How To Convert Blog Posts Into Print-Ready PDF Files

PDF Blocks

The Print PDF Generator and Publisher plugin comes with 15 PDF Blocks that all have specific features helping you achieve the desired look for your print-ready PDF publication. You can get by with using just a few but can easily make variations to the layout by using several. Next, we’ll go through the functionalities of each block.

PDF Columns: Content field you can divide into 1 to 3 columns

PDF Columns Image: Content field you can divide into 2 to 3 columns and add an image to the right upper corner

• With three columns, the image will be two columns wide. With two columns, the image will be one column wide
• Image size adjustable

PDF Image & Content: Block allowing you to place image and text side-by-side or one below another

• Place image: right, left or on top
• Image size adjustable

PDF Info box: Content field with adjustable background color and border

• Style and size adjustable

PDF Spacer: Adds empty space in between blocks with adjustable height

PDF 2 Columns: Two separate content fields that go side-by-side and both have one column

• Column width adjustable

PDF Column Break: pushes column content to next column

• Available in multiple column blocks (“PDF Columns” and “PDF Columns Image”)

PDF Page break: Pushes content to next page

Table of content, Listing container and Listing item + Table of content text area: Create your table of contents with these blocks

• Add first the table of content block, inside that a listing container and inside that individual rows i.e. listing items
• Use Table of content text area is you want to include other content (text or images) to the page

Fixed block: Allows you to make a fixed header or footer to a page (with background color)

PDF Title: Titles with adjustable font size and background color. Use especially for cover pages

Web Block: Use to show content only online (i.e. hide it from PDF)

Using general WordPress Blocks

In addition to the PDF-blocks, you can use only the following normal WordPress blocks:

• Paragraph
• Heading
• List
• Quote
• Table
• Image
• Separator

To add charts, the M-Chart plugin shortcodes work. No other shortcodes work.

Along with the PDF Blocks, a Nopea.media menu will appear on your WordPress text editor once you’ve activated the plugin.

From this menu on the top-right corner, you are able to generate the print-ready PDF as well as adjust its settings to your liking. It’s here that you can also choose to add the article to a publication. These settings won’t affect the article’s online appearance.

You won’t need to adjust all settings – to convert your blog post into PDF, the main thing is that you select:

1. “Generate PDF” (in order to generate the PDF)
2. The PDF quality of your choice (print quality available in subscriptions Pro 2 and Pro 4)
3. Heading position (on top of or under main image)
4. Layout theme (“Guide Book”, “Magazine” or “Accessible”)

In addition to that, you can choose to adjust e.g. the PDF’s margins, size of featured image or add a background image to the page. You can also upload a separate PDF such as a cover page or an ad to add to the publication.

Settings In Detail

At the top of the PDF Options is the “Generate PDF” tick-box where you can choose to automatically generate a print-ready PDF from your content. A PDF is generated every time you click “Save draft” or “Update”.

“Show Footer” means a footer you’ve defined in the publication’s settings, will appear on this article. The footer can contain text and a page number. It will only show when you’re creating a publication, not when previewing one article.

By selecting the PDF Quality, you determine whether the PDF will be shared only online (Web) or if it will be sent to print (Print). Selecting “Print” means the article will be print-ready: images in PDF will be full-size and the document will include bleeds and crop marks. Selecting “Web” means the images will be smaller and the file won’t include bleeds. Due to its smaller file size, “Web” quality is better suited for sharing the PDF online or by email, or when printing it yourself. Note! Only web quality is included in Free and Basic versions of the plugin. If you wish to send your publications to professional printing, we recommend subscriptions Pro 2 or Pro 4.

From “Add PDF Page” you can add a separate PDF page as part of your publication (e.g. cover page or a full-page ad). See our article on how to add a PDF file to the publication.

From “Heading Position“, you can choose whether to place the main heading on top of main image or under main image. By selecting “on top of main image”, the main image will be on the background of the heading and the heading will also have a background color. If you don’t have a featured image or choose not to show it in print, the heading will get a background color with the selection “on top of main image”.

Adjust page margins if need be from the “PDF Layout Options“.

From “Image Size” you can choose the size of featured image in relation to the page size. Options are for the image to fill a quarter, a third, half, two thirds or three quarters of the page. From “Show Featured Image“, choose whether or not to show the featured image at all.

From Heading Size and Heading Style, adjust the size and style of your main heading. You can choose to hide the heading entirely or to underline it. For these selections, choose heading position “under main image”.

Selecting the theme is important for your articles to look cohesive in the publication. The themes are preset entities that determine e.g. the colors, fonts and font sizes of headings and paragraphs. It’s advisable to use the same theme throughout the publication. With the Free version of the plugin, you can use the theme “Magazine”. Other subscriptions have all three themes available. For a fully tailored service, we can create a fully customized theme. Have a closer look at the available layout themes.

From “Background Image“, add a background image to the page if you like.

From “Publications”, select which publication you want to add the article to. If you haven’t created a publication yet, you can do so on the left-hand Publications menu. The plugin’s Free version doesn’t support publications. With all other subscriptions you can create up to four annual publications.