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