ANSWER! How to create an excel to PDF macro with auto filename

[widdman50]

After much searching and many times of trial and error, I have finally found a macro that will quickly and easily convert an excel worksheet to PDF and automatically do a save as with a filename based on content in a specified cell. Hope it works for you as well as it works for me!

The following code has been tested on Excel 2003 and Acrobat 8.0 Pro:

' This line of code specifies your directory as well as the cell or range which you want the filename to come from. As you can see, I have a specific cell with the range name "InvNbr" so that the macro knows to pull the filename from there. If you don't want to use a range name, just replace InvNbr with your cell reference, such as C4.

Filename = "C:\Folder1\SubFolder1\" & ActiveSheet.Range("InvNbr").Value & ".pdf"

' This line of code sends the filename characters and the ENTER key to the active application. The "False" statement allows the macro to continue running without waiting for the keys to be processed.

SendKeys Filename & "{ENTER}", False

' This line of code calls the Adobe PDF printer and runs the conversion. To ensure that you replace this code correctly with your own PDF printer, simply record a macro to print to Adobe PDF and then copy and paste it here.

ActiveWindow.SelectedSheets.PrintOut Copies:=1, ActivePrinter:= _
"Adobe PDF on Ne02:", Collate:=True



If you don't have Acrobat Pro and are using a free version of PDF conversion software, try the following (it has been tested on Excel 2003 and CutePDF):

' This line of code calls your PDF printer and runs the conversion. Record your own macro to call your PDF printer and copy and paste it here.

ActiveWindow.SelectedSheets.PrintOut Copies:=1, ActivePrinter:= _
"CutePDF Writer on CPW2:", Collate:=True

' This set of code tells the macro to pause for 2 seconds. This will allow for the PDF printer to run through its process and prompt you for a filename.

newHour = Hour(Now())
newMinute = Minute(Now())
newSecond = Second(Now()) + 2
waitTime = TimeSerial(newHour, newMinute, newSecond)
Application.Wait waitTime

' This line of code specifies your directory as well as the cell or range which you want the filename to come from.

Filename = "C:\Folder1\SubFolder1\" & ActiveSheet.Range("InvNbr").Value & ".pdf"

' This line of code sends the filename characters and the ENTER key to the active application (i.e. the prompt window). The "False" statement allows the macro to continue running without waiting for the keys to be processed.

SendKeys Filename & "{ENTER}", False


The beautiful thing about these macros is that you can specify your directory, so you can customize them to send your worksheet to whatever directory you want and save it under whatever filename you want. Awesome!

I hope someone else finds this useful!!!

 

[Slade2000]

I am having some troubles with the same.

This is my code:

ActiveSheet.PrintOut Copies:=1, ActivePrinter:="CutePDF Writer on CPW2:", Collate:=True
newHour = Hour(Now())
newMinute = Minute(Now())
newSecond = Second(Now()) + 2
waitTime = TimeSerial(newHour, newMinute, newSecond)
Application.Wait waitTime
Filename = "C:\Test\Overnight Summary " & Format(Date - 1, "ddmmyyyy") & ".pdf"
SendKeys Filename & "{ENTER}", False

it opens the print window like i want but it does not entre the file name i specified it just saves it witht he original workbook name. What is wrong here?

 

[nehpets12]

When I had this problem I increased the wait time and added a new wait time

newHour = Hour(Now())
newMinute = Minute(Now())
newSecond = Second(Now()) + 4
waitTime = TimeSerial(newHour, newMinute, newSecond)
Application.Wait waitTime
Filename = "U:\scarab\Purchasing Information\Orders Scarab\Orders\" & andy & " " & andy2 & ".pdf"
SendKeys Filename & "{ENTER}", False
newHour = Hour(Now())
newMinute = Minute(Now())
newSecond = Second(Now()) + 2
waitTime = TimeSerial(newHour, newMinute, newSecond)
Application.Wait waitTime
Application.DisplayAlerts = True

 

[Slade2000]

Ok did it like this:

ActiveSheet.PrintOut Copies:=1, Collate:=True, ActivePrinter:="CutePDF Writer on CPW2:"
newHour = Hour(Now())
newMinute = Minute(Now())
newSecond = Second(Now()) + 4
waitTime = TimeSerial(newHour, newMinute, newSecond)
Application.Wait waitTime
Filename = "C:\Test\Overnight Summary " & Format(Date - 1, "ddmmyyyy") & ".pdf"
SendKeys Filename & "{ENTER}", True
newHour = Hour(Now())
newMinute = Minute(Now())
newSecond = Second(Now()) + 2
waitTime = TimeSerial(newHour, newMinute, newSecond)
Application.Wait waitTime

I get the same. Here is what happen step by step:
1. It selects the correct printer
2. Can see that it starts to print
3. It pops up the "Save As" window. I have changed the sendkeys to true so it will not save auto so i can see if it entres the file name but it does not. I also put it to false but continues correct trough the macro by not saving as the "Filename" i specified

 

[thestokes]

Ooooo I know how to fix the issue that some of you were having

I added in x5 Sendkeys "{TAB}", false before SendKeys Filename & "{ENTER}", False and for each tab did the timing for 1 second and it now works.

I think my issue was that when it went to sendkeys filename the cursor wasn't in the correct "box" meaning that it didn't save properly.
This has fixed it and macro works a ok now

Also, someone was having an issue where it was pasting the filename into the excel spreadsheet - i discovered that if you change the ",false" to ",true" or leave it off that this happened for me too... so leave the ",false" in and use the timing thing to slow it down if you want to watch what happens.


N.

 

[pphardikar]

I am sorry to state that in my case though I am using exactly the same versions of Excel and Adobe Acrobat, I am unable to pass the filename to the window and it keeps on asking me for the path and filename.

Is there nobody in this world who can set this right?

After much searching and many times of trial and error, I have finally found a macro that will quickly and easily convert an excel worksheet to PDF and automatically do a save as with a filename based on content in a specified cell. Hope it works for you as well as it works for me!

The following code has been tested on Excel 2003 and Acrobat 8.0 Pro:

' This line of code specifies your directory as well as the cell or range which you want the filename to come from. As you can see, I have a specific cell with the range name "InvNbr" so that the macro knows to pull the filename from there. If you don't want to use a range name, just replace InvNbr with your cell reference, such as C4.

Filename = "C:\Folder1\SubFolder1\" & ActiveSheet.Range("InvNbr").Value & ".pdf"

' This line of code sends the filename characters and the ENTER key to the active application. The "False" statement allows the macro to continue running without waiting for the keys to be processed.

SendKeys Filename & "{ENTER}", False

' This line of code calls the Adobe PDF printer and runs the conversion. To ensure that you replace this code correctly with your own PDF printer, simply record a macro to print to Adobe PDF and then copy and paste it here.

ActiveWindow.SelectedSheets.PrintOut Copies:=1, ActivePrinter:= _
"Adobe PDF on Ne02:", Collate:=True



If you don't have Acrobat Pro and are using a free version of PDF conversion software, try the following (it has been tested on Excel 2003 and CutePDF):

' This line of code calls your PDF printer and runs the conversion. Record your own macro to call your PDF printer and copy and paste it here.

ActiveWindow.SelectedSheets.PrintOut Copies:=1, ActivePrinter:= _
"CutePDF Writer on CPW2:", Collate:=True

' This set of code tells the macro to pause for 2 seconds. This will allow for the PDF printer to run through its process and prompt you for a filename.

newHour = Hour(Now())
newMinute = Minute(Now())
newSecond = Second(Now()) + 2
waitTime = TimeSerial(newHour, newMinute, newSecond)
Application.Wait waitTime

' This line of code specifies your directory as well as the cell or range which you want the filename to come from.

Filename = "C:\Folder1\SubFolder1\" & ActiveSheet.Range("InvNbr").Value & ".pdf"

' This line of code sends the filename characters and the ENTER key to the active application (i.e. the prompt window). The "False" statement allows the macro to continue running without waiting for the keys to be processed.

SendKeys Filename & "{ENTER}", False


The beautiful thing about these macros is that you can specify your directory, so you can customize them to send your worksheet to whatever directory you want and save it under whatever filename you want. Awesome!

I hope someone else finds this useful!!!