Thread Subject: plotting to multi-page pdf

I need to save a series of plots to a multi-page pdf. I am using export-fig to save png files (I am plotting a year's worth of hourly points for a number of fields, so vector graphics get big fast and bitmap images are fine in this instance).

convert *.png foo.pdf works from a cygwin prompt, but within matlab I get:
>> system('convert *.png foo.pdf')
Invalid Parameter - foo.pdf
ans =
     4

Any suggestions? Is there a better way to create a multi-page PDF document containing a series of bitmap plots? I would love to stay within matlab if possible.

Thanks!
Tim

within matlab I get:
> >> system('convert *.png foo.pdf')
> Invalid Parameter - foo.pdf
> ans =
> 4

OK, the system call sends the command to a DOS prompt; I guess that's not surprising on a windows system. So I guess as stated this is more of an ImageMagick/DOS command prompt question than a matlab question.

My underlying problem is that I want to create a multipage PDF, preferably in raster format, from within matlab. The export_fig / ImageMagick method is the best thing I've found on this newsgroup or the web. Has anyone had any success with this on a windows machine?

Thanks,
Tim

On 1/26/2012 4:37 PM, Timothy Hilton wrote:
> I need to save a series of plots to a multi-page pdf. I am using
> export-fig to save png files (I am plotting a year's worth of hourly
> points for a number of fields, so vector graphics get big fast and
> bitmap images are fine in this instance).
>
> convert *.png foo.pdf works from a cygwin prompt, but within matlab I get:
>>> system('convert *.png foo.pdf')
> Invalid Parameter - foo.pdf ans =
> 4
>
> Any suggestions? Is there a better way to create a multi-page PDF
> document containing a series of bitmap plots? I would love to stay
> within matlab if possible.
>
> Thanks!
> Tim

Tim,

If you print to PS instead of PDF you can use the -append option with
print to build up a PS doc of many pages. Then use ps2pdf (download
from the FEX) to convert that into a PDF. It uses the version of
Ghostscript that comes with MATLAB so no additional software is needed.


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Doug Schwarz
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