Show HN: Turn emails into PDFs (as easy as it gets)

#1

Post by white » Wed, Dec 06, 2023, 3:38 PM UTC

Our customers (mostly B2B) have been asking for PDF version of invoices, receipts and whatnot instead of the ones sent as email.

Tapdone, my side project. It's like a PDF agent listening to your emails. `Bcc` the service when you send out an invoice, and it flips that email into a PDF and shoots it back to you and your customer.

Zero fancy stuff, just a neat trick to keep the PDF-demanding crowd happy while you hack away at the real work. Happy to share and please let me know if you find it useful.

Email to PDF https://www.tapdone.com and in exchange just drop me a line with your thoughts. If it smooths out even one wrinkle in your day, I'm counting it as a win.

Re: Show HN: Turn emails into PDFs (as easy as it gets)

#2

Post by azurenumber » Wed, Dec 06, 2023, 4:01 PM UTC

Can it convert to pdf already received email ?

Re: Show HN: Turn emails into PDFs (as easy as it gets)

#3

Post by white » Thu, Dec 07, 2023, 4:19 AM UTC

azurenumber wrote: post #2

Can it convert to pdf already received email ?

Not sure if I understand, but you can forward any email and it will reply back to you with PDF version of what you’ve sent. Hope it helps.

Re: Show HN: Turn emails into PDFs (as easy as it gets)

#4

Post by HenryBemis » Thu, Dec 07, 2023, 3:31 PM UTC

Skeptical guy here: 1) Personal Data (names, surnames, IPs, potentially personal data within the messages) - not YOUR accountability (Controller) but you automatically become a Processor and all the headache it entails (GDPR for EU and any other law for other places)

2) (I got other comments that I will not bring out as it's my personal preference on doing "print to PDF" and save it in a format "YYYY-MM-DD-From-Subject")

Re: Show HN: Turn emails into PDFs (as easy as it gets)

#5

Post by HenryBemis » Thu, Dec 07, 2023, 3:33 PM UTC

azurenumber wrote: post #2

Can it convert to pdf already received email ?

You can "print to PDF" if that's what you mean (from e.g. MS Outlook)

Re: Show HN: Turn emails into PDFs (as easy as it gets)

#6

Post by white » Thu, Dec 07, 2023, 3:45 PM UTC

HenryBemis wrote: post #4

Skeptical guy here: 1) Personal Data (names, surnames, IPs, potentially personal data within the messages) - not YOUR accountability (Controller) but you automatically become a Processor and all the headache it entails (GDPR for EU and any other law for other places) 2) (I got other comments that I will not bring out as it's my personal preference on doing "print to PDF" and save it in a format "YYYY-MM-DD-From-Subje…

(1) is fair point. Use at your own risk. This tool is transactional and stores nothing.

(2) that’s a different use case. This tool is for automation, something that is not being done manually. I do agree there are lots of options to do this on your computer. This tool is for somebody who has emails going and forth and wants an easy PDF copy.

Re: Show HN: Turn emails into PDFs (as easy as it gets)

#7

Post by KomoD » Thu, Dec 07, 2023, 6:38 PM UTC

Would be smarter just doing in this in-house, sending a bunch of sensitive things (like invoices, receipts, personal details, whatever) to a random service does not sound very smart...

I can't find a privacy policy of any kind so god knows what you do with that information

Re: Show HN: Turn emails into PDFs (as easy as it gets)

#8

Post by HenryBemis » Thu, Dec 07, 2023, 10:37 PM UTC

white wrote: post #6

HenryBemis wrote: post #4

Skeptical guy here: 1) Personal Data (names, surnames, IPs, potentially personal data within the messages) - not YOUR accountability (Controller) but you automatically become a Processor and all the headache it entails (GDPR for EU and any other law for other places) 2) (I got other comments that I will not bring out as it's my personal preference on doing "print to PDF" and save it in a format "YYYY-MM-DD-From-Subje…

(1) is fair point. Use at your own risk. This tool is transactional and stores nothing. (2) that’s a different use case. This tool is for automation, something that is not being done manually. I do agree there are lots of options to do this on your computer. This tool is for somebody who has emails going and forth and wants an easy PDF copy.

I will continue being skeptical and hear me out.. (because your clients may also be skeptical).

Emails are by default not encrypted, so even if you claim (apologies - "trust no one") that you don't keep any data (well you MUST be at least keeping logs)(and how can we know that XYZ agency won't tap into your systems?) then the ISPs can sniff these stuff out.

I'm not trying to trash your product, it is a good thing to have if one needs it, but I am thinking of the risks (and so do all your potential clients).