Print Dialog / Improving "Print to file" option

Lanoxx lanoxx at gmx.net
Wed Aug 15 14:08:51 UTC 2012


Hi,

I would like to know if the Print dialog that is used in Ubuntu, is 
provided by a Gnome package or whether it is added by Ubuntu. In 
particular, there is a default printer option named Print to File in 
Ubuntu, and when it is chosen, then one can print to PDF, Postscript or 
SVG (at least in Inkscape). The problem with this dialog makes saving 
the file unnecessary complicated, because on has to first select the 
folder which normally requires at least 4 clicks:

1. click on the dropdown
2. click "other..."
3. Choose the folder (might require more clicks)
4. click open

Then the filename says output.pdf which any sane person will probably 
want to change. So I have to type the file name and then also add .pdf 
again and finally I can click "Print".

There are another two caveats here, first if I forget to add ".pdf" to 
the filename, then the file will be saved without the ".pdf" extension. 
There is no logic to add it automatically. And second if I had printed 
the document to a file before and now I want to save it again, then I 
have to remember the file name and type it in again (also having to 
select the folder again). If I make a typo, then I end up with two files 
instead of overwriting the first one.

IMHO, it would me much easier, if there was only one long input field 
and a button "Browse" next to it, which when clicked just opens a file 
selection dialog, where one can enter the file name AND folder name 
together, additionally this dialog should remember the last name that 
was used to print, and also automatically supply the extension (e.g 
.pdf, or .ps) based on the type that was selected.

So my question is, if this comes from Gnome or from Ubuntu so I can 
create a bug in the right bug tracker for this, and maybe someone could 
also point me to the code for the "Print to File" Options. Maybe I could 
even fix this myself.

Kind Regards
Lanoxx






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