Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Help: Calling Computer Graphic Gurus - I need to use GIMP to Open a PDF file

Error message:
From signs

I need to open a PDF file. Make some changes by inserting simple text elements. Then resave the document as a PDF.

The GIMP should be able to open a PDF as a graphic. I can't get it to open. What does this error message mean? How do I fix it?

Anyone -- please call or email.

Or, anyone who wants to hand-hold with me, let me know. I've got to do this on a semi-regular basis.

Thanks! Now more on my own:

Don't Back Down: Reading PDF Files with GIMP: "So I browsed about some more, and found this page, which talks about the very issue, and recommends placing a single executable file (gswin32c.exe) into The GIMP's bin folder, usually somewhere like:

C:\Program Files\Gimp 2.0\bin


So I did. Voil�. It came right up the next time I tried to open the PDF (I did exit the GIMP first and restart, not sure if that is necessary). Since only a single file was installed, I figured I would play with it and see if it only needed that file for some reason, or if the entire Ghostscript needed to be installed. When I uninstalled the program entirely, leaving only the executable in the bin folder, it got further than without anything installed - but it didn't load the file. Presumably this means that the exectuable can 'find it's way' back to the libraries that are needed to render the file, which in turn means the whole thing needs to be installed (fonts don't appear to be necessary)."

I did get this to work for me. Works fine, but is very, very slow due to the large size of the file. I'm really pissed at Harrisburg and Allegheny County for the red tape I'm trying to cut. Some 20 hours of effort has been lost in this ordeal, and it isn't done yet -- because some government worker in Harrisburg won't take 20-seconds to send out a WORD file as an attachment. Furthermore, those who work on the 6th floor of the election department downtown in the Allegheny County office building won't insist that it get sent. So, they are little help as well.

Thanks to Mike, Dave, Tom and others who have helped this running mate just show up to the starting line.

No comments: