Print
For this article, we tested three freeware PDF creators and compared their results to the Export to PDF feature in OpenOffice 3.1. For testing, I created two one-page documents, both of which included a large bitmap. One was stored as a rich text format (RTF) file, and the other was stored as a Microsoft Word 97-2003 file.
CutePDF is a small download (about 3.7MB), but when you install it, there's a catch – you must also install a free PS2PDF converter such as Ghostscript (the installer provides a link). That's just the first limitation in CutePDF. If you're looking for control over your PDF output quality, CutePDF also falls short. CutePDF offers no option to select PDF version, compression levels, security, styles, or other common PDF settings, but it does include a resolution setting. Its Advanced Option menu is primarily designed to configure the Ghostscript Postscript-compatible driver it uses for output. CutePDF produces a good-looking PDF file that was also the largest file of the four programs selected, and when you save your PDF file, it includes a plug for a more powerful paid version.
DoPDF is a freebie from novaPDF. DoPDF offers more control over the output PDF file than CutePDF, including page size and the option to embed fonts. However, like CutePDFWriter, doPDF does not support PDF version, compression levels, security, or styles, and includes a plug for a more powerful paid version during the creation process. DoPDF created a PDF that was one-third the size of CuteFTPWriter with identical image quality.
Bullzip Printer, despite the name, is the most powerful of the three virtual PDF printer drivers in this comparison. You can control most PDF settings through the Advanced Options dialog of the Bullzip PDF Printer driver.
You can also save documents in most popular bitmap formats as well as PDF. It supports PDF version settings, initial zoom level, quality settings, watermarks, passwords, and can also append and merge PDF files. It provides the most features of any of the freeware PDF writers in this roundup, and it produced the smallest file of the three.
OpenOffice 3.1's Export to PDF lacks Bullzip's ability to select the PDF version (although it can create a DF/A-1a file suitable for document archiving), but it can create PDF forms, provides plenty of control over how a PDF document will display, and maintains hyperlinks in the document. When creating a one-page PDF file with a large bitmap and hyperlinks, Bullzip lost the hyperlinks, while OpenOffice 3.1 preserved them.
Bullzip's output file was one-fifth the size of OpenOffice 3.1's, making it a better choice for print or web display, but if you need to create an interactive or self-playing PDF file, OpenOffice 3.1's a better choice.
Comments are closed on this article
Shalbatana
January 28, 2010 at 9:57pm
I've been quite happy with "PDF creator" (there's a few with this name, I'm talking the sourceforge one) for my PDF creation Printer driver. Though It's a little slow in merging multiple docs into one PDF, and doesn't seem to support the security options, and may not have all the color options you mention the others have. Can't compare file size though, but I can say having another program optimize after creation does shrink the files, so it's probably not the best in the world.
For editing, I've used pdfedit995. It has an insane amount of options. The downside is that it only (supposedly) works with PDFs printed using PDF995 printer driver. That's ok though, simply create with whatever you use, then print the pdf again, using pdf995 for the few times you need advanced pdf editing.
Foxit I believe also has a pdf editor cousin, but it's laden with limitations unless you pay a rather large (IMO) sum.
_______________________________
"There's no time like the future."
rabbit01
January 29, 2010 at 5:58pm
I'm using version 0.9.5 and it does have security option such as password protect the file, which I've used. Other options which I haven't used include: disable others from editing the document & comments, printing document, and copying text & image.
arch-chancellor
January 28, 2010 at 6:52pm
You needed a $1000 to make and edit. The files are huge. Page 1 is the cover sheet, not the numbered page one of the actual document.
Many years ago I had to scan a bunch of docs and the were coming out as PDFs and 10s of MB per page. I switched to PNG and got the same effect at 10s of kbs. A text/html editor gets you all the same functionality at next to nothing cost.
What about PDF readers? I use Foxit for all those rare occasions I need a look at a PDF.
