Print Set Up Window is missing the "PDF" option.

[focusedphoto]

I wanted to add title pages to my assignment. In Print Module I usually click Page Set Up (lower left corner) and a window pops up with a drop down menu. I usually click PDF and generate a PDF from there to include the Title pages. I have just installed my first photographic grade printer, and the "PDF" option is no longer available. How do I go about adding it back to that drop down window? I have asked many people for help, and everyone is stumped. My current Professor has given me another route for including the title pages, but I would like to do the sequence in the manner that I used to do it. Do you know how to add the PDF option back to the Print Set Up menu?

Thank You,
FocusedPhoto

[Damon Sauer]

Hi FocusedPhoto,
Thanks for the question.  It sounds like your new printer might have changed the options that are available to you.  I'm not really sure I understand the method that you are describing since I've never seen an option to generate a pdf from the Page Setup button.  However, you may be on a windows machine and therefore, the options might be slightly different than what I use. 

In any case, you should have two options for generating PDF's.  The first is probably the most reliable, but the second is a bit more convenient (though I'm less certain of if it works on a Windows machine).

The first method is to choose the "Print To: JPEG File" in the Print Job area of the right hand side-bar in the Print Module.  Then, once you have everything set up, you will select the "Print to File..." button at the bottom. This will generate individual jpeg files for each of the contact sheet pages.  You can then use Adobe Acrobat to combine all of the jpegs into a single pdf file.

The second method is to set up as if you were going to make a physical print.  To do so, you would choose the "Print To: Printer" in the Print Job area of the right hand side-bar in the Print Module.  Then, you would select the "Printer..." button at the bottom (not the "Print" button).  This will take you to the operating system's print dialogue box, at which point you should have an option to save a pdf version of the file (see the attached screenshot).  As I mentioned before, I'm not entirely sure that you have the same options on a Windows machine, but you should have the option to select "PDF" as a printer in order to generate a pdf. 
NOTE: the trouble with this method is that either Lightroom or the printer driver, or both, will want to manage the color of the generated pdf document, so you have to be sure to select sRGB as the profile (a profile that you would ABSOLUTELY NOT use when printing)... otherwise, you will likely see very strange shifts in color in the generated pdf.

I hope that helps, but please let me know if you have any other issues or questions.
Damon

[focusedphoto]

Hello Professor,
I opened the attached file and this is the message I got, "Photo Gallery can't display this photo because it is an empty file."
You are correct with both procedures, my problem remains that the "PDF" option is no longer available in the "Printer Set Up" window?
My question is how do I go about adding the "PDF" option back in the printer profile window?
I have attached an image of the printer set up window that is missing the "PDF" option.

Thank You,
Focused Photo

[Damon Sauer]

Focused Photo,
Thanks for the update.  I really appreciate the additional information.  I'm sorry the download didn't work, but since you are on a windows machine, it wouldn't have been useful anyway.  However, with the new information you have provided, it is clear that this is and issue with Windows, not Lightroom.

Since I don't use a Windows machine, I'm not entirely sure how to resolve this issue.  But, it seems like the issue is that the PDF print driver is no longer active or no longer installed.  I would suggest that you take a look at your "Devices and Printers" from the Start menu to see if the PDF driver needs to be activated or re-installed.  This guide should be able to help you with that process: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/install-view-and-manage-your-devices-and-printers.  Once you have confirmed the installation of the PDF driver, you should be able to create your PDF with the same process that you used before.  However, if you continue to have issues, I would strongly suggest that you contact Technology Support with this issue since they are much more familiar with pdf driver issues on a Windows machine. 

I hope that helps.
Thanks,
Damon