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Thread ID: 80389 2007-06-21 01:40:00 Free PDF Creation Software - opinions? Tony (4941) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
561233 2007-06-21 02:45:00 I have used PDF995 (http://www.pdf995.com/) a few years back. Seemed to work ok the few times I needed it but like the others here I find Open Office ideal. sam m (517)
561234 2007-06-21 02:47:00 I'm looking for a free PDF creation package for a friend who can't afford/doesn't need the full Acrobat. I know there are a few out there, and I wondered if anyone had good/bad experiences. Open Office is certainly a contender, and so is Ghostscript, but I wondered about any others.

TIA

What application is your friend using to set up the initial document?
winmacguy (3367)
561235 2007-06-21 02:58:00 Heres a review of a few of them, (www.littlemanwhatnow.com)


I personally use OpenOffice, but I have a customer who has issues with it and uses cutePDF and ends up with files twice the size as the ones i produce in open office, but that is wholly due to my settings in Openoffice,
Morgenmuffel (187)
561236 2007-06-21 03:19:00 I tend to vary my distiller settings depending on what the print job requires. winmacguy (3367)
561237 2007-06-21 03:20:00 Almost, it comes as a stand alone product or bundled with InDesign but it doesn't come with Acrobat as that is only a PDF reader. If you want a free Distiller type app try that link I posted above.Somewhat OT, but there is the free Acrobat Reader, and also Adobe Acrobat, which is used to create/edit PDF files and does include Distiller. Tony (4941)
561238 2007-06-21 03:21:00 Almost, it comes as a stand alone product or bundled with InDesign but it doesn't come with Acrobat as that is only a PDF reader.

You sound like you work with print so you should know that Acrobat is much more than a reader, in fact the latest reader is just known as Adobe Reader.
Distiller seems very much part of the Acrobat group of products

Snap!
PaulD (232)
561239 2007-06-21 03:23:00 What application is your friend using to set up the initial document?It is not finally decided - it could be OO, but could also be a product called PagePlus. PagePlus does not have a PDF create feature. Tony (4941)
561240 2007-06-21 03:24:00 I've heard of both CutePDF and PDF995 - I'll check them out. Tony (4941)
561241 2007-06-21 03:31:00 You sound like you work with print so you should know that Acrobat is much more than a reader, in fact the latest reader is just known as Adobe Reader.
Distiller seems very much part of the Acrobat group of products

Snap!

Distiller is made by Adobe as are Acrobat Reader, InDesign and the rest so yes it is part of the group but the only app that it comes bundled with is InDesign which is the main ingredient in Adobe's publishing arsenal and the sole app that requires Distiller. You can save or export a file as a PDF in either Photoshop or Illustrator but that won't create a postscript file that you get in InDesign.


The full professional version of Acrobat will allow you to check the components of a PDF for colour settings and spot colours and separation files and a bunch of other stuff but it doesn't let you create a postscript file.

Sounds like your friend might need to either get Distiller or try the free versions or get something like InDesign in order to do the job properly. It just depends on the quality of what she wants the final job to be.

What is the format and style of the publication your friend is putting together?
winmacguy (3367)
561242 2007-06-21 03:52:00 i use a program called primo pdf workes well and its free robinj (2203)
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