Copy PDF into Outlook email

[Maddhin 25]

Hi,

with Evernote it ever had be a problem to copy a file (especially PDFs) from a note into a MS Outlook email. "Sometimes" it worked with the copying the file in the preview view but usually, one had to go for "Show PDF as attachment" and then copy and paste into Outlook and then go back to Evernote and switch on the PDF preview again.

Since Evernote come with the new preview working with PDFs is even more cumbersome. There doesn't seem to be any chance to copy the PDF in the preview view but it only works copying the file as attachment.

Plus, with the new preview it seems even more complicated to view the PDF in an external pdf viewer. The new PDF preview does not really work for me as it is complicated to scroll through a note with several PDFs.

Is there a trick to copy PDFs out of Evernote? I'm using tons of PDFs and thinking to find another solution as working with Evernote is so complicated.

Any help is appreciated!!

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

12 minutes ago, Maddhin said:

Is there a trick to copy PDFs out of Evernote? I'm using tons of PDFs and thinking to find another solution as working with Evernote is so complicated.

You might try this:  Drag the attachment icon from the EN Note to the Outlook header section of a new compose window.

This works for Evernote 6.11.1 (455059) on macOS 10.12.6, but I can say for sure with EN Win.

[Maddhin 25]

14 minutes ago, JMichaelTX said:

You might try this:  Drag the attachment icon from the EN Note to the Outlook header section of a new compose window.

This works for Evernote 6.11.1 (455059) on macOS 10.12.6, but I can say for sure with EN Win.

No, this dragging doesn't work for me (Win10, 6.9.2) - but I remember this worked on earlier versions with the attached pdfs.

But my point is that I do not like to work with attached pdfs but like the preview.

Actually, the good old fashioned pdf preview with a reliable option to copy the file into clipboard to paste in Outlook & Co would be perfect. I don't see much value in the new viewer as it always disturbs my workflow.

[gazumped 11,713]

53 minutes ago, Maddhin said:

I do not like to work with attached pdfs but like the preview.

The PDF preview is an picture of the PDF file already opened in another application - the editor module - which can't be added to an email directly. 

I can do it in three or four clicks -

• Right click preview and select 'view as attachment'
• Left click attachment icon and drag to compose window
• Right click icon again and untick 'view as...' to go back to preview

- you could use Phrase Express or some other text expander app to automate that process into one command key action.

If you wish to attach several files to an email from one note it's also possible to right click the note title in the index window and choose 'Save Attachments' which will put the files on your desktop.  The top of the preview window also has an option to 'download' an individual PDF which will give you a standard 'where should I put this file?' window.  I normally choose the desktop so it's easy to clean up my processed files later.

[Maddhin 25]

1 hour ago, gazumped said:

The PDF preview is an picture of the PDF file already opened in another application - the editor module - which can't be added to an email directly. 

I can do it in three or four clicks -

• Right click preview and select 'view as attachment'
• Left click attachment icon and drag to compose window
• Right click icon again and untick 'view as...' to go back to preview

- you could use Phrase Express or some other text expander app to automate that process into one command key action.

If you wish to attach several files to an email from one note it's also possible to right click the note title in the index window and choose 'Save Attachments' which will put the files on your desktop.  The top of the preview window also has an option to 'download' an individual PDF which will give you a standard 'where should I put this file?' window.  I normally choose the desktop so it's easy to clean up my processed files later.

@gazumped  Super, thank you for your help and comments - sadly, that is what I'm already doing at the moment but

1. drag and drop is not working for me (Outlook 2016 on Win10, EN 6.10.1) (it pastes some internal link) and

2. it feels like a bug working this way and not like a productivity tool. The opposite. I usually need a couple of pdfs from a couple of different notes - it's just frustrating firstly scrolling through the new pdf previews (try it on a smaller laptop screen w/ touchpad!!! Terrible!), finding the right pdf and then doing the "View as attachment", copy, go to outlook, paste, go back to Evernote, make "view as", search for next note and start over again. By the time I have added a few pdfs, I actually forgot what I had to write in that email

But why is "copy" (right click on PDF) not working in EN? And why is there a "copy" button if it is not doing anything?

It's 2018 and if a productivity tool like EN needs a workaround(!) for pasting a doc out of a note into an email (or anywhere else), I think it is a major design flaw

[gazumped 11,713]

Hmmn.  I'm also in 6.10.1 and my drag and drop works within Windows' limits - which is to say that I can drag and drop attachments and pictures from a note window (not the preview) to desktop and to some other apps.  I agree though that it does look like right-click Copy is available from that preview window when clearly,  it ain't.  I'll link this thread to the release thread for this version where the devs will be looking for bugs and suggestions. 

I think your 'internal link' means you're still trying to DnD from the preview window.  If that's from the actual PDF icon in the note,  that isn't my experience.  Maybe operating via a touchpad has some additional limitations that us old-fashioned keyboarders don't.

Edit:  Just reminded myself that notes plus attachments can be sent by email from Evernote,  though there are several issues that might make that process impractical - the 'from' address won't be you,  you'd need to add single PDFs to notes and either send two notes or merge copies before sending which might be even more complicated than View as Attachment...

[Maddhin 25]

I'm actually using the icon/attachment for DnD (and a 10 year old mouse )  and not the preview. So there must be some bug as I just updated another PC and see the same behavior.

I also cannot DnD pictures in this version anymore (DnD worked with 6.7.5?) - but copy and paste works with pictures and PDFs (as attachment) in 6.10.1.

Fingers crossed this can be fixed!! Thx for your help!

 

PS: the problem with the new PDF preview and laptops/touchpads is that it is cumbersome to go to the right position in the note (small screen!) to scroll up/down. And I doubt many people really want to read a pdf in such a small frame. The old solution with double-click to open in external viewer was much more practical and intuitive.

[CalS 5,284]

3 hours ago, Maddhin said:

I'm actually using the icon/attachment for DnD (and a 10 year old mouse )  and not the preview. So there must be some bug as I just updated another PC and see the same behavior.

I also cannot DnD pictures in this version anymore (DnD worked with 6.7.5?) - but copy and paste works with pictures and PDFs (as attachment) in 6.10.1.

Fingers crossed this can be fixed!! Thx for your help!

 

PS: the problem with the new PDF preview and laptops/touchpads is that it is cumbersome to go to the right position in the note (small screen!) to scroll up/down. And I doubt many people really want to read a pdf in such a small frame. The old solution with double-click to open in external viewer was much more practical and intuitive.

Another option is to right click in the PDF, Save As to the desktop, drag to destination, delete from desktop.

[NikolayS 2]

I see this issue persists for a few months and EN is not willing to fix it. We just need another icon on the top of the preview to be able to drag the file. that's it

[Maddhin 25]

9 hours ago, NikolayS said:

I see this issue persists for a few months and EN is not willing to fix it. We just need another icon on the top of the preview to be able to drag the file. that's it

yes, and one icon to open in external viewer!

Ideally actually the option to go back to the old system with the new icons...

10 hours ago, CalS said:

Another option is to right click in the PDF, Save As to the desktop, drag to destination, delete from desktop.

this might actually be the faster workaround

[CalS 5,284]

6 minutes ago, Maddhin said:

this might actually be the faster workaround

Fastest for me at this point, pending EN ever deciding to add back the deleted functionality.

[Maddhin 25]

Just to mention this: it's actually not only a copy & paste problem from EN to external apps but the same issues are with c&p WITHIN EN.

So, to copy a pdf from one note to another, I also need to use these workarounds...!

[Henrik_K 14]

Doesn't the little down-load button at the top of the pdf preview frame work for you? This should download the file to a destination of your choice with one click of the mouse (or touchpad :-))

My workaround: download the respective pdfs (from different notes if necessary) into a temp folder on my desktop, than drag all these files into the Outlook email.

Still a workaround though, and I fully support your view that scrolling through notes has become very cumbersome with the new preview feature...

[Maddhin 25]

42 minutes ago, Henrik_K said:

Doesn't the little down-load button at the top of the pdf preview frame work for you? This should download the file to a destination of your choice with one click of the mouse (or touchpad :-))

My workaround: download the respective pdfs (from different notes if necessary) into a temp folder on my desktop, than drag all these files into the Outlook email.

Still a workaround though, and I fully support your view that scrolling through notes has become very cumbersome with the new preview feature...

correct & yes, that seems to be the agreed "fastest workaround" here 

But I think we all are also agreeing that this is something that is nothing we should have to do in 2018 where we can quickly flick a file from our mobiles to PC/MAC/etc. It's especially tragic the workaround is necessary within EN.

I read somewhere that EN changed to a Chrome PDF viewer to cut development costs compared to its earlier proprietary solution. To a degree understandable but I don't see how annoyed paying subscribers - or worse: guys using the free account! - are helping EN...

[Jon lowbank 32]

On 2/25/2018 at 12:03 AM, Maddhin said:

The problem with the new PDF preview and laptops/touchpads is that it is cumbersome to go to the right position in the note (small screen!) to scroll up/down. And I doubt many people really want to read a pdf in such a small frame. The old solution with double-click to open in external viewer was much more practical and intuitive.

yep with you %100 

[Maddhin 25]

Does anybody know if EN works on changing the 6.10 beta 2 to address some of these issues?

[gazumped 11,713]

2 hours ago, Maddhin said:

Does anybody know if EN works on changing the 6.10 beta 2 to address some of these issues?

It doesn't appear to - I don't see any change from the general release regarding PDFs.  And we're only up to beta 1 so far...

[Maddhin 25]

hm, allow me an evil comment: I wonder how EN wants to successfully push EN business and spaces (which seems to be the focus at the moment) with this handling of PDF and no drag'n'drop. No "power" / business user (like myself) would accept EN if it is so cumbersome to deal with files. There is so much competition who has worked that out years ago.

[IanHep 0]

I agree this is a backward step.

Before the new pdf viewer it was easy.  Right click the pdf. Copy. Paste into e-mail.  I'm old so I prefer this to dragging ;-).  I'm also a W10 user, so I simply get a link, not the pdf file, when I drag it into an email.

 

Come on Evernote please.  Surely it cant be so hard to put the copy/paste functionality back.  It has been there for years and you've removed it!

 

I currently can all my paperwork to Evernote, but I do need to email quite a few.  This makes it clunky, so I may as well scan to a folder.

[Eldorado 26]

I'm running "6.13.13.7425 (307425) Public" now: If a PDF is viewed as an attachment within the note, RClick->Copy and Ctrl-V in Outlook works as in older versions :-)