Printing a PDF is really just saving a file. PDFs have been around for a long time so it is about time we take advantage of them. PDF stands for "Portable Document Format" and was invented by Adobe systems. (Actually, Adobe bought the technology quickly because they immediately saw the value of this kind of file). The cool thing about a PDF is that the document will look exactly the same on EVERY system regardless of what kind of computer you're using, regardless of the fonts that you have installed, and regardless of the kind of PDF reader you have. Ever send a Microsoft Word document to someone only to find that the formatting is all messed up because they don't have the same fonts as you? Or even worse, they don't have Microsoft Word at all so they can't even open the file! Luckily, Macs have a built-in PDF reader for free called "Preview." (To learn more about Preview, follow the link). However, you can always download Adobe Reader for free from the Adobe website. If you are that unfortunate to have to use a Windows machine, this is one of the first programs that you'd want to install on your computer (after, of course, anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, get all of your definitions up to date, make sure your firewall is on, etc. etc.). ANYWAY...
Instead of printing your receipts through the printer and then having to file an old-fashioned piece of paper in an old-fashioned filing cabinet, do this:
Go to print your document (receipt or invoice or whatever) like you normally would; Go to the File menu and then select "Print". However, take notice of this button at the bottome of the Print Dialogue box:
Click on that button and then select "Save as PDF":
Now you will be prompted to save your document somewhere. I save all of my receipts in a folder in my Documents folder called "Receipts" but you can put it anywhere you like. At the end of the year, I can search through all of my files, sort them, determine which ones my accountant actually needs and then save them to a disk for him or print them out at that time. But I don't have to worry about filing.
PDFs are also searchable. So with Spotlight, I can search for "Geico" and immediately, I can see all of my Geico bills that I've paid. It's great! And, I can also feel good that I don't need a printer online all the time, that I don't need to waste ink and oh yeah, I am being environmentally conscious.
