Browser Hangup

I am a big fan of the FireFox browser and use it on all my machines. Heck, I even use it on my desktop at work. I find it stable, secure, and ideal most of the time, however, recently I did have an issue.

MaximumPC lets you download their archived magazine issues as PDF's. They are typically large files, and this one was around 22 mb. I tried to download it several times, and each time it just hung up at around 4 megs. My connection was fine and I was able to do other things simultaneously, so I really was not sure what the issue was.

After several attempts, I decided to switch to another browser, this time the Google Chrome one that is generally bulletproof. It downloaded it on the first try. I wonder if there is an issue with the FireFox browser for this particular issue, but for now, the moral is that if one browser is having difficulty downloading a PDF, give Google Chrome a try.

Digital Faxing

I have to admit that anyone asks to me fax something, it is such a throwback to the preinternet days. After all, most folks have access to high speed internet access, so why the heck would we use that silly fax machine? I generally scan the item, save it as a PDF, and email it to them as an attachment. This also works well for longer documents, and there is no concern that they will get all the pages from the fax except the important one.

However, there are a few times when there is a need to send a fax. This includes documents that need a signature, and those Luddites that don't know how to work with email attachments. But rather than dust off the ol' faxer, there are some digital options.

One is FaxZero. While it does have limitations, such as an ad on the cover page, and a limit of 3 pages, as well as a limit of 2 faxes daily, it is still useful to the low volume user.

Another option is HelloFax. Here the catch is that the fax must be less than 5 pages. But hey, this is free as well.

A third option is Microsoft Fax. It comes preinstalled in Windows XP and Windows 7. While it will work in Vista, the issue is that it did not come preinstalled in the Home version that most of us received. Microsoft Fax is ideal for a notebook that has a dialup modem installed that likely sees little use.

With any of these options, the document sent can be a PDF, and other options can be used as well such a .DOC.

FaxZero
HelloFax
Microsoft Fax

PDFMasher

PDFMasher via Lifehacker

i2PDF

Today's tool is i2PDF which is a solution to a problem that I have not experienced. However, playing with it is cool, and after seeing what it can do, there will be some occasion to use it.

What i2PDF accomplishes is to take an image, and turn it into a PDF. This could be useful if sending an image to someone not particularly computer savvy as most will have a PDF reader installed.

The program is a quick download, and by simply dragging the image onto the software box, with a few clicks, a PDF is created of the image, ready for printing, saving or emailing.

i2PDF

SumatraPDF v1.6

When it comes to a PDF reader, quite often, more really is yes. Many users simply want a reliable piece of software that quickly opens up their files, and does little else.

For those folks, SumatraPDF v1.6 is a solution to take a look at. After a quick and free 4.3 MB download, the software is installed in a jiffy. SumatraPDF opens PDF's with no difficulty, and has sharp text, and the usual zoom features, and not much else. For the vast majority of PDF work, this is all that is needed, and should be ideal for older systems and netbooks.

SumatraPDF

Take a look at our other suggested readers here.

PDFFiller

PDFFiller is a set of robust online tools that can be used to modify an existing PDF. After a quick upload, the PDF can be modified with adding text to it, from a choice of fonts and colors. There is even a way to sign a document, using your mouse to create the signature. The results of this method of signature were less than perfect, but could still be useful. Overall, the site was smooth, and simple to use.

PDFFiller

See all our PDF form filling options here.

SplitPDF

A PDF often encompasses many pages of content. This is often convenient as the PDF can keep together lots of info in one easily accessible file.

On the other hand, this can sometimes be too much of a good thing. For example, if the PDF is a book, then it may be easier to navigate by having a separate PDF of each chapter. Or if emailing as an attachment, the size of the file can be pared down to the one or two pages of interest.

In other words, there are plenty of times that it is appropriate to split a PDF and "unmerge" it. One convenient method is to use an online site such as SplitPDF. No account is needed, and you simply upload the PDF, indicate the pages to extract, and in a jiffy the new PDF can be downloaded. Also, the original is left untouched, as only the uploaded copy goes under the knife.

SplitPDF

Foxit Reader

Adobe Acrobat Reader is the default that comes with many systems for reading PDF's. However, especially on older systems, it all too often runs slowly, taking too long to open a simple file. It also has become a target for malware, and Adobe frequently releases updates, adding to the impatience.

Enter Foxit Reader. This is the most popular of the alternate PDF readers. It is very similar to the Adobe offering, except it runs faster, and needs less updating. If you want to "Think Different," check out this free offering.

Foxit Reader

Take a look at our other suggested readers here.

PDF Search Engine

There are plenty of PDF's already available online, but finding them can be a needle in a haystack. While Google includes them in the search results, they are mixed in with the regular websites. Rather, a more specific tool is needed.

PDF Search Engine is devoted to finding PDF's, and only PDF's. I ran a few searches through it, and it does find the content. Although it is not always exactly laser accurate, it is worth a try.

PDF Search Engine

PDFtoWord

There are occasions when you need to edit a PDF. For those of us without the full Acrobat suite, one workaround is to turn it into a Word document file, and then edit it using a standard word processor.

If it is a complicated PDF, this process can be far from seamless and imperfect. One method is the online PDFtoWord. You simply upload the PDF, and provide your email address. In about a minute, the content is emailed to you in a DOC or RTF format. One additional attraction is that this service is free.

PDF2Word

Nitro PDF Reader 2.0

There are plenty of PDF readers out there. While Adobe Reader is the most common, there is no shortage of alternates that offer a feature or two more.

Nitro PDF Reader 2.0 is such an example, and been recently updated. While it can certainly be used to view PDF's, its raison d'etre to modify the file. QuickSign lets you put a signature stamp on file to hand sign a document, and can require a separate password to restrict that feature. The Add Text To Pages feature can insert a textbox that can then be filled in. There is also an AddNotes tool that can put a sticky in the PDF for a quick note.

While this software does not do everything, it does offer some basic editing features, and is available for free download.

Nitro PDF Reader 2.0

See all our PDF form filling options here.
Take a look at our other suggested readers here.

Fill Any PDF

Don't you love when someone sends you a PDF of a form to be completed? It really does feel so antiquated to print it out, hand write in the info, and then fax it back. I have resorted at times to rescanning the form, making it into a JPEG, using it as a background image and typing in it in Word, but this is not for the faint of heart. Thankfully, there is a better way.

Check out the site FillAny PDF. With just a simple upload, all the blanks on a form can be filled in painlessly. You can also set it up so users can access your form and complete it.

FillAnyPDF

See all our PDF form filling options here.

Paper to PDF

So you have some documents in paper and you want to make them into a PDF. Well, that is seriously no sweat, but you will need a scanner. I prefer a dedicated one, rather than a multifunction machine. I have had good luck with my Canon, and with the included software, just scan in the document page by page, and tell it when you are done. This then gets created into one PDF of several pages. Scanners are quite affordable, and last for several years... my last one outlasted the parallel port connection that it had!

Canon CanoScan LiDE110 Color Image Scanner (4507B002)

Web2PDFConvert

There are times when you need to convert a webpage to a PDF. Examples include when you want to download content for an airplane trip, or to preserve a story for later on a news site that updates frequently.

While this can be done with a virtual printer to a PDF, there is also a more elegant online solution. It is Web2PDF. No account is needed; just enter the website address in the bar, and hit convert. In a few secs, there is a PDF ready to be downloaded. There is also an option to convert via email to their address.

I use this once in a while, and it is a handy option to keep in mind, and bookmark for later.

Web2PDFConvert

Cute PDF Writer

Cute PDF Writer is an example of a virtual printer. This is a piece of software that fools the computer into printing the output into a file rather than onto paper. The file format is... you guessed it by now is the PDF.

There are lots of reasons to do this such as downloading a webpage for later viewing when offline. Also, when using a laptop over WiFi, it is rare to have a printer attached and ready to go, and this way the document can be created, and saved for printing later.

There are several examples of this type of software, that can accomplish this task in the freeware category. They all mostly work, but some do make a buck by showing you an ad during the process, or trying to get you to buy some other software.

One of the less annoying options is Cute PDF Writer.

Download Cute PDF Writer

Making A Word Document Into a PDF

So, a common scenario is that you have a Word document, and you need it converted into a PDF. The advantage of this would be that the recipient of a PDF would see your exact formatting, and you can use an uncommon and font and not worry about not having it installed on the next computer. This is why a CV should be sent as a PDF and not a Word file. Another use would be to bring a document from one computer to another for printing.

There are many ways this could be accomplished. One of the easiest is to open or create the document in LibreOffice (which is the successor to OpenOffice). Both are free downloads, and a link is provided below.

Once in LibreOffice, then look under "File," and it is not under "Save as..." but rather under "Export as PDF." This will then popup a dialog box, and just hit ok as the default settings will be fine for most users. Hit "Export" and then just remember where you are saving the file.

You now have the PDF from the Word file ready for emailing or printing.

LibreOffice
OpenOffice

Mission

Looking for easy to use and free tools to get the most out of PDF's? Well, you and lots of others are as well. I am a user with lots of PDF's, and frequently have a need to read, manipulate and create them. A Google search will show that there is no shortage of information, but most of it is to sell expensive software, that the casual user will never need most of the features.

Thankfully, much can be done using a variety of online sites, and free software. I will be sharing how to get the most from PDF's on this site.