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why convert the jpg to pdf for LORs?

Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 2:25 am
by 2010trojan
On the FAQ it says to:

Help! One of my professors suddenly backed out/hasn't been responding to me/etc. What should I do for the LOR now?
Figure out a backup professor--same guidelines for when you first selected it. Contact them ASAP and give them 3-4 weeks to do it. I personally wouldn't explain why you're asking so late. Just ask and give them time and don't pressure. You'll take a little bit of a timeliness hit, but whatever. To speed it up, have them fax (it works, many on here will vouch for that). Also, if you can't get to them physically, print out a form, sign it, scan it, convert it to a pdf (maybe websites will let you do this, just google "jpg to pdf converter" or whatever), and send in e-mail.

Why do I have to convert it? Can't the professor just use the JPG?

Re: why convert the jpg to pdf for LORs?

Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 2:44 am
by WestOfTheRest
2010trojan wrote:On the FAQ it says to:

Help! One of my professors suddenly backed out/hasn't been responding to me/etc. What should I do for the LOR now?
Figure out a backup professor--same guidelines for when you first selected it. Contact them ASAP and give them 3-4 weeks to do it. I personally wouldn't explain why you're asking so late. Just ask and give them time and don't pressure. You'll take a little bit of a timeliness hit, but whatever. To speed it up, have them fax (it works, many on here will vouch for that). Also, if you can't get to them physically, print out a form, sign it, scan it, convert it to a pdf (maybe websites will let you do this, just google "jpg to pdf converter" or whatever), and send in e-mail.

Why do I have to convert it? Can't the professor just use the JPG?
WTF happened in here?

Re: why convert the jpg to pdf for LORs?

Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 2:48 am
by 2010trojan
? I thought the question was clear. I just want to know why it says to scan it, then convert it to a pdf file before sending it to the prof for him/her to print it out.

Re: why convert the jpg to pdf for LORs?

Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 2:55 am
by WestOfTheRest
2010trojan wrote:? I thought the question was clear. I just want to know why it says to scan it, then convert it to a pdf file before sending it to the prof for him/her to print it out.
I've never heard of them accepting email.

edit: fax is your best bet.

Re: why convert the jpg to pdf for LORs?

Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 3:00 am
by kazu
OP is asking how he can get the LOR form to his writer electronically, not how to submit the LOR to LSAC. (I admit I had to read the OP a couple of times before this was clear)



OP, I think it's to ensure that when it's printed out it'll be in the letter-sized format it's supposed to be in.

Re: why convert the jpg to pdf for LORs?

Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 3:05 am
by im_blue
2010trojan wrote: Why do I have to convert it? Can't the professor just use the JPG?
PDF ensures that the JPG is formatted correctly in the right size on a single page. Printing a JPG file can lead to all kinds of trouble due to centering, zooming, printer margins, the application linked to JPG files on the computer, etc.

Re: why convert the jpg to pdf for LORs?

Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:44 pm
by 2010trojan
aha, thanks, that clears it up. It says you can find one easily by just googling jpg to pdf, but I'm having trouble finding one that actually works. The scanner scanned it as a HUUUUGE picture, so when I change it to a pdf, it changes it into a pdf of several pages, by dividing the huge pdf into several pictures.... can anyone with experience with this recommend a program or website that worked for them?

Re: why convert the jpg to pdf for LORs?

Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:57 pm
by im_blue
Can you rescan it as a document to a PDF file rather than JPG? Every scanner software I've seen has that option for documents.

There are some freeware print-to-PDF apps out there, such as PrimoPDF. Anything you can print, you can print to a PDF file.

Re: why convert the jpg to pdf for LORs?

Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:58 pm
by ArchRoark
2010trojan wrote:aha, thanks, that clears it up. It says you can find one easily by just googling jpg to pdf, but I'm having trouble finding one that actually works. The scanner scanned it as a HUUUUGE picture, so when I change it to a pdf, it changes it into a pdf of several pages, by dividing the huge pdf into several pictures.... can anyone with experience with this recommend a program or website that worked for them?
My scanner has an option to scan in as as a PDF. Perhaps try that?

Post up the model of your scanner and I will take a look.

Haven't use this, but I just searched google and it popped up: http://www.jpegtopdf.com/