CUPS-PDF is a really cool virtual PDF printer. Macs have been able to print to PDF for awhile now, but the process takes more clicks that it should. Enter CUPS-PDF, this is a little backend app, that installs a virtual PDF Printer on your Mac. Why would you want to do this? Well, if you are like me and you print to PDF more than you print to paper – you can save a number of clicks. Another nice thing, is that all the PDFs are saved in a common location.

How to Install CUPS-PDF in Snow Leopard
1. Download CUPS-PDF here [http://www.codepoetry.net/projects/cups-pdf-for-mosx]
2. Install CUPS-PDF
3. Open Terminal run the following command:
sudo chmod 0700 /usr/libexec/cups/backend/cups-pdf

Next we have to setup the Virtual PDF Printer
1. Open up Print & Fax Pref.pane
2. Add a new Printer by clicking the + button
3. Select: Default (The printers should start to propagate)
4. Select: CUPS-PDF
5. Select: Print Using – Generic Postscript Driver
6. Click: Add

Since Snow Leopard arrived there were some enhancements to security, so we have to run some commands to get everything to work…
1. In The finder select: GO > GO TO FOLDER
2. Enter: /etc/cups/
3. Click: GO
4. Open the file: cups-pdf.conf
5. Find: a line that starts with OUT and place a # before it (thus commenting the line out)
6. Find: a line that starts with AnonDirName and place an # before that as well.
7. Save the file, rewriting the original. Your Mac will require you to enter your password to commit the changes.
8. Open Terminal
9. Run the following command:
sudo ln -s /var/spool/cups-pdf/username /Users/username/cups-pdf
(replacing “username” with your username)

Now anytime you print to PDF via the CUPS-PDF Virtual printer, all the PDFs that are generated will be in your Home folder inside a folder called: CUPS-PDF. You can also, set the printed as default so you can just type: ?+P then hit Return to generate a PDF 😉