Add PDF Directly as a Note

[Kiefer 35]

I'd really like an option to just add a PDF as a note rather than as an attachment on the note. It's pretty trivial, but when I'm saving something that's just a PDF (like sheet music for example) it's a little inconvenient to have to open the note and then click the attachment. 

Thanks!

[DTLow 5,736]

On August 29, 2016 at 9:12 PM, Kiefer said:

I'd really like an option to just add a PDF as a note rather than as an attachment on the note. It's pretty trivial, but when I'm saving something that's just a PDF (like sheet music for example) it's a little inconvenient to have to open the note and then click the attachment. 

It's already implemented on the Mac platform.  We have the option of viewing pdfs inline or as attachments.

I upvoted to have this feature added to the other platforms

[HEH 14]

Upvoted, I would ALSO love to see a PDF/Adobe Add-In!

[HEH 14]

Two requests for PDFs and Adobe Acrobat Files:

1. I would love to see an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) add in so I can clip Acrobat files/PDFs as notes.
2. Additionally, and similarly, I would like to have a way to attach a PDF as a note (as requested here as well: Piggy-Backing)- 

[michel.poelaert@roche.com 0]

On 8/30/2016 at 6:12 AM, Kiefer said:

I'd really like an option to just add a PDF as a note rather than as an attachment on the note. It's pretty trivial, but when I'm saving something that's just a PDF (like sheet music for example) it's a little inconvenient to have to open the note and then click the attachment. 

Thanks!

It's really a great idea and a must (other similar application does have the feature).

Despite the fact that, in the Windows application, you can unselect under Tools -> Options -> Notes (in Note Viewing Options) -> unselect "Always show PDF documents as attachments",  this is not available on portable device (smart phone and tablet).

Thanks to take that request in account

[DTLow 5,736]

On August 30, 2016 at 7:17 AM, HEH said:

Two requests for PDFs and Adobe Acrobat Files:

1. I would love to see an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) add in so I can clip Acrobat files/PDFs as notes.
2. Additionally, and similarly, I would like to have a way to attach a PDF as a note (as requested here as well: Piggy-Backing)- 

I upvoted

On the Mac platform, we have Evernote Helper, a separate app that allows for screen clips, also several options for pdf conversion 

Macs also have the option of viewing pdfs inline or as attachments

Currently on my iPad, I do a photo screen capture, then crop > pdf > EN via the Workflow utility

[g-wert 0]

Yes please! Even in the Mac version it could be better: Just make the inline-view of a PDF that is the whole content of a note window-filling.

[jefito 5,589]

Not sure what the issue is -- a PDF file is *always* going to be a part of a note in Evernote: PDF doesn't match the Evernote note format, so it needs to be wrapped up in at least minimal ENML markup (you can't add Evernote tags to a PDF file, for example). And that means that you can add other, non-PDF content to the note, and that a PDF will always be an attachment. Second, the Windows client allows you to view PDF files as "attachments" or as single page display. Could the display be better? Sure: on Windows they use a third-party library to do display (and I guess) annotation; on MacOS PDF support is native.

Oh, and one more thing: in Evernote for WIndows, you can right-click on a note in the note list, and select "Save attachments...".

[aFassas 11]

I can only assume that the original feature request is not regarding either the Windows or the Mac OS applications.  In the Windows application, you can unselect under Tools -> Options -> Notes (in Note Viewing Options) -> unselect "Always show PDF documents as attachments".  With this option unselected all PDF attachments are rendered as viewable documents with their own hover over page navigation tool.

I realize that I am just expanding on something mentioned in jefito's previous comment, regarding the option in the Windows application.

[Jonathan Michael Copeland 13]

On 8/30/2016 at 6:12 AM, Kiefer said:

I'd really like an option to just add a PDF as a note rather than as an attachment on the note. It's pretty trivial, but when I'm saving something that's just a PDF (like sheet music for example) it's a little inconvenient to have to open the note and then click the attachment. 

Thanks!

"a note rather than as an attachment on the note" -- This is perfect! the iOS pdf situation is just weird. Seriously. Having this random little rounded rectangle taking up 1/3 of the note width. On Mac, it's common to accidentally  select the entire PDF and sometimes delete it by mistake, or even drag it causing the need for a re-sync of the note. 

+1

[Student_Manchester 1]

I would also like to see this as an option. The only way at present to have a pdf embedded in the note rather than as a file attachment is to use the desktop application it seems. All the notes I previously created in Mac os all preview. Anything I add on Android, iOS or the web just show a horrible grey attachment icon. Please fix this, it is ruining my workflow.

[nigebj 2]

Another upvote for this in the Web interface and indeed all interfaces -i t's so frustrating to have something available on you tablet, but not the web and I don't remember when I last used a desktop app other than Photoshop or a Browser!

[49erNut 0]

Maybe I don't understand what's going on here, and if so, I apologize for wasting your time. I import PDF files directly into Evernote Desktop for Windows by going to File Explorer>finding the PDF>right clicking on the PDF file>hovering over "Send To">clicking on Evernote. They are then saved into whatever notebook I have selected in Evernote Desktop.

[CalS 5,280]

15 hours ago, 49erNut said:

Maybe I don't understand what's going on here, and if so, I apologize for wasting your time. I import PDF files directly into Evernote Desktop for Windows by going to File Explorer>finding the PDF>right clicking on the PDF file>hovering over "Send To">clicking on Evernote. They are then saved into whatever notebook I have selected in Evernote Desktop.

This one has less to do with adding the PDF to a note (with today's desktop you can just drag a PDF into EN) and more to do with the viewing of the PDF, or devolved to it if not the OP's intent.  On the desktop when you access the note the PDF is visible assuming you have not checked Always show PDF documents as attachments.  Not so much on mobile devices, you get an icon which you have to press.  Folks would just as soon not press the icon.  Me included.

[PinkElephant 8,114]

The behavior on the mobile devices is driven by the fact that it only downloads the attachment when it is clicked.

This is not logical in cases when the content belongs to an offline notebook, But even then, as long as there is an internet connection, it downloads the attachment freshly from the server. And this prohibits to show the attachments content prior to downloading it.

Where I disagree: It would not be simple  to use the pdf instead of a note. The note contains a lot of  invisible information, that is used for server  purposes. This information can not be saved in a pdf, and it would on top of  that mean the pdf would permanently be altered - which is against the idea that the attachment should be isolated  against the working of the machine handling it.

[DTLow 5,736]

33 minutes ago, PinkElephant said:

The behavior on the mobile devices is driven by the fact that it only downloads the attachment when it is clicked.

This is not logical in cases when the content belongs to an offline notebook

With my iPad, flipping through my offline notebooks,  I find all pdfs available

Regardless, as per @CalS, this discussion relates to the inline/attachment display of pdfs 

[PinkElephant 8,114]

My comment is related to the one from CalS, and why desktops (with their local database) show the pdf as a Full preview (from the local copy), the mobiles don’t. 

Sure the offline notebooks contain all information, but as long as there is an Internet connection, the mobile client will not draw anything from the offline data. It will always by default go to the server and download from there when a note is opened, and the attachment clicked.

It falls back to offline only when there is no internet connection. But even then, it will not show a preview of a pdf attachment.

[DTLow 5,736]

6 hours ago, CalS said:

Folks would just as soon not press the icon.  Me included.

I'd like the same inline/attachment option I have on my Mac for each individual  pdf    
The setting should be preserved for when the note is revisited

I suspect at one time the mobile platforms lacked the power for inline pdf display.      
I don't think this applies today.  Certainly the delayed  download prevents inline display

[CalS 5,280]

1 hour ago, PinkElephant said:

The behavior on the mobile devices is driven by the fact that it only downloads the attachment when it is clicked.

May be semantics, but to me the behavior is driven by an EN decision to not automatically download PDFs when a note is accessed on an IOS device.  Could have been done either way, they opted to force the download, maybe a bandwidth decision.  Per @DTLow above an option would be great.

[PinkElephant 8,114]

Probably the whole issue is performance driven:

If it would look up whether an offline copy exists, each „call“ in the program would need to ask „if there is a local notebook, then .... else ...“ first before doing anything else. This would eat into response time. So I understand why they only start to look for local, offline data when there is no internet connection. This is then the LAST option to be called before saying „oops, currently out of service“. And then, response time is not important any longer.

 But thinking and designing like this goes back into the early ages of mobile devices. If I look at my iPad Pro, it feels like putting horses up in front, and pull my Porsche out of the garage to take it to the road. And on the engine button someone has printed „Do not push“. The data is there, like on a Desktop, but it is for the most time not used by the app itself.

[CalS 5,280]

28 minutes ago, PinkElephant said:

Probably the whole issue is performance driven:

If it would look up whether an offline copy exists, each „call“ in the program would need to ask „if there is a local notebook, then .... else ...“ first before doing anything else. This would eat into response time. So I understand why they only start to look for local, offline data when there is no internet connection. This is then the LAST option to be called before saying „oops, currently out of service“. And then, response time is not important any longer.

Who knows, note currency needs to be checked whatever the case so maybe the bandwidth to download the PDF was a concern, which fits early days as well.

[PinkElephant 8,114]

Yes, I think it actually does check, because it builds the icons with a little delay. But this can be done by comparing a date, or a hash, so it should use only little bandwidth. I think the main issue is all the metadata hidden in the note itself.

[William Freire 0]

On 8/30/2016 at 1:12 AM, Kiefer said:

I'd really like an option to just add a PDF as a note rather than as an attachment on the note. It's pretty trivial, but when I'm saving something that's just a PDF (like sheet music for example) it's a little inconvenient to have to open the note and then click the attachment. 

Thanks!

If we consider that Microsoft One Note have that for years including a virtual printer, I can not understand why this were forgotten on Evernote - Look at your competitor !

[PinkElephant 8,114]

OK, if I know nothing about the software I use, everything is simple. At least on the surface ...

EN is based on HTML. This is the coding language websites are made of. So it can easily host attachments, be it pdfs or others. But it can not natively act as a pdf, a excel spreadsheet etc. It always needs the HTML envelope (that is what you see as a „Note“) to contain the attached file.

Since the clients are not identical, on a Mac a pdf is shown „inline“, which means inside of a frame that is the note. Maybe this is possible because the MacOS has an app called Preview that is there to open pdfs. On Windows PCs you still need a reader, like the Adobe app.

P.S. Looking at competitors mostly ends up with a pale copy of an already old version of what the competitor does. Because what you see is what the competitor developed years ago. This is for sure not the way to lead a field of competition.

[William Freire 0]

ok PinkElephant, you are right. But Microsoft On Note has this functionality that asks you on the PDF import if you want to save the PDF on the note as a icon only or if you want to save it printed-like, it means, showing all the pages already opened over the note and allowing that after that you draw ou make any notations over the document. Is great to import previously sent PDF for a meeting or a class and when you attend that you can make notes over the document itself (and the original version keeps saved as a attachment on the note for keeping the original purposes (that’s automatically done. 

[CalS 5,280]

On 9/13/2020 at 4:18 AM, PinkElephant said:

On Windows PCs you still need a reader, like the Adobe app.

PDFs can be viewed in line on the PC.  There is an option to view as an attachment.  You can't scroll down through the PDF though, you have to press the right arrow to do that.  And the PDF can be opened by any PDF program.  If you use the EN annotating tool the PDF is opened to that tool.

[Atalay 1]

Hi, I have a MAC and I cant seem to add a printout of a document, the only option is to add as an attachment.  Please help thank you.