During the IGA2020 meeting it became clear that "old fashioned" image captures is not quick and reliable way to take backups.

Retrospectively it was realized that there already is a great software to do in time snapshots of any basic computer program that allows one to print the page/file/work. And that is the PDF-XChange. Here I give a short introduction to the old paid version of it, when used together with Chrome browser.

Unfortunately I later on discovered the new PDF-XChange Lite version does not allow much else to do than print into PDF.

How to print to PDF file

As soon as the PDF-XChange software is installed, one should get it appear on the list of printers available, when trying to print something from almost any software. On Windows printing can be started from tool menus or with Ctrl+P shortcut.

From the opening dialog one then chooses 'Save as PDF' for the 'Destination', chooses what to print (e.g. all "pages"), and selects between landscape and portrait orientation of "page layout". From 'More settings' one can disable for example header and footer.

How to combine multiple files into one PDF

When PDF-XChange is opened as a separate software from start menu (or from desktop shortcut), one gets even more ways to work with old or new PDF files. One option is to for example combine multiple files into one PDF.

Compared to ordinary screenshots saved as images is that for example web pages can be easily saved as whole (divided onto printable pages) and in smaller text PDFs instead of image PDFs.