Print2cad™ 2009 is a converter that allows you to convert PDF, PDF/A-, DWF, TIFF, JPEG, PLT (HPGL) and EPS (PostScript) files into a DWG, DXF or DGN file and then import it into any CAD system for edition.

Print2cad™ 2009 is a stand alone program that works independently of all CAD systems. You don't need AutoCAD or any other CAD program to run Print2CAD 2009.

Print2cad™ 2009 is based on a high-capacity PDF, DWF, TIFF, JPEG, PLT or EPS interpreter and converts files directly to DWG, DXF or DGN. The resulting files therefore exhibit a very high degree of accuracy and quality.

Print2cad™ 2009 converts files into DWG version 12 - 2008, DXF version 12 - 2009 and DGN version 8. All vectors, lines, circles, curves, planes, splines, text and pixel images are transferred into DWG, DXF and DGN. The pixel images can be vectorised, embedded or saved into separate files. Special functions generate circles and curves. The PDF layer structure is incorporated or, if this is not available, a layer structure can be created based on the colour information. Letters are combined into texts and allocated a CAD text style. Stroke widths and line types are also converted.

Print2cad™ 2009 converts colours into DWG, DXF indexed or full RGB colours. Print2cad™ 2009 and PDF FormulaCAD™ also support TTF fonts. For multiple-page PDF documents, you can specify which pages should be converted into DWG, DXF or DGN format.

Command Line launch is possible, as in example below:

"c:\Program files\Print2CAD 2009\print2cad-2009.exe" -a:"e:\test.p4c" -b:"e:\test.pdf" -c:"e:\"

System requirements: Win 2000, Win XP, Win Vista Home or Business (32bit)

A vector graphic is a computer image that is comprised of primitives such as lines, circles, curves and polygons.

For example, to save an image of a circle, a vector graphic requires at least two values: the location of the circle's centre and the diameter. In addition to the parameters (form and position) of the primitives, the colour, stroke width, various fill patterns and other data that determine the appearance are also provided.

A circle in a pixel image consists of countless pixels that are arranged in a circle, but are independent from each other. The size of the circle cannot be incrementally increased without loss of quality.

In contrast with raster graphics, vector graphics can be incrementally scaled and distorted without loss of quality. In addition, with vector graphics the properties of the individual lines, curves and planes remain intact and can be edited at a later stage.

Vectorisations are highly complicated processes that calculate and generate the primitives of a vector graphic from loose pixels.

Many PDF, DWF, EPS and HPGL files contain inserted raster images. TIFF and JPEG files consist solely of raster images. Raster images can be rotated, mirrored, scaled and inserted at any desired location. Many PDF files consist of inserted tiled raster images, which allows the file structure to be fluidly displayed on the screen. Other PDF files, however, are a mix of native PDF elements such as text, circles, lines, etc. and several small raster images.

Vectorising these images in TIFF, JPEG and especially in PDF represents a special challenge, which has been optimally resolved in Print2cad™ and PDF FormulaCAD™.

The Print2cad™ 2009 program uses very sophisticated computer methods to convert raster images into lines, circles and curves. Nevertheless, this is a difficult task that is highly dependent on the quality of the raster images. A raster image with sharp transitions between colours and with uninterrupted, thin pixel strings is optimal for vectorisation.

In PDF files, text is usually defined as individual letters with their own insertion points.

Special functions link these letters to text strings so that they can be edited in CAD.

Windows system TTF fonts are fully supported.

Unfortunately, they cannot be embedded into DWG, DGN or DXF files. For licensing reasons, we are not permitted to extract them from the PDF and install them into Windows. If the fonts are not available in the system, a replacement font is provided or the fonts are accurately displayed as polylines.