How to Convert PRN Files to PDF

Converting PRN files to PDF can be accomplished on various platforms. Here’s a guide for Windows, Linux, and macOS:

Windows:

1. Using a PDF Printer:
   • Open the PRN file using a text editor like Notepad.
   • Go to File > Print.
   • Choose a PDF printer (like “Microsoft Print to PDF” or “Adobe PDF” if you have Adobe Acrobat installed).
   • Print the document, and it will be saved as a PDF.
2. Using Ghostscript:
   • First, download and install Ghostscript for Windows from its official website.
   • Open the Command Prompt and navigate to the directory containing your PRN file.
   • Run:
     gswin64c -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile=output.pdf -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH input.prn


     Replace input.prn with your file’s name and output.pdf with your desired output name.

Linux:

1. Using Ghostscript:
   • Install Ghostscript using your distribution’s package manager (as detailed in the previous answer).
   • Run:
     gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile=output.pdf -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH input.prn


     Replace input.prn with your file’s name and output.pdf with your desired output name.

macOS:

1. Using Preview:
   • Rename the .prn file extension to .ps so that macOS recognizes it as a PostScript file.
   • Open the .ps file with the Preview app. It should automatically convert the PostScript content to a displayable format.
   • Go to File > Export as PDF.
2. Using Ghostscript:
   • First, you might need to install Ghostscript. The easiest way is via Homebrew:
     brew install ghostscript

   • Once installed, run:
     gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile=output.pdf -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH input.prn


     Replace input.prn with your file’s name and output.pdf with your desired output name.

For all methods, after converting, ensure you open the resulting PDF to check the conversion’s accuracy. The success of the conversion can depend on the specific content and origin of the PRN file, as PRN files generated from different sources or printers might have different internal formats.