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Hyperlink to a specific page in a PDF file

• Edit

johseb14

17 Feb, 2016 04:41 AM

I would like to create a link to a pdf file that opens the file at a specific page (clicking on the link on the preview pane); I tried to use #page=4 at the end of the link destination without success.
It doesn't work on the exported HTML as well.
I tested setting both Acrobat Pro XI and Preview as pdf default reader.
Am I doing something wrong or is that feature not supported?

1. Support Staff 1 Posted by Fletcher on 17 Feb, 2016 11:08 PM

   

   If you create a PDF via the HTML route, it's basically just "printing" to a file. Internal links are not supported.

   If you want to create PDFs with working internal links (and many other features), I recommend using LaTeX instead.

   Fletcher

   • Edit

2. Fletcher closed this discussion on 17 Feb, 2016 11:08 PM.

3. johseb14 re-opened this discussion on 18 Feb, 2016 12:58 AM

4. 2 Posted by johseb14 on 18 Feb, 2016 12:58 AM

   

   Thanks for your answer.
   My goal is actually to click on the link in the preview pane to open the destination PDF file.

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5. Support Staff 3 Posted by Fletcher on 18 Feb, 2016 03:08 PM

   

   Perhaps you can send me more details?

   The preview pane is just a web browser. if you click on any external
   link (whether it be a "file:///" URL or a "http://some.server/" link),
   it will open it in a browser.

   Links that are local to the document will cause the preview to scroll.

   Opening a PDF will cause your browser (or Preview, etc. based on your
   computer's settings) to open the document, but it won't open to a
   certain part of the document, as PDF's don't support URLs like that.

   Fletcher

   • Edit

6. 4 Posted by johseb14 on 18 Feb, 2016 11:35 PM

   

   Hi Fletcher,
   a few apps can handle specific URL schemes to open PDF files e.g. DEVONthink can use an URL containing the file ID to jump to a specified page (something like x-devonthink-item://9C824306-C620-4BC1-87A5-FC86B90D73D2?page=18).

   I'm trying to replicate that feature with a more standard (and future proof) approach that makes use of the path of the file to open it in the default app set for the .pdf extension (Acrobat Pro XI in my case).

   Based on a quick investigation on the internet I was (naively) hoping that a syntax like
   [test](/Users/myself/path/to/myTestFile.pdf#page=18)
   could do the trick; unfortunately, clicking the link in the preview pane correctly opens the file but doesn't jump to the right page.

   I'm running MMC Pro 3.0b42 on OS X 10.10.5 if that matters.

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7. Support Staff 5 Posted by Fletcher on 19 Feb, 2016 01:43 AM

   

   Right. But that's a problem for the app that is opening the PDF. Not
   for Composer.

   I can't control what the other application does with a file or URL.

   Fletcher

   • Edit

8. Fletcher closed this discussion on 13 Oct, 2017 02:03 PM.