Internet
Soumyadip Choudhury 133

Download from ScribdScribd is often referred to as the YouTube for documents. But unlike YouTube, Scribd does usually offer a direct option for users to download files.

But in case you aren’t registered with Scribd or the uploader has disabled the download options you might not be able to download the file for offline purposes.

I came across one such file (Best Magazine Covers of 2008) and tried to figure out how to download the PDF file from Scribd. Tried the tried and tested browser cache trick, but it gave me only a .scb file – which I think contains all the relevant data – but was unable to convert it to a friendlier format.

So what do you do? Google. I did but that didn’t help. Thought for a while and then Eureka!

You will only need to install and extra bit of software, that is if you don’t already have it (any way such software are usually handy to have on your PC) – a PDF creator. There are quite a number of free PDF creators available online that do a decent job. Two of my preferred choices are: PDFCreator (Open Source) and PrimoPDF (it needs .Net Framework 2.0 to work).

Once you have downloaded and installed a PDF creator, click on the dropdown arrow besides the iPaper text on the Flash Player, and click on the Print option. On the Print dialog box choose the PDF creator software instead of your default printer (in case you have one). Then click the Print button and your file in a PDF form will be ready in a while (depending on the size of the document).

Scribd Print to PDF

This trick should always work for downloading PDF files from Scribd because there doesn’t seem to be an option availabe to an uploaders to disable the print functionality. And this way you can also download files without registering with Scribd.

An anonymous reader suggests:

For those receiving blank pages when PDFing:

Try changing the view mode to ‘Book Mode’ instead of ‘List Mode’. I did that and it finally worked!

 

Categories: Internet Technology Tips & Tricks

133 Comments

Download Files (Without Download Option) from Scribd

  9. HEY..THANX A TON..FOR THE FIRST TIME SOME ONE HELPED ME THRU THE NET..NO ASKING FOR CREDIT CARDS DETAILS OR EMAILS ETC..DUDE THNX..

    Reply

  11. This trick not work for all documents because the “script timeout” is set to 60 seconds and after this period ScribdViewer stop the work (print). If you try to print directly to printer, the result is 20-25 pages or more(depending from internet connection speed) – with PDFprint drivers just 10-15 pages.I don’t see other solution, just to convert SCB files from cache, but HOW???

    Reply

  17. cutePDF and primoPDF both works, but only up to 15 pages or so, and i’m using dsl. at times, they print all 90 pages of blank sheets. any other solutions for long long documents?

    Reply

  20. Dude this is bad ass, it worked for me on april 20, 2009. I used Primo pdf, and used mozilla firefox browser. I downloaded the document of 51 pages without a problem. Internet explorer browser may not work.

    Reply

  22. Man,
    I had never thought of that until today. Stumbled on it accidentally; I have all these tools, but never connected them. True A-ha moment!

    Nanri.
    Anbudan,
    Suresh.

    Reply

  23. Hi Good day I’m Evangeline and I’m really fascinated about your blog and you must be a truly a genius for thinking about that creative ways on how to download a undownloadable files from scribd.com you truly are amazing. Anyways I’m just wondering if you do know some other way on how to download a microsoft word documents from a scribd.com cause I keep trying the PDF Creator thing for so many times but it doesn’t work it only shows one blank paper. Please help me with this problem. It would really be truly thankful with all my heart if you could help me with.

    Thank you and Have a nice day.

    Sincerely Yours.

    Evangeline Petterson

    Reply

  25. <>@Evangeline<>: As far as I know, MS Word documents can be downloaded from Scribd only if the uploader allows it.

    Instead of using the PDF option to print choose the Microsoft XPF Document writer from the print option (if you don’t have it, get it from here: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/xps/viewxps.mspx). The .xpf file created can be opened in Internet Explorer (newer versions).

    You could then convert the .xpf file created into MS Word (.doc) via http://www.zamzar.com/ .

    Reply

  27. Soumyadip, that’s good, only an idea. You could open the doc xpf and print to pdf to convert. I use PDFCreator with satisfactory results.

    Reply

  28. Works a charm for me – thanks a bundle for posting this tip. I had a rather large document I really wnated to have access to offline. Thanks again! 🙂

    Reply

  30. FOR THOSE RECEIVING BLANK PAGES WHEN PDF’ING:

    try changing the view mode to “book mode” instead of list mode. i did that and it finally worked!

    Reply

  33. I used Adobe Acrobat Pro 7. It works a real charm for the full 145 pages in Book Mode View. Thanks for the great trick Soumyadip!

    Reply

  36. I used the MacOS printer dialog to save the document as PDF. But first I also just got blank pages. I fixed it by first clicking through all pages of the document and finally start printing (Firefox).

    If you just get white pages, try clicking through all pages before printing.

    Reply

  39. 20 percent page is cut.I tried downloading slides using each view option available but no difference.Right side of page is cut.

    Reply

  46. What the hullabu all about…just drop down the “MORE” on the top and select “SAVE DOCUMENT”…of course u need to have adobe acrobat installed in your system…hope this is much simpler 😉

    Reply

  50. Awesome trick – if it worked … printing can be disabled for Scribd documents, it’s up to the publisher.

    Reply

  51. Hey dude…
    Thanks a lot it’s working 100%. You’re genius. You’re helping so much. and changing the view mode instead of list mode does solve the blank problem.
    Thank you.

    Reply

  52. Awesome… I have PrimoPDF installed and I got the blank output too, so I changed it to book mode view and it worked.

    Reply

  56. Did not work.. I tried primo pdf + view as book, but the pages came out half in blank.

    Anyone knows another way????

    Reply

  58. Hi Good day. I am trying to print or save a scribd topic but the problem is, the printing options is disabled.
    Do you have other ways on how to solve this problem.
    Thank you very much in advanced and hoping that you can help me in solving this problem.

    Reply

  59. Looks like the guys at Scribd have also read this post and have activated the disable printing option. I’ll try to look for a solution.

    Reply

  63. I have been thinking of a way how to do this for sometimes now and I have the necessary software on my computer but never been able to figure it out… until I have read your tips! Thanks a lot bro 🙂

    Reply

  65. didn’t work for me… does any one know where to download free NCERT textbooks… i tried nikhilam.com but it takes me back to scribdt and i’m trying to download using a pdf creator.. but it doesn’t seem to work… PLEASE HELP…

    Reply

  69. Thanks, very thanks!
    I already have PdfCreator installed, but I do not think in this solution before read your post.
    I don’t know if you are a genius or I’m so much stupid…
    Thanks again

    Reply

  70. hi ..i searched and came across this and i must say you deserve a thank you ..i did it with PDF creator and all 70 pages were there ..coooool

    Reply

  75. Hi,
    Nice Idea friend! I appreciate your tip. I would also like to share my opinion.
    I was trying to download scribd in Firefox using DoPDF and Nitro PDFcreator. I could not get success. I tried two to three times. It resulted in downloading first 2 to 5 pages. I tried to download same think in the Internet Explorer. IT WORKED!

    Thanks man for your wonderful Idea.
    Sanjay Maurya (Mumbai, India)

    Reply

  76. i am not able to print to pdf full document.it starts but finished with only 25 pages and the rest of pages 108 is left out.Anyway out fix to get the full file.

    Reply

  79. @scribd faggots (developers)

    There will always be a way to save content. You will have to “disable viewing”

    d’oh

    Reply

  80. Come on!!! Use your mind fools…it dosent take a genius to figure that out…!!!If it dosent work that way you can also use the windows one note available in the print option for those having Microsoft office in their comp…..

    Reply

  86. jeeyo jaan…excellent post…I was searching for the option to download scribd file as some thing so can be used offline…after the 3 days search..finally got it though u…do help like this…dont give up…thanks a lot..

    Reply

  87. Thanks – It works!
    I had already thought about printing to PDF, but it came out blank. The change view mode trick was the last piece of the puzzle that I needed.

    Reply

  95. man… YOU KICK ASS!!! TOU ARE A GENIOUS!!! THANKS A LOT. DIDNT KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO WITHOUT YOU. THANKS AGAIN!!!

    Reply

  97. can anyone help me to download and email the whole document to me at fwrjel311@yahoo.com
    —http://www.scribd.com/doc/8604311/handbook-of-structural-steel-connection-design-detailsakbarr

    i will be very appreciable for your help. thank you

    Reply

  100. I had already thought about printing to PDF, but it came out blank. The change view mode trick was the last piece of the puzzle that I needed.

    the view mode is in the pdf printer or the scribd site? if it is in the site can anyone tell me where?!!

    Reply

  101. again me ,,, it worked but what if the file is 100 pages ..what is the solution??!! ( maximum that i got 60 pages ..

    Reply

  103. Or, you could just subscibe to Scrib. It’s free and only takes a minute. I’m not sure if you have to pay for some content, but you some if definitely free. The book I was looking for was. It’s worth a try.

    Reply

  105. its coollllll………thanks very much by using this i was able to download the books i want from scribd.com…………..

    Reply

  106. Thnx a lot .works pretty nicwely ,I have tried some add ons for firefox and they do not download without dl links ,,,,,,but your method works nice

    Reply

  107. Yeah this defn works! Remember to change view to “Book View” first before trying this method.
    Dude you rock!!
    Thanks!!

    Reply

  108. Really a cool trick buddy.. i’ve already used PDF printer, but haven’t thought of dis idea… really Bravo…..

    Reply

  111. i also experience the time-out and printing stops after that.

    using cutepdf, prints only about 7-9 pages. in slide or book view, prints about 70% in the upper part of the page in landscape.

    using primopdf, prints only about 20-25 pages, prints a very small page when in book view.

    using dopdf, prints about 30-35 pages. same as cutepdf, printouts are big.

    any other solution?

    Reply

  113. It will works

    Download something like doPDF

    Print as doPDF (but display MUST be in book or slideshow format and the webpage MUST be fully downloaded before you print

    The main problem is cropping the printout but if you have Acrobat or some Openoffice pdf program do can do it

    Soumyadip great work

    Cheers

    Reply

  116. Now it doesnt work because the print functionality is disabled. I tried using PDFprinter and it could only print the first page, even though the document is fully opened. Anyone has any idea?

    Reply

  121. hi
    i have tried that way..bt its show invalid image for
    http://pdeng.pdgroup.in/index.aspx

    first i opened this link in firefox
    and clear private data ctrl+shift+del

    load the web completely

    at address i have typed about:cache

    under disk cache copied the path:
    file:///C:/Users/fuel/AppData/Local/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/x0sbvwxr.default/Cache/

    and paste in address

    and located the file which is 2.5mb and save link as a.jpg

    bt when i opened it shows invalid image

    plz tell me where i m wrong.

    Reply

  123. @Narendra Pratiyogita Darpan uses Pressmart’s digital publishing application which actually makes a separate SWF file for each page. What you need to do is save the files with a .swf extension. You will be able to view it on any Flash viewer (such as Adobe Flash Player). In case you find the SWF files unwieldy, you can print the file as a PDF (the process is described in this post).

    Reply

  125. @Narendra There are 163 pages in the issue. The filenames follow a logical sequence. You can just change the filename to get the page that you want. To make things simpler for you, I’ve put up all the links to the SWF files for all the 163 pages here: http://bit.ly/9wqDyP

    Reply

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