Print Conductor allows you to use lists of files and print multiple documents in the right order without opening each one. Why would you need it? If you usually reprint the same documents or updated files with the same filename, it's a good idea to create a list (or lists) of files for these purposes. Just save a file list from Print Conductor or import it from a plain text file, and you won't need to manually add files each time you want to start a print job.
Download Print Conductor to see how it can help you reprint groups of files, batch print files in a particular order and handle file lists.
Contents
- How to reprint the same groups of files with Print Conductor
- Saving a list of files from Print Conductor
- Saving a list of files from a text file
- Exporting a file list with custom print settings
- How to import a list of files from other filetypes
- How to import a list from Excel file
- How to import a list from Word file
- How to import a list from PDF file
- Conclusion
How to reprint the same groups of files with Print Conductor
If you have batches of documents in different file formats which you manually print from time to time, try saving lists with these documents for regular printing in Print Conductor. Using lists will have your documents always printed in sorted order, and relieve you from the necessity to add files to the print queue every time manually.
If you don't have a file list yet, just create one! You can do it in two ways:
- Saving a list of files from Print Conductor
Add documents into the List of Documents of Print Conductor and save a list by pressing the Export List button - Saving a list of files from a text file
Add file names and full paths to their location into a plain TXT file, save it and then load it into the program by pressing the Import List button
Saving a list of files from Print Conductor
If you don't have a file list yet, create it using just Print Conductor. To form a list of files, follow these simple steps:
- Drag-drop the necessary files into the main window
- Arrange files in the correct order
- Save a list by clicking Export List
- Double-click the saved file list, and it will be loaded into the program
Paths to your documents will be exported as a FLIST (.flist) file. Keep it and use it for regular printing, for example, as a set of documents for your customers.
Before saving the list, you can also make sure that the files are listed in the right order.
How to print files in a specific order
After the necessary files were added, you can move them up & down in the list to arrange files in a particular order in the List of Documents. Besides, you can:
- Add new files or remove files from the List
- Sort files by column names: by name, type, size, size of copies, etc.
- Move, show and hide displayed columns. There are 10 columns in total which can be enabled or disabled
- Set print settings for each file separately. To do this, right-click on the item in the list and select "Item Settings ..."
- Open file preview in the List. To do this, right-click on an item in the list and select "Open"
- Open folder containing file (file location). To do this, right-click on an item in the list and select "Open Containing Folder ..."
- Print multiple files in alphabetical order. Click "File Name" column header to arrange files from A to Z or vice versa
- Print file list in reverse order. Arrange files in the List from lowest to highest or from A to Z and vice versa by clicking column headers ("File Name", "Date Modified", "Size", "Type", etc.)
- Print separate files in the List. To do this, right-click on an item in the list and select "Print"
Saving a list of files from a TXT file
If you already have lists of files for regular printing, or if your software produces such lists, which go to the print queue after being processed — just import these lists into Print Conductor. Print Conductor supports the import of TXT, FLIST or LST files. Take the steps below to correctly list your documents and load it into Print Conductor from a plain TXT file.
- Collect a list of files
with file names and full paths to them in the following format:
[Disk]\[File path]\[Filename]
You can add almost any office documents or images — files of any format, supported by Print Conductor. Each file should be added onto a separate line — see screenshot above. The lines may be optionally (but not necessarily) put between quotation marks.
- (Optionally) Sort files in the folder as you like. Right-click a blank area in the folder and click Sort by > Name / Date / Size / Tags…
- Select all files by pressing Ctrl + A on your keyboard;
- While holding Shift, right-click the files and select Copy as path;
Now all file paths are saved in the clipboard and can be pasted into Notepad or another editor - Paste the file paths into Notepad by clicking Ctrl + V;
- Save the list as a TXT file
Go to File > Save as…, specify file location and file name, e.g. "New List", and click Save. - Import the resulting TXT file into Print Conductor
How to import a TXT file with file paths into Print Conductor
Let's say you have 100+ documents contained in a folder and want to print them all in a certain order. First, you'll need to create a list of files with their names and destinations. If you don't have such a list, create it and then import it into Print Conductor. Follow these steps:
You can take a quick look at the how-to video below:
Please watch this short video tutorial on how to very quickly
create a text file listing of the contents of a folder
Task complete! Now your files have been added to the List of Documents and ready to be printed out.
Exporting a file list with custom print settings
You can also create a more advanced list for regular use, which would include custom print settings for each file or a group of files. Simply create a list of files, specify the desired print settings for one or more files in the list, then export it, and the defined print parameters will be saved as well.
How to export a custom list step-by-step
- Add files to the List of Documents
- Once you have all the necessary files in the List, you can apply print settings to all of them, some of them or each file individually. Select one or more items in the list and right-click to open the context menu:
- Select Item Settings, and another menu will appear:
Here you can set printing options for selected files only: Page Range, number of Copies, Paper Source, Duplex or Simplex mode, page Orientation and Choose paper source by document page size option.
- Make necessary settings for each item or a group of items in the List and click OK
- Click Export List in the List of Documents menu.
- Name the list as you like and click Save. It will be saved as a Document List File (*.flist).
Now you have a list with files arranged in a particular order and print settings applied to them. Use your new custom-made list to reprint saved print jobs! You can create as many lists as you need, which will keep the print parameters for each document.
How to import a list of files from other filetypes
You can also import a list of files from a PDF, DOC, XLS or CSV file. Save it to TXT format first and then take the steps described above.
How to import a list from Excel file
To import a list of files from an XLSX or CSV sheet, open your Excel file containing a list of file destinations. Click File > Save as and save it as a Text (Tab delimited) (*.txt) file. Then import it into Print Conductor.
How to import a list from Word file
To convert your DOC or DOCX to TXT, open your Word file containing a list of file destinations. Click File > Save as and save it as a Plain Text (.*txt) file. Then import it to Print Conductor.
How to import a list from PDF file
To convert your PDF to TXT, open your PDF file containing a list of file destinations. Click File > Save as Other > Text… (or Export To > Text (plain), depending on the version of Adobe Acrobat) and save it as a Text (Plain) (*.txt) file. Then import it to Print Conductor.
Conclusion
So now you know that you can print the same files with Print Conductor and re-use lists of files for printing.
You can test the import & export lists functionality by downloading Print Conductor at www.print-conductor.com/download. It's free for personal non-commercial use.
If you have any difficulties handling lists of files for Print Conductor, or need some other file format support, or have any other questions, please contact us.