Create a tiff image of any file type?

[Sidoh]

Hey, why don't you use imagemagick?

* Sidoh punches iago

[nslay]

Yes, that's great for doing image type -> image type conversions. I've had that under control. My main concern was other file types, such and Word and Excel documents -> tiff. I've got those converting to tiff, also, but I was curious if anyone knew of other "all in one" integration tools for this.

ImageMagick can also convert some document formats like pdf or postscript.  Don't use it to convert vector formats to other vector formats though ... it needlessly rasterizes vector images so that you end up with a very large and useless output vector format.

For other formats, basically it boils down to pdf or postscript.  Just print Excel, Word, etc... files to pdf or postscript.

Someone didn't read some of the other posts.

I read other posts.  I emphasized that you really have no choice for non-image formats except to print them to postscript or pdf ... not that ImageMagick could or could not convert pdf to tiff.  Someone didn't read other posts carefully.

P.S. Printing systems such as CUPS invoke ghostscript in the background and do deal with postscript implicitly ... hence the word "print" as opposed to "using Adobe to convert them to PDF".  So anything that is printable, that isn't an image, can be converted to tiff by way of ImageMagick.  Again, not the same as "I'm pretty sure ImageMagick can do PDF".

[Sidoh]

I read other posts.  I emphasized that you really have no choice for non-image formats except to print them to postscript or pdf ... not that ImageMagick could or could not convert pdf to tiff.  Someone didn't read other posts carefully.

warz said a few times that he's already considered going from X -> pdf/ps -> tiff, and that it's an unacceptable solution because the files he's converting are huge.  He's also said he's encountered some software that uses printer drivers (as most X -> pdf/ps applications do) to do X -> tiff, and that he was wondering if anyone had had previous experience with similar software.

That's why I said that.  Everything you said had already been considered.  I'm not complaining.  I'm just saying I don't think the solution you provided will work for warz for reasons he's already mentioned.

[nslay]

I read other posts.  I emphasized that you really have no choice for non-image formats except to print them to postscript or pdf ... not that ImageMagick could or could not convert pdf to tiff.  Someone didn't read other posts carefully.

warz said a few times that he's already considered going from X -> pdf/ps -> tiff, and that it's an unacceptable solution because the files he's converting are huge.  He's also said he's encountered some software that uses printer drivers (as most X -> pdf/ps applications do) to do X -> tiff, and that he was wondering if anyone had had previous experience with similar software.

Too bad.  He wants an image from a non-image format.  The corresponding programs usually only deliver graphic output through the print system so he doesn't really have a choice does he?

That's why I said that.  Everything you said had already been considered.  I'm not complaining.  I'm just saying I don't think the solution you provided will work for warz for reasons he's already mentioned.

Not really, because you didn't mention he didn't really have a choice.  I suppose he could find/write a tiff printer driver (would probably convert to tiff from an intermediate format anyways).  I mean, he has to go through the print system for non-image formats ... only those programs understand how to generate graphical outputs for those non-image formats and most of them deliver that output through the print system.  Too bad ... it sucks, but there you go.

[Sidoh]

Too bad.  He wants an image from a non-image format.  The corresponding programs usually only deliver graphic output through the print system so he doesn't really have a choice does he?

Not really, because you didn't mention he didn't really have a choice.  I suppose he could find/write a tiff printer driver (would probably convert to tiff from an intermediate format anyways).  I mean, he has to go through the print system for non-image formats ... only those programs understand how to generate graphical outputs for those non-image formats and most of them deliver that output through the print system.  Too bad ... it sucks, but there you go.

He seems to suggest that he's found an exception to the "usually" ...?  It wasn't just me, FYI.  I didn't respond to say "I ALREADY SAID THAT JERK"... was just saying that your proposed solution didn't match the criteria he had provided.  Also, you didn't say "you don't have a choice".  You just suggested X -> ps/pdf -> tiff like everyone else had.  If you were meaning to "emphasize" the fact that he was stuck, you didn't do a very good job.

If that's true, then it sounds like he's SOL... he seemed to suggest otherwise, and that he was just looking for someone who'd dealt with the problem before.

[nslay]

Too bad.  He wants an image from a non-image format.  The corresponding programs usually only deliver graphic output through the print system so he doesn't really have a choice does he?

Not really, because you didn't mention he didn't really have a choice.  I suppose he could find/write a tiff printer driver (would probably convert to tiff from an intermediate format anyways).  I mean, he has to go through the print system for non-image formats ... only those programs understand how to generate graphical outputs for those non-image formats and most of them deliver that output through the print system.  Too bad ... it sucks, but there you go.

He seems to suggest that he's found an exception to the "usually" ...?  It wasn't just me, FYI.  I didn't respond to say "I ALREADY SAID THAT JERK"... was just saying that your proposed solution didn't match the criteria he had provided.  Also, you didn't say "you don't have a choice".  You just suggested X -> ps/pdf -> tiff like everyone else had.  If you were meaning to "emphasize" the fact that he was stuck, you didn't do a very good job.

If that's true, then it sounds like he's SOL... he seemed to suggest otherwise, and that he was just looking for someone who'd dealt with the problem before.

I'm sorry.  I'm just in a bad mood.

The best he can do is a tiff printer driver (and they are all over Google).  The only program that understands how to render a non-image format is that program itself and it usually exports that through the print system.  I don't see how you can avoid printing aside of writing your own reader that can render the non-image format.

[Sidoh]

Aah, okay.  Seems like pretty good evidence of being screwed, then.

[warz]

Too bad.  He wants an image from a non-image format.  The corresponding programs usually only deliver graphic output through the print system so he doesn't really have a choice does he?

Nope, not accurate. I have found one toolkit that does do Word, Excel and PowerPoint to TIFF without using a printer driver. It does conversions without even requiring Office or a printer. I have no clue how it works, but I know that it does work. So, I do have a choice.

He seems to suggest that he's found an exception to the "usually" ...?  It wasn't just me, FYI.  I didn't respond to say "I ALREADY SAID THAT JERK"... was just saying that your proposed solution didn't match the criteria he had provided.  Also, you didn't say "you don't have a choice".  You just suggested X -> ps/pdf -> tiff like everyone else had.  If you were meaning to "emphasize" the fact that he was stuck, you didn't do a very good job.

If that's true, then it sounds like he's SOL... he seemed to suggest otherwise, and that he was just looking for someone who'd dealt with the problem before.

Correct.

The best he can do is a tiff printer driver (and they are all over Google).  The only program that understands how to render a non-image format is that program itself and it usually exports that through the print system.  I don't see how you can avoid printing aside of writing your own reader that can render the non-image format.

Nope.

Aah, okay.  Seems like pretty good evidence of being screwed, then.

Nope.

[Sidoh]

Hmm... what nslay said made sense to me, but that's probably because I don't know much about how printer drivers work.  It seemed to indicate that everything goes to postscript anyway, so at some level, you're still converting from postscript.

I guess I misunderstood.