How-To: Create PDFs from your iOS device

to get it to work i had to change step 7 entries to:

$ sudo mv /var/spool/cups-pdf/ANONYMOUS /var/spool/cups-pdf/ANONYMOUS-orig
$ sudo ln -s /var/spool/cups-pdf/ANONYMOUS/ ~/Dropbox/PDFs

basically, don't create the PDFs folder in Dropbox (i.e., nix the first part of the step), and add the slash after ANONYMOUS in the last step (the original second part is the unchanged). this will create a folder alias in the specified Dropbox directory (i wanted it in ~/Dropbox/PDFs, not ~/Dropbox/Documents/PDFs). Dropbox recognizes it as a folder and syncs its contents. you can check it via the dropbox.com web interface. hope that helps those who were having trouble.

I cant make it work.....

I just found a new app called Save2PDF and guess what it does?? I bought it and so far it is working great, no hassle at all just makes PDFs right on the iPad without sending it through a computer, for $5 it is way easier!!

Is there a way to make this work if one is not on your local network? I have a VPN set up on my router so when I am out I have tried connecting via VPN on my iPhone but when I go to print it doesn't see the PDF printer on the home computer. If I put a VPN server on my mac rather than router would that make this work? Is there anyway to make it work when one has the computer on at home but the ability to print PDF when out?

That's a really cool feature! But I have a problem...

Printing from my iPad to the CUPS-PDF printer didn't create an ANONYMOUS folder inside the cups-pdf folder. Inside this folder, I've got a folder called "SPOOL" (empty) and a folder called "guest" but I don't have permissions to view the content.

I'm quite sure that printing from the iPad worked, as I could see in my printer list (in the preferences on the mac) that the CUPS-PDF printer was busy printing at that moment.

I tried to print from my mac to this new printer, it created inside this cups-pdf folder a folder with my username, as other people describe in the comments, and the document gets inside it, so the printer is working.

Tried to write the three terminal lines replacing "ANONYMOUS" with "guest", thinking that maybe it was the directory created by jobs coming from my iPad: now, I've got in my Dropbox an alias to my "guest" folder, that's great, but still can't look inside because of permissions :-)

Anyone can help?

Thanks a lot! Would love to generate .pdf from my iPad!!!

Seems like a lot of work when you could just install Air Sharing Pro or Air Sharing HD and print from there.

sounds good.... but too bad it just doesn't work for me. I used the hacktivator, rebooted, but my iPad still won't see the shared printer. I made sure it is permitted through the Mac firewall too.

I think the ln command is backwards - I had to do it this way

sudo ln [-fhinsv] source_file target_dir

This puts a file(folder link) in the Dropbox folder you created pointing to the spool folder

You have the ln -s command backwards. Should be:
sudo ln -s /var/spool/cups-pdf/ANONYMOUS ~/Dropbox/Documents/PDF

This is a horrible way to make PDFs on an iOS device.

Enabling AirPrint? Assuming we all have an iOS that isn't even released yet? Opening terminal and changing settings?

There is a much faster and easier way to do this without any skills involved and I'm surprised the author missed this! Joliprint!

Here are MY steps to create PDFs on an iOS the fast and easy way!

1. Copy the address of a web page you want to PDF.

2. Go to www.Joliprint.com

3. Paste your link in the address box on the page.

4. Hit the "Joliprint it !" button

5. That's it! Your PDF will open, and you can save it in iBooks or any other app you have that supports PDF.

It really is simple. Best of all, it removes all ads and other garbage on the site and presents it in a nice, clean, two-column format.