PDFed

Hi, there,

Welcome to PDFed list, which give you freedom to view, create and edit PDF files for free on your computer, USB driver or online. We will keep the list updated and keep you posted.

• Basic:
  1. How to create PDF from any file
  2. How to convert PDF to Word or Webpage
  3. How to edit PDF files
  4. Better PDF reader
  5. PDF tools — rearranging, watermark, encryption, etc
  6. How to be PDFed on USB drive
  7. How to be PDFed online
• Advanced:
  1. How to distribute PDF file securely
  2. How to manage hundreds or thousands PDF files

Remember only one name PDFed = You are PDFed!

PS, all comments and ratings are welcome.

support@PDFed.com

You can print it, you can convert it to PDF. No matter it is Word document, web page, photo, etc.

1. PDFCreator (Open Source)
   Highly recommended. I use it.
   Download it here. (Need GhostScript)
   PS, uncheck yahoo toolbar during installation.
2. CutePDF Writer (Freeware)
   Great for personal use.
   Download it here.
3. PrimoPDF (Freeware)
   Great for personal use.
   Download it here — left one.

* IMPORTANT: Most of above applications need Ghostscript , please download it here . (For win64, latest version is 8.70 gs870w64.exe).

* Update Ghostscript path environment variable (right click My Computer > Properties > Advanced > Environment Variables > System variables > scroll down to path and double click it. Copy below to the end of it — Do not overwite it.).

;C:\Program Files\gs\gs8.64\bin;C:\Program Files\gs\gs8.64\lib

(Change above if you install ghostscript to another folder instead of C:\Program Files.)

1. Try the basic way first (you may forget)
   If you do not care  much about the format, you may try to open the PDF file, select all (Ctrl + a), copy all (Ctrl + c), then paste all to ord (Ctrl + v).
2. PDFtoHTML (open source)
   You can convert a lot of PDF files each time, although there is no graph user interface yet.
   If you want to convert a lot of PDF pages or files, you may try PDFtoHTML, then copy to Word. If you do not have GhostScript on you computer, install it first.
   a, Download PDFtoHTML here. Unzip it to any folder you want (No installation needed).
   b, Read Quickstart.txt
   c, Convert all pdf once by double clicking ConvertAll.bat. RECOMMENDED
   Or  double click ConvertOne.bat and input full file name with .pdf.
   PS, change file names to all English letters without space or any special character before converting.
   PS, batch files are created by PDFed.com.
3. FREE PDF to WORD CONVERTER (freeware)
   You get a graph user interface, although you can only convert one file each time.
   Download it here.
4. Online: Gmail
   Send your PDF files as attachment to your Gmail, login on Gmail, you will see a link to check it as HTML page. Copy it to Word if you want.
5. Online: PDFtoWord.com
   You can convert PDF to Word and receive in your email by 3 steps. Choose file,  converted format, Email address.

Although PDF files are hard to edit,  we have to edit it sometimes, like filling forms. Below are two free ways to edit a PDF file. (Remember you can not fully edit PDF like Word files.)

• Tip: For original static texts, you need to use WHITEOUT to cover them and then enter your new texts.

1. OpenOffice Draw with Sun PDF Import Extension (Open Source)
   a, OpenOffice is a free and open source application,  offers an alternative to Microsoft Office. Download it here.
   b, To edit, you also need Sun PDF Import Extension. Download it here.
   PS, to install Extension,  OpenOffice > Tools > Extension Manager. Click the “Add” button, select the extension in the file chooser dialog and click “OK”. You may need to accept a license or agree to replace an existing version of an extension.
   c, Open OpenOffice Draw (NOT Writer), open the PDF file, edit, export as PDF file (You don’t need to save it.).
2. Online: PDFescape.com
   It features PDF editing, form filling, page arrangement, etc.
   PS, PDF files must be less than 2MB and less than 50 pages. You may split big file before uploading.

1. Adobe Reader (Freeware)
   It is a free PDF reader by Adobe, which created the PDF file format.
   Pros: working well, compatibility.
   Cons: huge file (>50MB), start slowly
   Download it here.
2. Foxit Reader (Freeware)
   Pros: working great, start fast, light weighted (~5MB)
   Cons: NONE
   Download it here. (Lower left corner)
3. PDF-XChange Viewer (Freeware)
   An application competitive to Foxit.
   Download it here.
4. eXPert PDF Reader (Freeware)
   Great product.
   Download it here.
5. Perfect PDF Reader (Freeware)
   It enables you to open and review all your PDF documents in the same ribbon-style interface that appears in Microsoft Office.
   Download it here.
6. Cool PDF Reader (Freeware)
   The world’s smallest PDF reader, only 650KB.
   Download it here.
7. Sumatra PDF (Open Source)
   It is a slim, free, open-source PDF viewer for Windows.
   Download it here.
8. MUPDF (Freeware)
   No toolbar. Freaky fast. Need to remember shortcuts.
   Download it here.
9. apvlv (Open Source)
   apvlv is a PDF Viewer which behaves like Vim.
   Download it here.
10. Online: Google Docs
    You can sent your local PDF to Gmail as attachment to view it. Or enter a URL to view document online.

1. Split and Merge PDF — PDFsam (Open Source)
   pdfsam basic:
   A simple tool designed to split and merge pdf files. With it’s simple and intuitive interface you can:
   a, split your pdf documents (into chapters, single pages, etc.).
   b, merge many pdf documents or subsections of them.
   c, extract sections of your document into a single pdf document.
   d, mix alternate pages taken from two pdf documents in straight or reverse order into a single document.
   e, rotate pages of the selected pdf documents.
   f, visually reorder pages of a selected pdf document.
   g, visually compose a document dragging pages from selected pdf documents.
   h, save and load your environment to automatize your recurrent jobs.
   i, manage pdfsam settings and set an environment to load at start up.
   pdfsam enhanced:
   This is the enhanced version of pdfsam. In this version you’ll find all the basic features plus:
   a, encrypt your pdf files (RC40 bits, RC128 bits, AES128 bits) and set permissions on them.
   b, add a pdf frontpage or an addendum (or both) to your pdf documents.
   c, decrypt pdf documents.
   d, extract attachments from your pdf documents.
   e, set viewer options to a document to tell the viewer application how should open the document.
   f, set the metadata of a document (author, title, subject and keywords).

   Download PDFsam here . Download 2.x.x version for better performance.
   (For enhanced version, need register and at least $1 donation.)

   Need Java support. Download Java here .
   pdfsam branch 2.x.x: Java Virtual Machine 1.6 or higher
   pdfsam branch 1.x.x: Java Virtual Machine 1.4.2 or higher

2. Edit Setting, Encryption/Permissions — BeCyPDFMetaEditPDF (Freeware)
   It allows editing of several settings like the metadata about author, title, subject and keywords of the document. Furthermore, one can customize the viewer preferences, the bookmarks, the page labels, the page transitions for slide shows and the encryption/permissions of a document.
   Download it here. (Only ~ 250KB)
3. Split and Merge PDF — BeCyPDFAsm (Freeware)
   Light weighted split and merge application.
   Download it here.
4. PDF Watermark Creator (Freeware)
   Add a watermark (texts such as DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, or even your company’s name) to PDF files quickly and easily.
   Download it here.
5. PDF Bundle (Freeware)
   Attach any file to your existing PDF document.
   Download it here.

Portable applications make it possible to view, convert and edit PDF file on your USB drive as long as you found a computer with Windows.

1. PDF Reader
   • Portable Sumatra PDF Viewer (Open Source)
     Download it here. Install to a folder on your USB drive.
   • Portable Foxit PDF Reader (Freeware)
     Download it here. Install to a folder on your USB drive.
2. PDF Creator and Editor
   • Portable OpenOffice with Sun PDF Import Extension (Open Source)
     Download it here. Install to a folder on your USB drive.
     Copy anything you want to convert to OpenOffice, then export as PDF file.
     You can edit PDF files with Sun PDF Import Extension, see details here.
3. If you can access internet, you can do more.
   Check How to Be PDFed Online.

As long as you have internet, you are PDFed. Below is a comprehensive list of being PDFed online:

1. Online PDF Reader
   • Google Docs
     You can sent your local PDF to Gmail as attachment to view it. Or enter a URL to view document online.
2. Online PDF Converter
   • PrimoPDF.com
     Just upload your file or enter a URL, provide your email address, and our server-based PDF creator will quickly convert it, and deliver the PDF straight to your inbox.
   • PDFonline.com
     Similar to PrimoPDF.com.
3. Online PDF to Word or Excel
   • PDFtoWord
     
   • PDFtoExcel
     
   • PDFtoWord by PDFonline.com
     
4. Online PDF Editor
   • PDFescape
     
   • PDFHammer
     

There are always some PDF files, which you want to protect beyond only a password. You want to have more options, like if it can be printed, how many time it can be printed, if text in it can be copied or not, etc.

Drumlin PDF Security is the free solution. It includes a free PDF reader with built-in military-strength encryption, wide-ranging secure publishing (‘writing’ a secure PDF file), coupled with a free central Digital Rights Management (DRM) service.

Download it here. For video demos, check here.

I believe most of us have a lot of PDF files. To manage them was a big headache for me when I tried to put them in many different folders and give them long and different name. Finally I got several tools to keep them under control. Here they come,

1. Mendeley
   Mendeley Desktop is academic software that indexes and organizes PDF documents and research papers into your own personal digital bibliography. It gathers document details from your PDFs allowing you to effortlessly search, organize and cite. I use it for any of my documents, although it is academic software. It also has browser plugin.
   Download it here.
   PS, please import less than 100 files each time, since it is still 0.96 version, not stable to import too many files each time.
2. Zotero
   Zotero [zoh-TAIR-oh] is a free, easy-to-use Firefox extension to help you collect, manage, cite, and share your research sources. It lives right where you do your work—in the web browser itself.
   You need the famous web browser Firefox first. Throw IE away(friends do not let friends use IE). Then open and install this in Firefox.