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Create PDF files from Outlook e-mail attachments

The program lets you create PDF files from mail attachments in Microsoft Outlook.

Creation is launched with the Create PDF from attachments tool (Create PDF from attachments icon) that appears in a Kofax tab located in both the main window and an open mail window. The tool becomes active only when the currently selected message has an attachment.

Tip When you are preparing an outgoing mail, you can select non-PDF files from your local computer to have them converted to PDF and attached to the message. See Creating PDF files to become mail attachments for details.

To create PDF files from mail attachments, proceed with the steps below.

  1. Set preferences for attachment handling
  2. Create PDF files from attachments

Set preferences for attachment handling

  1. Click the Settings tool (Settings icon) on the Kofax PDF tab in Outlook.

    The Settings dialog box shows up.

  2. On the PDF Creation tab of the Settings dialog box, specify how to handle messages with multiple attachments:
    • Select Convert all attachments to have all attachments converted each time, without interaction, and sent to the last used saving location.
    • Select Prompt for selection to receive a list of attachments. This allows you to select which to convert and select a saving location.
  3. Click OK to save changes.

Create PDF files from attachments

  1. Select a message with one or more attachments of supported file types.

    This command operates on the attachments within the currently active message. One PDF file is created for each attachment; each PDF takes its name from the attachment’s file name. You can specify a single target location for the generated PDF files. If the attachment is a PDF file, it is just saved to the target location without processing. If the attachments are of mixed file types, the PDF files are saved directly and the other files are converted to PDF.

  2. Select the Create PDF from attachments tool (shown above) on the Kofax PDF for Outlook tab.
  3. If you set the preference Convert all attachments, the PDF files are saved into the last used folder.
  4. If you requested prompting, the Attached files list dialog box lets you select which attachments to convert.
  5. A target folder is proposed. The default target folder is Documents\PDF Favorites\Outlook Archive. Optionally, click Browse to change it.

    Note If a PDF file already exists at the saving location with the same name as a PDF about to be created, the new file will receive a numerical suffix to keep unique file names.
    Note If you need to change the target folder for automated saving, go to Settings and specify prompting; this lets you change the destination, then use Settings to restore automatic conversion.

  6. Click OK to start creation.

    You are warned if conversion is not possible. Image files (bmp, jpg, png, tif etc.), xps, ps and eps files are processed directly. Other documents (such as Word files) are printed to PDF Create. This implies that the native application associated to the file type must be present on your system.

In all cases, the Results information box appears reporting on conversion success. It lets you open the output folder or view a resulting PDF file by double-clicking its name.