I want to download statements/bills and save them as PDFs via Safari. I have gotten up to the point where they ask me for the file name, and I can put that in trying both “Print” (and changing printer to PDF) or Save As PDF. However, I can’t figure out how to change the target folder where it will go to. After a bit of experimenting I see that it will default to wherever I was last, not just to say “Downloads”, so I can’t rely on it being downloaded to a certain place and then just moving the downloaded file to where I want it to end up.
I tried to record setting the target folder with the mouse, but instead of saying I clicked on say, Documents, then AmEx, then opened that to get to my AmEx 2015 sub-folder, it is just giving me mouse locations. That isn’t really satisfactory as the screen size may change and, of course, next year I’ll have a different sub-folder which will be at a different location on the screen.
I was also thinking of trying to put the full path into the file name, but that didn’t seem to work either.
Stuart, you can use keyboard shortcuts normally associated with the Finder, even within the save dialog. As an example Command-Shift-O will bring you to the Documents folder. Command-Shift-D to the Desktop and Command-Option-L for Downloads.
Though I am all for using Keyboard Maestro for stuff like this, I must say I am doing the same type of thing you are and was pointed to a product called Hazel. You could use Keyboard Maestro for the automated download but then have Hazel watch your downloads folder for new files. It can recognize searchable pdf documents, identify what bank statement it is, file it in folders and even create new folders if they are not there. As an example if your bank statement is for July 2015 it can recognize that and create/put it in the 2015 folder. It can rename the file and a whole lot more.
I use Keyboard Maestro for a lot of stuff and am in it daily. Hazel I configure for watching my download folder and let it do it’s stuff. I don’t go into Hazel often as it just does the few things I ask it to very well.
Thanks! I didn’t know about those key short cuts. I’ll look into doing the Command-Option-L to switch from downloads. From there I’m 99% sure I can then move and rename the file with KM.
I've tried a number of methods to do this using Keyboard Maestro and AppleScript & System Events, but this one has turned out to be the fastest and most reliable.
Even better! I just researched Mac keyboard shortcuts and I found both “Open a Go to Folder window” and “Find the next occurrence of the item previously found. To find the previous occurrence, press Command-Shift-G”. I wouldn’t have realized it would have done what we want in Save As dialog, and I even do a bunch of VB and VBA coding.
Well, this is a dumb newbie question. I trying to get Safari to print a PDF to a bibliography program called Papers. The command should be “File Print PDF Save PDF to Papers” If I could find a script for “Save PRF to DevonThink Pro,” then I could just substitute the program name. The Evernote option above seems to rely on tabbing to the “PDF” option in print and then going down the list tot he Evernote option. However, I can’t figure out how to to from Print to PDF. Any help would be most appreciated. Larry
My macro for Saving PDF to Devonthink is attached - I would think if you change the Insert Text step to “Save PDF to Papers” you’d have what you need.
D - Print to DTP
Triggered by any of the following:
The Hot Key ⌃⌥⇧⌘P is pressed
Will execute the following actions:
Type the ⌘P Keystroke
Pause Until All Conditions Met
Button with name ‘Print’ is enabled
Press Button ‘PDF’
Stop macro and notify on failure.
Insert Text by Typing
Save PDF to DEV
Type the Return Keystroke
It's pretty spiffy. I use it almost daily to print receipts and various other things to specified locations.
One keystroke and done in Safari or Mail.
As far as I know there is no way to set a global-context environment variable from Keyboard Maestro, so you'd have to either use AppleScript or read and write variables to and from a file.
Here's how to use AppleScript from within the shell script:
#!/usr/bin/env bash
read -r -d '' asCMD <<'EOF'
tell application "Keyboard Maestro Engine"
set outPutDir to getvariable "outPutDir"
return outPutDir
end tell
EOF
OUTDIR=$(osascript -e "$asCMD");
echo "$OUTDIR";
I am very late in seeing any of this thread, but there’s a sort of cheat that it looks like many people don’t know about which will likely help folks.
If the user puts an alias in ~/Library/PDF Services to a folder, volume, or application capable of accepting PDFs, then there will be a menu item in the Print dialog under the PDF submenu. Whatever the alias is named will become the name of the menu item. That’s helpful, but there are more ways of utilizing this.
Assume an alias to DEVONThink was created, and it was named Add PDF to DEVONThink. In System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts, adding a shortcut under App Shortcuts > All Applications gives this user-created PDF menu item a system-wide keyboard shortcut.
Now for Keyboard Maestro. Create a macro which invokes the Print menu item, then maybe add a step for a brief pause to allow for the Print dialog to appear, then have Keyboard Maestro simulate the keyboard shortcut for Add PDF to DEVONThink.
I have tried the shortcut solution earlier and it didn’t work.
But your post helped anyway.
If you record CMD-P and then CMD-ALT-^-P for Save PDF to DEVONthink PRO the macro comes up with three Actions.
Type the CMD-P Keystroke
Select Print in the Menu File
Type the CMD-ALT-^-P Keystroke
This macro doesn’t work and stops with the reported error. Even if I enter a Pause in front of it.
But if you delete the second action, then it works!
I just tried the solution as posted by Noah (alias in ~/Library/PDF Services, then System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts) and it works perfectly. (I didn't try it with Devon but with another PDF-capable app.)
To make the shortcut work you have to be in the Print menu of course.
So…
is the alias you have created working?
when creating the shortcut in System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts have you correctly spelled the name of the menu item?
And it also works perfectly in conjunction with the KM macro as posted above by Chris. (In the macro you have to adapt the Simulated Keystroke and – if you are using a non-English system – the name of the Print button.)
Yes, yes, Tom, it works. It just does not work, when you record the routine of Print and Save to, cos KM places another action to the macro (as explained earlier)
Ah, you mean that Record button of the KM Editor. I don’t think you can create really usable macros with that. (It may be useful to get a first skeleton for a future macro.)
@Matze, recording a macro may offer a good starting point, but you should keep in mind that any macro hotkeys you use while recording probably won’t work as expected.
After a bit of experience, I’d suggest that you try creating a macro from scratch (or from one posted in the forum).
