link As" and the package should start to download directly.

Hope this helps -

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I would like to download Evernote from this site and not from the App Store. I spent much time in the summer over the Save problem. I was sent the direct link to the download the app and everything was fine. I now have a new computer and would like to install Evernote but can't find the link. Please help! Thanks.

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I did delete the AppStore Evernote application and then went to the Evernote site to download their application manually and it still doesn't work. And, I'm running Mountain Lion.

If anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.

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I am SO angry right now! I have no idea how many receipts and other documents I've thought had safely been preserved by Evernote but actually just went off into the aether! IF you (Evernote) are going to remove functionality... fine... I don't like it, but fine - but don't leave the feature looking active and not giving a freaking ERROR!

Evernote, you have failed me!

What's the big deal here about installing Evernote manually and not through the AppStore? Or are you on MountainLion?

Link to comment

I am SO angry right now! I have no idea how many receipts and other documents I've thought had safely been preserved by Evernote but actually just went off into the aether! IF you (Evernote) are going to remove functionality... fine... I don't like it, but fine - but don't leave the feature looking active and not giving a freaking ERROR!

Evernote, you have failed me!

Link to comment

So - no solution for sending pdf from print menu to Evernote in Mac?

Sorry if someone has already mentioned this - there are 2 less elegant but bearable alternatives - I am runnning Mac OSX 10.8.2 & Evernote 3.3.1:

In Finder (Mac) drag a PDF file onto the Evernote icon in the Dock. Evernote will open & create a new note of the PDF in your default notebook with no tags. Works if Evernote is running or not.

If you keep Evernote Helper running in the Menu Bar - In FInder (Mac) hilight your PDF file & press Cmd-C (Copy) then either either Press Control-Command-V (Paste To Evernote), or, if you have re-assigned that Global Command, click on Evernote Helpr icon in Menu Bar & select Paste To Evernote. Evernote will open & create a new note of the PDF in your default notebook with no tags. Works if Evernote is running or not.

Hope they fix the Print Menu.

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  • Level 5*

Send a PM to Jackolicious and he will give you the direct download link, I've no idea why they make it so hard to find.

I don't understand it either. The button on the front page takes you right to the app store (I don't like getting hijacked like that -- I am on the Evernote site for a reason) and the dropdown product list takes you to a page with a button that doesn't work, and a link that will also throw you into the appstore. In other words, I think they want us to download the appstore version :)

Here is a link to the rogue, non-appstore version.

http://evernote.com/evernote/index.php?file=EvernoteMac

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Hi Matt. Welcome to the forums.

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that recent changes at Apple with its policies for appstore versions has resulted in functionality being removed from applications, and I think the loss of this feature might be one example. The reason I say this is that I've seen developers for other apps remove this specific functionality (save PDF to application X) in order to keep their apps in the appstore.

My advice would be to switch to the regular version that you can download directly from the Evernote site, because if I am correct, then Evernote cannot change the appstore version until Apple changes its policy, and there is no way to know when this might happen. In general, I avoid the appstore versions of apps. I would prefer to go through Apple (I like the convenience, and think it is a great system), but I like my apps to have as much functionality as possible.

I am not sure this is the case (since print to PDF is a core OSX function that still works fine in other APPs). I was willing to try this, but every link I can find on the Evernote page goes to the app store.

Since It has been a couple weeks and no one from Evernote has replied, I am beginning to wonder if they plan on addressing this issue.

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  • Level 5*

Hi Matt. Welcome to the forums.

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that recent changes at Apple with its policies for appstore versions has resulted in functionality being removed from applications, and I think the loss of this feature might be one example. The reason I say this is that I've seen developers for other apps remove this specific functionality (save PDF to application X) in order to keep their apps in the appstore.

My advice would be to switch to the regular version that you can download directly from the Evernote site, because if I am correct, then Evernote cannot change the appstore version until Apple changes its policy, and there is no way to know when this might happen. In general, I avoid the appstore versions of apps. I would prefer to go through Apple (I like the convenience, and think it is a great system), but I like my apps to have as much functionality as possible.

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