Have you ever needed to turn several Finale files into PDFs?

You could open each file and choose File > Export > PDF, but if you have a lot of files, that can become laborious. A PDF printer can help.

You can install a PDF printer to print to PDF from any application in Mac or Windows. The PDF printer will add a new virtual printer to your list of installed printers. When you print any document to the PDF printer, it will create a new PDF file on your computer instead of printing it to a piece of paper in a physical machine.

The key benefit of a PDF printer is that you can use it with the batch printing script in FinaleScript to process multiple files. Most PDF printers have settings that allow you to determine where the files will be saved, and just like a regular printer, you can change the page size settings in the printer to match the Finale file page size.

While there are many to choose from, here’s a few I’ve had success with:

Windows:
– CutePDF http://www.cutepdf.com/products/cutepdf/writer.asp
– PrimoPDF http://www.primopdf.com/

Interested in exploring FinaleScript as a means to convert multiple files to PDF? First select your PDF printer and specify your destination folder (before running FinaleScript), then:

• Within Finale, go to Plug-ins > FinaleScript > FinaleScript Palette
• Expand the Batch Process folder
• Double-click on Batch Printing
• Click Run Script and follow the prompts about specifying the Batch Process Folder
• When prompted, specify desired names for each file, or simply click Save to retain the same name.

I hope that points you in the right direction and saves you time. If you have any questions, please let us know by clicking on “Comments” below.