How to insert a link (tel, email, web) into a txt-file for a pdf - output?

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1

Suppose I have to print a txt - file with PDFcreator.
This txt - file should contain clickable links for the pdf - file.
How is the link format in the txt - file?

html - links like this don’t help :
<a href="tel:030-1234567890">030-1234567890</a>
In pdf - file, doesn’t appear the link but the text of the link above.
Thanks in advance!
Georg

2

Hi Georg,

This is a really interesting question.

I have just printed an ordinary text file using PDFCreator containing www.pdfforge.org as well as my e-mail address (not using anything else). Surprisingly, most PDF viewers automatically offered to open the link to our website OR asked if I wanted to start my email client when I selected the URL / click on my email address. Just the phone number did not work.

Kind regards
Sascha

3

Hi Sascha,

I understand you printed a .txt file like this?

This is a text with links
-------------------------------
web: www.abcde.xy
email: me@abcde.xy
phone: 0001-123456789
----------------- 
End of the text

I get a pdf of 2 sheets (with the PDFcreator) :
1st sheet: blank
2nd sheet: directory and file name and the same text as above. No clickable Link.

I have two pdf - view possibilities only:

  • inside a browser (add on?)
  • Ubuntu - Linux pdf Viewer

By the way: If I print a normal html - file with links by PDFcreator, all links are also not clickable.

Bye
Georg

5

Hi George,

I have created a text file and inserted your text. After printing/converting it with PDFCreator I receive one PDF with one page.

Using PDF Architect I am able to open the URL (server not found :wink:) also clicking on me@abcde.xy opens my email client just fine. I have also tried to open the PDF with different and sometimes it works (sometimes not at all).

Kind regards
Sascha

6

Hi,

technically the PDFCreator only recieves the data from the print job, so in general all non-visible data like link information will not be included. PDFCreator therefore can’t maintain any non-visible link information, regardless of the output format. Only some viewers will be able to automatically detect patterns like abc@xyz.com and generate a clickable link, but this is completely out of our hands.

Best regards,

Robin

7

Thank you, Robin !

O.K. I understand it depends on the pdf - viewer not the generator.
A site could be recognized on www or the dots or .xy
And an email address could be recognized on @

But I miss criteria for detection of a phone number?!

Bye Georg

8

I guess that depends on the phone you're using (and maybe the region).
You could just try to print the different forms and open the pdf on a smartphone.

You could also use a pdf editing software like PDF Architect to make the phone numbers clickable.

clickable phone.png531×501 9.61 KB

Best regards!

9

Hi Robin and Sascha,

I can’t believe it 100%. Because I did the following test (I could send the files … but how?)

I use Libre-Office and I type a line like Fon: +49(0) 30 - 123456
Then I mark up this line and create a Hyperlink (Internet, Web, Target) : tel: +49(0) 30 - 123456
Then I do a pdf - export by Open-Office (rsp. Libre - Office).
And this pdf file has a clickable phone number (that opens the phone app on PC, Android and other mobile phones).

The question is: How can I create such a Hyperlink in a simple txt file … that PDFcreator could do the same as Libre Office does?

Georg

10

Hi George,

LibreOffice uses a direct export to PDF and doesn’t act as virtual printer, therefore it is able to export the non-visual hyperlink information. Txt files don’t allow hyperlinks anyway, you can only have visible links in txt files.

Best regards,

Robin