Printing to PDF from a script

Scripting Forums Code Exchange
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#1

I’ve found that GUI scripting the Print Dialog rarely, if ever, works for me. Today, I saw the solution:


(*
1) Go to http://www.codepoetry.net/projects/cups-pdf-for-mosx
    	CUPS-PDF is a backend module for CUPS (Mac OS X's printing system) 
   	by Volker C. Behr that, rather than printing to a device, prints 
    	straight to PDF files that appear in a folder on your desktop.
2) Download and install the package (requires an admin password)
3) Follow the simple instructions on the CodePoetry site
*)

property OP : missing value
tell application "Printer Setup Utility"
	set OP to current printer
	set current printer to printer "Virtual Printer"
end tell

-- later on after getting your pdf files by printing to the Virtual Printer
delay 3 -- you can watch to check that this works in the Printer List window

tell application "Printer Setup Utility" to set current printer to OP
#2

Hint for those who need access to the damn popup button of the print dialog (ie, print to postscript or whatever PDF service): you can use XTool’s mouse commands to click it (and use System Events to guess the location of such popup button).