10 Ways to Manipulate PDF Files with Free Software
10 Ways to Manipulate PDF Files with Free Software
Posted 09/01/2009 at 12:30pm
| by Josh Kampschmidt
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Have you always wished you could merge, encrypt or just manipulate a PDF file? Editing PDFs has always been possible with Adobe’s software, but not everyone can afford the steep price of Adobe’s professional suite. But there are actually several pieces of software that will let you deftly manipulate Adobe’s proprietary Portable Document Format. In this guide, we will show you a few ways you can manipulate a PDF file without investing in Acrobat Professional. To start, here’s an overview of the free software that you’ll need.
PDF Split and Merge
As the name implies, this program allows you to split and merge a PDF. However, it has a few limitations. This program will not split or merge protected PDF files (which are password-protected). If you want to split and merge PDFs that you have created, the program should work fine.
PDFill
This is one of the best pieces of software to manipulate a PDF. It will allow you to make almost any change to a PDF (with the exception of editing the text inside of the PDF). The program can merge, split, reorder, watermark, and even rotate a PDF. This program does have a few shareware programs with it, but we will only demonstrate the free tools of the program.
Some PDF Image Extract
As the name suggests, this program is designed to extract images from a PDF. When you open the PDF, it will extract every image from it and save it to the directory where the original PDF is located. In other words, if your PDF is on the desktop, it will create a folder on your desktop with the images.
Zamzar
Many of you probably already know about Zamzar. It's a website that allows you to upload a file and convert that file in to almost any format. You can go from a PDF to a word document for example or a PDF to HTML. The max file you can upload is 100MB. It does not watermark or make any comestic changes to the PDF, either.
Some PDF to HTML Converter
As the name implies, this allows you to convert a PDF to HTML. Not only does the program convert the text to HTML, it also converts the pictures so you do not lose them, as is the case with other converters. The program places the HTML folder in the same directory as your original PDF file.
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Dirk Augustine
November 19, 2010 at 4:20am
It's very annoying when you have a PDF file and you can't do almost anything with it. It's like looking at a beautiful garment you don't have money to buy through a window. I appreciate you posted this article, I am "richer", now. I would have appreciated if you would had written about a program I could download, because I have a good antivirus and I don't want to use the Internet too much.
Heidi Lavern
November 24, 2010 at 8:50am
I agree, that's why I try not to use the PDFs so much, because I like to mark down good information and revise it later; that thing is harder with this type of files. I don't have a problem when I transfer edi documents, though, but my colleague hates them, because he's having difficulties reading without underlining.
mautzu
September 29, 2010 at 3:26am
i always wondered which is the software to open files and modify files like pdf because i only know the adobe which don't allow me to modify them, only to open.
raduoctavian
October 05, 2010 at 5:25am
You have a great article.I guess there are many people who appreciate this information you have provided.I have to admit I have seen some tips in your article that I have never heard of until this moment.computer checkup
Misty
January 06, 2010 at 9:38pm
It's true that you can pick up lots of little apps for doing individual tasks. However the app that does it all is Infix and it is basically free.
It lets you edit your PDFs in the way you would expect with text flowing from line to line and page to page. It lets you fill in and save PDF forms. It lets you manipulate pdf pages and extract content. etc etc etc.
It would seem the developers spend most of their time improving the application rather that shouting about it because it is true that it is less well known than say Foxit.
But it is totally the best out there - I really wouldn't bother with anything else.
bloodgain
September 06, 2009 at 11:54am
I would just like to point out that PDF is not a proprietary Adobe format. Not anymore. It was published as an open standard (ISO 32000-1:2008) in 2008. It's been 1 year, and already the number of free programs to work with PDF has grown. I expect to see fully featured Acrobat Suite replacements within another year.
This is why I find it unacceptable that Microsoft hasn't included a native PDF printer and reader in Windows 7. OS-X includes this support, and lately MS wants to compete with OS-X as directly as possible. I think out-of-the-box PDF support is one of the things they should be matching. Adobe can whine all day about unfair competition, but if it's an open standard they can't do anything about it.
F1_Computers
September 03, 2009 at 7:05am
OpenOffice Draw actually has an extension in which you can do basic edits in PDF files. I have tried it out and it works quite well. The extension is called "Sun PDF Import Extension." Available here:
http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/project/pdfimport
suprattalljdm
September 02, 2009 at 10:00am
Which of these would be the best to edit a pdf? I want to create text boxes to add info to existing pdf's.
cjdavis7
September 01, 2009 at 7:13pm
PDFCreator can be used in XP to create a .pdf file from any program that can print. Graphics/documents/pictures or anything else. Once the program is installed, it shows up as a printer. Select the printer from the application and when you click Print the dialog box for the conversion will show up. I haven't seen a Vista version yet unfortunately.
bloodgain
September 06, 2009 at 11:36am
I think I had PDFCreator installed on Vista 32-bit. I'm running Win7 RC x64, and I think I'm using CutePDF right now (not on my computer at the moment). Both use Ghostscript as their engine, so they produce similar results. You should be able to install either one, but CutePDF says specifically that Vista and Win7 are supported.
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