Print to JPEG?

March 27, 2006 7:39 AM

Recommendation for free windows virtual printer driver that outputs JPEGs? Like PDF Creator but creates jpegs instead.

Yahoo photos hides the original image but provides a way to print the image directly to a printer. Right now I'm pointing the print utility to PDF Creator, opening the PDF, extracting each bitmap from the PDF, then batch converting the .BMPs to JPEGS. I'd rather just Print -> Save .jpg

posted by Mitheral to computers & internet (13 answers total)

This may work, but it's complicated.
posted by null terminated at 7:48 AM on March 27, 2006

Even printing to a save-to-jpeg target would probably decompress the image and compress it again, resulting in a quality loss. Why not use something like mozilla/firefox's page info → media → save as... and cut out the printing?
posted by fvw at 8:23 AM on March 27, 2006

Try Paperless Printer it will print in all types of formats, jpeg included. It functions as a printer to your system.
posted by slavlin at 8:29 AM on March 27, 2006

If you can see it on the screen, just hit PrintScreen and it is saved to clipboard as an image. Paste in a favorite image editor, crop/etc, save as JPG...
posted by vanoakenfold at 8:42 AM on March 27, 2006

For most text or simple pictures/diagrams, a GIF may provide better quality *and* better compression than JPEG.
posted by amtho at 9:28 AM on March 27, 2006

fvw writes "Why not use something like mozilla/firefox's page info → media → save as... and cut out the printing?"

Yahoo only makes a ~640X480 sized slide available, even if the original is 2592X1944. But you can get the full resolution out of their HomePrint function.

slavlin PaperlessPrinter works, thanks. It keeps on asking to confirm license eligibility which I can live with.

amtho writes "For most text or simple pictures/diagrams, a GIF may provide better quality *and* better compression than JPEG."

These are full colour photographs, besides which even though the Canadian patent on LZW expired 19 months ago I still won't use it unless I have to. Who knows when Unisys's "improvements" are going to make a bunch of software illegal again? Especially since PNG does everything GIF does.
posted by Mitheral at 9:40 AM on March 27, 2006

Have you tried this Yahoo! full-size photo grabber?
posted by misterbrandt at 9:51 AM on March 27, 2006

I have now, 'tis a thing of beauty misterbrandt. I wonder how he's doing that? It would be sweet to have the same funtionality via greasemonkey.
posted by Mitheral at 10:21 AM on March 27, 2006

Yeah, it's a suggestion/request on the userscripts "ideas page" already. No hint of how long it's been up there though.
posted by misterbrandt at 11:39 AM on March 27, 2006

PDF Creator can print JPEGs! Just change the file type to JPEG when it asks for the file name.

It can also print to several other image formats.
posted by Elpoca at 12:01 PM on March 27, 2006

Also, you can change the quality and resolution of the JPEGs in the Options dialog (JPEG, listed under formats on the left hand side of the dialog).
posted by Elpoca at 12:03 PM on March 27, 2006

I use cute pdf daily.
posted by webtom at 1:23 PM on March 27, 2006

Elpoca writes "PDF Creator can print JPEGs! Just change the file type to JPEG when it asks for the file name. "

Well how about that, it can. Though it is limited to single pages.
posted by Mitheral at 6:40 AM on March 28, 2006