Export to PDF

Feature archive
41

+1 definitely

42

As far as I know, that’s correct. We can hack the css in Obsidian to change how transclusions are displayed-- in Obsidian, but that doesn’t carry over to printing/exporting in VS Code.

2 Likes
44

I too would love PDF or print feature. (my vote)

2 Likes
45

Is there any easy way to export the presentation as say ppt slides in pdf.

By presentation i mean not A4 sheets but squarish slides like PPT.

I tried some vs code reveal.js extensions but the font size is huge all the time :cry:

46

I think that this is a feature that has to be from within Obsidian and not require third-party services or applications. I think Obsidian is fairly close to have a good implementation of it.

I suggest that you provide a new css file called obsidian-print.css that has all the print stylesheets. I’m not entirely sure if it makes sense to Preview use these, but it would make sense to have these so we can change the print output.

So yes please: PDF Export, with Community Themes implementation so we have complete control on what we print!

2 Likes
47

A print option on preview mode should be sufficent. User may direct this print to pdf apps. For example mac has save as pdf option on print screen. Or
A plugin that generates pandoc args.

1 Like
48

@skaplan: I disagree. A print option is not sufficient, because when you print to PDF the links don’t work anymore. If the right type of export mechanism is incorporated then export will leave links live.

2 Likes
49

Of course link wont work. Nobody can click on papers.

50

@skaplan: Print to PDF does not mean it’s printed on paper. It can just produce a PDF file.

1 Like
51

@Klaas i didnt understand what you’ve expected sorry. Do you mean, make a pdf of a note then. at the end of this add linked notes to the pdf. what do you expect to happen when you click a link on pdf ?
obsidian based on graph or networked organization of knowledge. not a hierarchy or folder of documents.

52

@skaplan: there is a difference between export to PDF and print to PDF.

Export is purely an electronic/digital operation, and it preserves any links in the note. Of course, the export version of the note, i.e. the PDF, can still be printed on paper.

Print, on the other hand, can be done purely electronically/digitally (i.e. to PDF), or it can be done to paper. In either case the links are shown but the are dead, inactive.

So, when you say “a print option on preview mode should be sufficient”, you might be speaking for yourself, but for me it is not sufficient because I want to have a digital export version so links are preserved

53

@Klaas thanks for explaining difference. what are going to do with links. those links are to the local file system. of course web links can be added. but I am trying to understand. what do you expect to happen when you touch a link of local file on pdf?

54

Well, if you want to share your note with someone else, it is easier to share aPDF than a markdown file. I don’t know about your notes, but mine often contain links to both internal and external sources.

The internal ones are meaningless in a shared file, but the external ones are not. The other person can then click on those in case he/she is interested.

In a PDF that was created with a print command, the external links don’t work.

55

@Klaas we are talking about local file links necessity from the beginning. weblinks work on pdfs.

56

Nope, we are not just talking about local file links. The title of this feature request is Export to PDF, which means exporting any note in your vault. And any note can contain local links or web links.

57

any print option on Macs has pdf export option. and this export option protects weblinks. I tried one minute ago for you.
of course pdf export as you mentioned perfect. also rtf export. maybe docx export. these are all good. but drives obsidian project to pandoc. Even developers will say use pandoc. that’s why I offered a pandoc arg generator plugin.
Main scope of the project based on non hierarchal markdown editor with support of bidirectional linking.
these are main concepts.
editor features, print export features these are good but drive project backwards. why ???
Let me explain many other developers making plugin sets for vs code to convert vs code to obsidian. for not worry about editor or export issues.

58

@skaplan: Mac’s print export option does not work in Obsidian.

rtf export, maybe docx export are not the topic here.

I don’t understand the relevance of Pandoc or the rest of your comment.

The feature request is for export to PDF, which I support. Your suggestion that print to PDF is sufficient is not sufficient for me - that’s all I am saying.

1 Like
59

We have communication problem. I am out. You are right. Obsidian developers should stop developing obsidian. And they should work for pandoc project. BECAUSE TO EXPORT AS PDF THEY SHOULD DEVELOP A PANDOC ALTERNATÄ°VE.

60

What are you talking about? :question:

@Klaas is absolutely right: “export” and “print” are two completely different operations. This doesn’t say anything about a hierarchy between the two - which one is better etc. Just to state that they are different does not mean anything like “your print suggestion is bullshit”.

But as they are different options and this feature request is about an export option, there are two possibilities:

  1. You don’t care if obsidian has an export option → in this case just don’t care and don’t pollute this thread (not being meant in a mean way!).
  2. You need/want a “print option” in obsidian → in this case open a feature request for this.

By the way - I am not a software developer, so the following may be half knowledge: but I think an export option could be even easier to implement as it just needs the ability to pass a pandoc argument to the system - whereas “print” is not just “clicking on a print button” but needs the app to interact with the local printer drivers. I could imagine that this would need some work to do (but I may be wrong with this assumption, of course…).

Or, devs should stop developing obsidian and start developing drivers for hp instead… :thinking:

1 Like
61

I think I should summarize my view on requests. some requests may drive obsidian project out of its way. of course didnt mean “Obsidian developers should stop developing obsidian. And they should work for pandoc project” but some request may put the developers that way.
pandoc does its job perfect. obsidian does its job perfect. Some requests are already done perfect by other open source community. I just suggested there should be a user friendly integration solution.

1 Like