FAQ
Frequently asked questions about SWING PDF Converter for Notes
Installation and requirements
I’m a Lotus Notes Administrator. What do I need to install on users’ workstations?
SWING PDF Converter requires no printer driver installation or Adobe license. It is a standard Lotus Notes database (NSF), so it can be hosted on a Domino server. Once it has been copied into the data directory (or a subdirectory) on your Domino server, and has been signed, its PDF icon is ready to be deployed to users by email. Open the application and go to the “Toolbar Icon Installation”. From there, you will be able to send an email to individual users or groups. Once they receive the email and confirm your request, the PDF icon will be added to their Notes toolbars.
You can also set up conversion jobs for automated export of emails and documents. These jobs can be executed either scheduled or on-demand, without user intervention. There is no need to deploy the toolbar icon in this case.
I’m a business user. Can I add the PDF icon to my Notes toolbar?
Yes. Simply copy the NSF file into your Notes data folder, sign it with your user ID, and open the application from the Lotus Notes client. Within the “Toolbar Icon Installation” section, click on the Add button to add the PDF icon to your Lotus Notes toolbar.
I’m a Lotus Notes Developer. Can I deploy the PDF functionality within my application?
Absolutely. Just grab the PDF Converter libraries and other design elements, and insert them into your Notes/Domino applications. Employ the LotusScript API to convert Notes documents to PDF (or create PDFs using custom layouts – see FAQ: Alternate Forms). This way, SWING PDF Converter becomes a seamless part of your application, and you don’t need to install our product separately.
Which Lotus Notes versions are supported?
If the PDF conversion takes place on the client side:
- Microsoft Windows, HCL Notes 10 or higher, IBM Notes 9, or IBM Lotus Notes 8, 7, 6.5.4
If the PDF conversion takes place on the server side:
- Server Edition: HCL Domino 10 or higher, IBM Domino 9, or IBM Lotus Domino 8 or 7
- Enterprise Edition: HCL Domino 10 or higher, IBM Domino 9, or IBM Lotus Domino 8.5
- All Domino supported platforms
Can I print to PDF from Lotus Notes without installing a printer driver?
Yes. SWING PDF Converter doesn’t require installation of any printer driver. Just follow these steps to print to PDF from Lotus Notes.
Can I convert documents/emails which are located on other servers?
Yes. If you have sufficient access rights, simply select documents/emails in the Notes client and click on the PDF toolbar icon to run the conversion. Additionally, you can also use our API to convert such documents/emails to PDF programmatically.
However, converting documents/emails located on other servers is not supported for server-based automated conversion (which is available in the Enterprise Edition). If you’re using server-based automated conversion, then both the PDF Converter database and the documents/emails being processed must be located on the same server.
How does SWING PDF Converter compare with other PDF tools?
SWING PDF Converter natively integrates with Lotus Notes, either as a toolbar add-on or as a component for developing custom applications (client-based or web-based).
Here is a comprehensive list of features: Editions & Pricing.
Unlike other tools, SWING PDF Converter doesn’t require installation of any printer driver. It is delivered as a standard Lotus Notes NSF file.
Is there a similar product for Microsoft Outlook and Exchange?
Yes. Please check out SWING Porter for Outlook.
Features
How do I save Lotus Notes emails or documents as PDFs?
You can use the PDF toolbar icon to save individual Notes documents/emails or collections to PDF. Just follow these steps.
I’d like to archive my emails — what should I do?
Select one or more email messages and click on the PDF Converter icon in the Lotus Notes toolbar. Then, choose the conversion options or leave defaults in place to start the conversion. You can create either separate PDF files (one file per each email) or a compact, searchable PDF Package.
Alternatively, Administrators can set up automated conversion jobs. These jobs can be executed either scheduled or on-demand, without user intervention. For instance, an organization may want to extract all emails from specific archive folders across multiple users’ mailboxes, and save them as archivable PDF/A files.
What is a PDF Package?
A PDF Package is a single PDF file which acts as a container for other documents or email messages. SWING PDF Converter users can export multiple documents or emails into a PDF Package. File attachments within the email messages or Notes documents are automatically embedded into the PDF – either in their native format, or converted to PDF.
The resulting PDF package also contains a view with columns from the original Notes view (e.g. Date, From, To, Subject), so users can sort, search and navigate through documents/emails with ease – all this inside Adobe Reader.
PDF Packages are also known as PDF Portfolios.
What is a conversion job?
Conversion job is an automated server task for exporting Notes documents or emails as PDFs.
It comes with the following features:
- Can be scheduled or executed on-demand, without end-user intervention
- Runs across single or multiple databases (e.g. user mailboxes)
- Exports specific folders, views or selections by custom formulas
- Exports metadata obtained from Notes fields and formulas
- Customizable via user-defined scripts
Do you support RichText fields?
Yes. SWING PDF Converter converts Notes documents including RichText fields.
Where are Lotus Notes attachments stored?
File attachments from Lotus Notes can be stored within the resulting PDFs either in their native format or automatically converted to PDF format. Converted files can be either attached or appended to the PDF.
Are there any form design elements that are not supported?
The following elements are not directly supported:
- Layout regions – We suggest using Alternate Forms in this case.
- XPages – You can create print-optimized Alternate Forms to perfectly complement XPages in your Web applications.
- Pass-Thru HTML
What is an Alternate Form?
An Alternate Form is an optional Notes form which is aimed to replace the original form when a PDF is being created. This way, you may want to optimize your Alternate Form’s page layout for print/PDF (e.g. letters, faxes, certificates and so on), while leaving the original form for data entry.
Do you support XPages?
Domino XPages cannot be converted directly. Instead, you can design a separate Notes form for PDF conversion. While interactive XPages are optimized for the web, these additional forms should be optimized for print and PDF. This is a great way to produce print-quality output from Domino web applications.
Where can I find more details about the API?
For more details on the SWING PDF Converter API please look at the “For Developers” section of the Learning Center.
What is the difference between SWING PDF Converter and Seascape for Notes?
Check out this page.